CHARLIE'S COUNTRY is a well made piece of social drama from Australia. The concept of the film is to explore race relations between white Australians and the Aborigines, and it's not a very happy story; as expected, racism and the general treatment of Aborigines as second-class citizens has led to poverty and hopelessness on a massive scale. I enjoyed the way that these themes played second fiddle to what is essentially a character-focused drama telling of one old-timer's efforts to get by.
I was absolutely delighted when I found out this film's protagonist was played by none other than David Gulpilil, who I've loved ever since I saw his debut feature, WALKABOUT. Gulpilil is typically excellent here, bringing his world-weary character to life with an unheralded realism; he's lived this situation, you can see it in his eyes. CHARLIE'S COUNTRY is a slow film, ponderous in places, but the quality of the direction and the naturalism of the acting is what sees it through.
I was absolutely delighted when I found out this film's protagonist was played by none other than David Gulpilil, who I've loved ever since I saw his debut feature, WALKABOUT. Gulpilil is typically excellent here, bringing his world-weary character to life with an unheralded realism; he's lived this situation, you can see it in his eyes. CHARLIE'S COUNTRY is a slow film, ponderous in places, but the quality of the direction and the naturalism of the acting is what sees it through.