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Things by Carol Lane Patterson
METAPHYSICAL OVERVIEW Rich with gorgeous cinematographic views of
Western Australia, Rabbit Proof Fence brings the viewer into the dusty,
remote outback, into the quietly simple, aboriginal village life of the
1930’s. In a succession of well-meaning bureaucrats playing at
divinity, Mr. Neville (Kenneth Branagh) is the agent during the time of
Molly’s (Everlyn Sampi) life and her story. Neville’s reign lasted
25 years, well into the fifties. The aboriginal people called him the
‘devil man’ and as their patriarchal agent, his was the approach to
genetic cleansing in which the children are kidnapped without appeal or
hope of release. In the Twentieth century, Australia’s own brand of
racism involved a typical population management tool half-blood children
should be removed to a white’ environment to be assimilated. All that
was needed was controlled schools—and time to accomplish what was
ruthlessly known to occur in three generations. In a striking scene
where Branagh’s character explains the importance of the program to a
group of society matrons, his graphic is one with a grandmother ‘half-caste’
beside her quadroon’ offspring and her grandchild, an ‘octoroon.’
He finishes with a flourish by stating that in controlled breeding the
blackness can be bred out in three generations. As the people listening
to this cold-hearted evaluation were also the recipients of free labor,
in their homes and on their farms, they were quite believably depicted
as listening attentively. In 1970, Australia radically modified their
approach to an overseer making unilateral decisions about whole tribes.
These generations of children, the ‘Lost Generations’ are alive in
Rabbit Proof Fence in the brief glimpses of the spirit and soul of a
people only recently free of archaic governmental interference. The
granddaughter, Molly tells a quiet story of her childhood abduction to
one such school 1500 miles distant…and her escape, with her sister and
cousin (Tianna Sansbury and Laura Monaghan.) These girls were ‘discovered’
in an Australian talent search during casting. This casting feat and the
girls’ maturation into their roles was captured in a documentary shown
with critical acclaim on television last year. The dignity they brought
to the film and the subject matter is evident in every scene and
certainly makes the story of Molly and her entire family believable and
somehow more accessible…difficult given that few of us could ever
imagine the real Molly’s teenaged choices. The ending is truly
special. MiraMax, the leading Hollywood source of thought-provoking
films distributed this mega-collaboration headed by the Australian Film
Commission. ESCAPIST COMEDIES are in the 2003
springtime lineup with a few big names to entice the viewer. In these
rather bizarre times, laughing is an important and therapeutic release.
Go see these movies. They are escapist, mostly silly and yet, expertly
turned out with superlative performances by old familiar faces and
plenty of new faces, as well. Bringing Down The House with Steve Martin
and Queen Latifah is Touchstone’s entry. Chris Rock, who co-wrote,
directed and co-stars with Bernie Mac in Head of State, comes to us from
Dreamworks. Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson create a bit of their own
magic in Anger Management—not to be missed. We can thank Sony/Columbia
for the unlikely match of Sandler and Nicholson in an unbelievable romp
that seemingly can’t accommodate the both of them—totally finessed.
View From The Top with Gwyneth Paltrow and Mike Myers in this quiet,
unoriginal script is the totally pleasant lighter fare from MiraMax. |
RABBIT PROOF FENCE
