This was the first of two films that I saw at The Civic on Thursday, and it was magnificent.
I was drawn to this film first of all because the picture in the film festival guide was stunning. It was a close-up of a curly-haired Aborginal boy in golden late-afternoon sun, staring moodily out of the frame. Secondly, I chose to write a research essay on Aboriginal national cinema last year, and have had a strong interest in Aboriginal films ever since.
This may not be a film for impatient people. There is virtually no dialogue in this 100 minute-long film, but I quickly adapted to this, and the visuals told the story so clearly that the minimal dialogue was well-suited. You might also say that not a lot happens in the film - but you might also say that the story is epic.
Basically, it swept me off my feet. I was on the edge of my seat in utter horror most of the time, as the central characters were repeatedly beaten down, by both outside factors and by themselves. From the first image of a boy waking up and pressing a can of petrol to his face before even getting out of bed, the film is extremely heavy; so heavy that you feel it all through your body. It's heavy, and everything in it is so intensely sad, yet you can never cry as the path of destruction simply continues. Until the very end. Fortunately, there is a little glimmer of hope at the end, and when the film finally cut to black, I broke down instantly in tears.
Lessons learned: Take more interest in the Aboriginal situation in Central Australia. A picture speaks a thousand words. Music is extremely powerful. Repetition isn't necessarily boring.
I was drawn to this film first of all because the picture in the film festival guide was stunning. It was a close-up of a curly-haired Aborginal boy in golden late-afternoon sun, staring moodily out of the frame. Secondly, I chose to write a research essay on Aboriginal national cinema last year, and have had a strong interest in Aboriginal films ever since.
This may not be a film for impatient people. There is virtually no dialogue in this 100 minute-long film, but I quickly adapted to this, and the visuals told the story so clearly that the minimal dialogue was well-suited. You might also say that not a lot happens in the film - but you might also say that the story is epic.
Basically, it swept me off my feet. I was on the edge of my seat in utter horror most of the time, as the central characters were repeatedly beaten down, by both outside factors and by themselves. From the first image of a boy waking up and pressing a can of petrol to his face before even getting out of bed, the film is extremely heavy; so heavy that you feel it all through your body. It's heavy, and everything in it is so intensely sad, yet you can never cry as the path of destruction simply continues. Until the very end. Fortunately, there is a little glimmer of hope at the end, and when the film finally cut to black, I broke down instantly in tears.
Lessons learned: Take more interest in the Aboriginal situation in Central Australia. A picture speaks a thousand words. Music is extremely powerful. Repetition isn't necessarily boring.
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