While I'm about to return to my commitment of writing for the Darwin Sun, this review isn't getting a proper run - but I thought I'd share it with you anyway. I'm glad to have gotten back into the swing of things by writing something, and am going to make a conscious effort to return to past glory with regular musings. I'll admit Darwin has so far been a more difficult place to keep cinema visits up.
My views on Charlie's Country may soon pop up in an essay as an expansion of what I've written here, so watch this space. For now, I strongly encourage Australians to watch this film so have a squiz as to why I think you should.
Charlie's Country (M)
THE DIFFICULTIES indigenous Australians
face in their communities are primarily documented in the media by
reports on violence and alcoholism. They are indeed problems, and
highlight the need to look at how governments handle future
population placement.
There are few directors that regularly
champion the stories of indigenous Australians, and within those none
quite like Rolf de Heer. The Dutch-born director, now boasting three
collaborations with veteran talent David Gulpilil, explores
traditional and modern values within the most simple of interactions
and stories.
Charlie (Gulpilil) is a man who does
not know where traditional values end and modern ones begin. He feels
trapped in his community, wanting the same privileges as the white
man and bemoaning the lack of general opportunity.
He is a larrikin, helping the police
catch criminals and then turning on them. He clings on to the past,
and can't see a fulfilling future. A decision to go bush in an effort
to find food and return to his roots sets Charlie on a path of
discovery, changing the way he sees his homeland and his situation.
Each of the film's three undefined
chapters change the tone of Charlie's story dramatically. His time in
the community is laced with wit and establishes human connections,
while his walkabout brings a complete alienation from the world.
Charlie's return to society, taking him to Darwin, brings his story
full-circle as he reconnects.
Stark contrasts make for a shift in
attitude for Charlie, a man who refuses to lose his humour; happy to
talk to himself and keep preoccupied. Gulpilil's depth as an actor is
revealed to us beautifully, de Heer knowing his star and using his
talent in an almost haunting way. The use of facial expression in
this one-man show is extremely powerful, Gulpilil showing the
complexities of Charlie with ease.
Shot on location across the Northern
Territory, including Darwin, we are privy to both the run-down areas
of closed communities and the natural beauty of Arnhem Land. The
latter is a beautiful part of Australia rarely seen in cinema, de
Heer exploiting it for our benefit.
The film is let down by the second
half, where the pace is slowed right down to drag things along. But
this third collaboration between de Heer and Gulpilil, after The
Tracker and Ten Canoes, was rightly a Cannes Film Festival
hit. Gulpilil's Un Certain Regard Best Actor win affirmed the
strength of their professional relationship as well as a great
individual performance
It is a film Australians should make an
effort to see, not only to understand the difficulties faced in
indigenous communities, but see our country's film-making talent at
its finest.
Rating: 4/5
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