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Rolf De Heer’s The Tracker

SYNOPSIS:
In 1922, The Tracker (David Gulpilil) has the job of tracking an Aborigine (Noel Wilton) suspected of murdering a white woman and leads a police office, The Fanatic (Gary Sweet), his offsider, The Follower (Damon Gameau) and a seconded assistant The Veteran (Grant Page) across the outback. The journey descends into an acrimonious and murderous trek that shifts power from one man to another, challenged by the indigenous people they come across – as well as each other.

Review by Shannon Harvey

4 August, 2002 - Certain to collect a few Australian Film Industry (AFI) awards later this year – possibly even best film – The Tracker is a powerful new Australian drama set deep in South Australia, circa 1922.

It's not a true story but it's based on events that undoubtedly happened during this dark chapter of Australian history, when racism was simply part of the psyche.

It still is, of course, but The Tracker highlights the horrors of racism like few films before.

It gets inside the minds of four men as they track an Aboriginal man, who is accused of murdering a white woman, into the harsh, hot Australian outback.

The leader of the four is The Fanatic (Gary Sweet), a racist, rifle-toting cop who's willing to stop at nothing to bring the accused to justice. The Follower (Damon Gameau) is a greenhorn following in his footsteps, and The Veteran (Grant Page) is an old man who's done this many times before.

The three lawmen pursue the fugitive with the help of The Tracker (David Gulpilil), an Aboriginal tracker whose motives are unclear. Is he really helping these lawmen find the fugitive or leading them down the garden path?

The Tracker is a haunting journey into the dead heart of Australia. It's a challenging film, not just in the way tensions build and characters inevitably turn on each other, but in the way it slowly blurs the line between black and white, truth and justice. And though set in the 1920s, these issues still cut close to the bone today.

Director, writer and producer Rolf de Heer, who shocked audiences with Bad Boy Bubby in 1993, should be applauded for addressing such politically hot early associations between Aborigines and white colonisers. He's made a much less glossy film than Rabbit-Proof Fence but one just as haunting as Picnic at Hanging Rock (both of which, incidentally, also feature an Aboriginal tracker).

The Tracker does move at the pace of a stubborn mule and may be difficult to endure, but it's intended to build the tension that soon boils over into rage among the group.

The film is also unique in the way it incorporates paintings by Peter Coad into scenes, most of which show The Fanatic's racist brutality. He's not above torturing and hanging Aborigines to get the information he wants. And Archie Roach's mesmerising soundtrack almost becomes another character in the film.

Most of all, The Tracker makes you realise just how young this nation is and, perhaps optimistically, how far it has come. It would be a great step forward if The Tracker was to win best film at November's AFI awards, and a giant leap if David Gulpilil was to become the first Aborigine to win best actor.

Gulpilil is so good as the cheeky, possibly duplicitous blacktracker. Every expression on his noble face shows such a perfect mix between mystery and mischief that we never really know his true intentions until the very end. And Sweet is no slouch either.

The Tracker is a tough film, but it is a watershed film for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people alike. It's not just the best Australian film this year, but one of the best Australian films ever. It's powerful, memorable and deadly important.

Every Australian should see it.

Source: The Sunday Times

Reviewed By Margaret Pomeranz

The film opens with a painted landscape – and this is signficant because paintings by Adelaide artist Peter Coad are integrated into the action of the film to historify events and to move the violence from realistic representation. Into this landscape come four men – four archetypal characters. They are the Fanatic, Gary Sweet, a government trooper who is heading an expedition to find an Aboriginal man accused of murdering a white woman. Others in the expedition are the Follower, Damon Gameau, a greenhorn trooper, the Veteran, Grant Page and the Tracker, David Gulpilil. Like a tapestry unfolding the film charts the attitudes, the shifts and balances of power within the group as if it were the history of white settlement here. Along the way are confronting scenes of violence. But at the heart of every scene is the Tracker. Graham Tardif composed and Archie Roach sings on the soundtrack and it was one of the most emotional film experiences of my life to see The Tracker with Roach performing live at the opening of the Adelaide Festival. De Heer’s use of Coad’s paintings adds an uncanny power to the film, strangely making the violence more meaningful, more tragic, taking away any notion that’s it’s only a movie. David Gulpilil brings important heart to the film. De Heer’s screenplay and direction has extraordinary compassion despite the violence. It’s actually a film that’s important not to miss.

Source: The Movie Show

Review by Andrew L. Urban
A road movie or a chase movie, that’s how the film industry might simplify this film, reducing it to a label about the action, ignoring the substance. The Tracker tracks the footprints of an age old issue, but just like the age old clash between good and evil, the subject merits and warrants ongoing exploration and exposition. The subject is racial relationships in early (white) Australia, when – it should be remembered - not only Australian policemen but most of the world lived by the notions of white supremacy. Where the film becomes more interesting is in the exploration of individual characters in this setting, restricting its focus to four men, three of them white, but each a different human being. Many of the lines (of which there are not that many – this is visual storytelling) scrape away at the sand of ignorance that weighs down the bigotry which fuels the racial divide. Some strong lines (and a couple of clumsy ones) work to confirm a modern world view of humanity. David Gulpilil is riveting as The Tracker, a man so much more civilised, smart and worldly than his companions, but always just shy of smug. As a symbolic figure, he represents the genuine wisdom of ancient civilisations, confronted and sometimes confined by the present. He carries the chains he is forced to wear and recycles them as his weapons of justice and freedom. The Follower, likewise, finds his own moral strength by acting on his humanity. The use of special paintings by Peter Coad to depict certain violent scenes instead of filming them creates an emotional channel effectively used. Excellent cinematography adds to the visual values, while Graham Tardif’s music and Archie Roach’s haunting vocals elevate the film to a highly emotive level. Indeed, seeing the film a second time on the opening night of the Melbourne International Film Festival (July 23, 2002) with the live Archie Roach band accompaniment, it occurred to me that Roach was our own equivalent of the classic black blues singers of America’s 20s and 30s. I was also struck by the power and brilliance of the ending, which manages to encapsulate the film’s heart, wrapping its humanity in humour. For all that, The Tracker is basically a tense, character driven drama that relies on the craftsmanship of cinema; it would be a grave error to dump it in the bin of politically correct Australian filmmaking.

Review by Louise Keller
A painting brought to life, The Tracker is an enigmatic visual essay set on a vast Australian landscape. The story seems simple – but as the characters journey deeper and deeper into the unforgiving terrain, at each turn we sink deeper into an abyss of complexities. Rolf de Heer’s work is a startling insight into issues of freedom, prejudice, discrimination and as we taste fear, hatred and defiance, we become mesmerised by the mysteries and unknowables of the human condition. David Gulpilil is arresting as The Tracker, offering a wonderful characterisation of a man who superficially is simple, yet dazzles by the mysteries his culture and personality brings. The cast is small and effective – each cast member is unique and we follow each of their journeys. Gary Sweet impresses, while stuntman Grant Page and NIDA graduate Damon Gameau are effectively cast. The script is sparse, and much is left to our imagination. Violence is not shown on screen, but implied, often portrayed through paintings and bringing with it, a sense of history. The landscape and music are also key players, and of course parallels and comparisons will undoubtedly be made with Rachel Perkins’ One Night The Moon. Both are unique and outstanding Australian films; each should be viewed on its own merits. The Tracker holds our attention for the entire 95 minutes, always delivering something new and often unexpected. We are constantly on edge, never knowing which tables are about to turn; it is interesting to observe that salient balance of power and how vulnerably it can wavers in the breeze. Justice is found in surprising places – a reassuring thought.

Source:UrbanCineFile

Reviewed by Roderick Conway Morris

Interview with David Gulpilil (RealAudio)

September 13, 2002 - Three white men on horseback are seen riding out into the wilderness, following a black man on foot. The ambience could be out of an American Western set in the 19th century, but we are in the Australian outback in 1922.

A white woman has been murdered and this is the posse sent out to bring an Aboriginal suspect back for trial, but to a white man's justice, colossally stacked against the indigenous population.

The expedition is theoretically led by an experienced, unashamedly racist "law-enforcer," the "Boss" (Gary Sweet), who is prepared to go to any lengths to hunt down his quarry; assisted by a fresh-faced young policeman (Damon Gameau), a reluctant older bushman (Grant Page) and the Aboriginal "Tracker." Despite the Boss's general contempt for Aborigines, it is soon clear that without the Tracker, the expedition stands no chance of succeeding in its mission.

As the Tracker follows the myriad, minute signs left by the fugitive, we try to read the face, as craggy and contoured as the territory he is traversing, of this mysterious figure, and to decipher his purposes, thoughts and loyalties. This central character, in a suspense-filled and unpredictable story, is played with extraordinary skill, forcefulness and subtlety by David Gulpilil (whose film career stretches back to Nicholas Roeg's memorable 1969 "Walkabout").

The movie was shot entirely in South Australian outback in the mountains of the Finders Range, which have a strange, lushly colorful picture-book aspect. In fact, the landscape comes to seem like some Aboriginal Garden of Eden, violated and profaned by the uncomprehending white intruders, who not only stir up conflict in this primeval paradise but are deeply and dangerously divided among themselves. As the Tracker sagely remarks: "God respects Aboriginal law as much as he respects white man's law, maybe more."

Early on, the Boss reveals his psychopathic tendencies when his interrogation of a bewildered band of Aborigines culminates in their brutal killing. But here, and in the further bloody incidents that occur as the tension mounts, de Heer avoids voyeuristically dwelling on the violence, by illustrating these dramas with painted images (by the Australian artist Peter Coad). This lends them a mythic quality, as though they were descriptions of events, passed down from generation to generation, finally to find expression in popular art. And the impression of a legend in the making is further enhanced by a series of songs, performed by the indigenous folk musician Archie Roach, which run through the film like a commentary.

As the journey continues, roles are reversed, unforeseen alliances forged, and the Tracker gradually reveals himself as a many-layered individual, determined to be the master of his own destiny and prepared to sacrifice his life if he fails. And when this Conradian tale arrives at its surprising denouement, a curiously, yet convincingly, positive and redemptive conclusion is reached. One Hour Photo Directed by Mark Romanek (U.S.) Reviewed by Elvis Mitchell The New York Times

"I hurt myself today, to see if I still feel," the first line of the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt," could also be the theme of the writer-director Mark Romanek's gripping but not wholly successful psychodrama "One Hour Photo." Romanek made his name directing some of the most unforgettable music videos of the 1990s: He was Martin Scorsese to the Nails' leader Trent Reznor's Robert De Niro, creating attention magnets like "Closer" and "The Perfect Drug." The depth of feeling in the videos Romanek directed comes through his deployment of color and the suggestion of violence. He does much the same thing in "Photo." It's a smart piece of direction, and he does a sterling job in creating Sy Parrish, a man whose love of superficiality, of surfaces, proves to be his undoing.

But Romanek has completely conceived only one role in this movie about a man who views people as perfect archetypes and becomes enraged when they fall short. Unfortunately, "One Hour Photo" turns everyone but the central character into a cutout. Robin Williams stars as Parrish, the manager of a one-hour photo stand in the Sav-Mart superstore. His job, developing the photographs customers drop off, allows him to peer into their lives, providing a view that reminds him how empty his own life is.

The question is: How creepy is Sy? It's evident that he fixates on photographs because he wants them to represent his own perfect conception of the world. For him, this ideal is epitomized by the Yorkin family with the happy sprite son, Jakob (Dylan Smith), and smiling, beautiful mom, Nina (Connie Nielsen).

Nothing in this picture's world seems quite real, until Sy notes the anguish in Nina's face one day when she drops the photographs off. He follows her home and observes the sordid details of her family life. She can't get her husband, Will (Michael Vartan), to spend any time at home, and it turns out he's responsible for her misery. Sy takes it upon himself to solve the family's problems by stalking Will to teach him a lesson.

Romanek is an obsessive who has found a way to portray claustrophobia in wide-open urban space. He has worked out the story almost totally in visual motifs, with everything that intrudes on Sy's fastidiousness posing as a threat. His organizational skills are so compelling that we forgive him for not imbuing the Yorkins with the same emotional life that Sy has.

Williams plays Sy as all middlebrow vanity; for him, cleanliness is not only next to godliness, it's also a form of integrity. His job is all the definition he has, and when he's robbed of it at a crucial point, his life begins to unravel.

Williams brings a working-class ethos to the Method, and is so good here it's almost painful to watch. He is as painstaking in achieving his effects as Romanek. His lips pressed so tightly together they seem to recede, Williams makes sure we know Sy has a low threshold of humiliation. Sy is easily embarrassed, but he doesn't bleed; he seethes.

Source: International Herald Tribune

'Tracker' follows racial issues into Outback

By Nick Carter

May 13, 2004 - "The Tracker," by Australian director Rolf de Heer, combines a classic movie-Western setting and narrative with a "Heart of Darkness"-like morality play.

The setting is the Australian Outback in 1922. Three Anglo-Aussie policemen on horses, led by The Fanatic (Gary Sweet), The Follower (Damon Gameau) and The Veteran (Grant Page), are on the trail of an Aborigine accused of killing a white woman.

Leading the three is The Tracker (David Gulpilil, whose credits include "Rabbit-Proof Fence" and "The Last Wave"), a culturally adaptive Aborigine whose personality and ethnic identity are intentionally ambiguous.

He puts to use the superior sensory and environmental skills the police presume he has, addresses the three policemen as "boss," and doesn't complain about being led through the countryside with a metal collar and chain around his neck. Yet he also is capable of casual conversation with the three officers.

The characters' symbolic names reflect the racial codes, conflicts and hostilities of the era. As the group ventures farther into the wilderness, the sparse narrative hones in on the larger moral questions of the quest.

The dramatic events and their denouements are heavy-handed and predictable. When The Veteran gets pierced by an arrow, The Fanatic cauterizes his wound, more with the intent of accelerating his death than his recovery. Shortly thereafter, the conflict developing between The Follower and The Fanatic reaches a head, coinciding with a confrontation between The Tracker and The Fanatic that raises questions about whether The Tracker is more resigned or revolutionary about the plight of the Aborigines.

The narrative and dramatizations are flat; instead, stylistic touches come in the form of the scenes cutting from cinematic footage to still images of primitive artworks, which depict rather than dramatize the film's most violent moments.

The effective, eerie soundtrack features Aborigine protest ballads, in a style that suggests the spawn of a later-era Bob Dylan dirge and a world-music ceremonial chant.

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

HOW TO SEE THE TRACKER

Please note that ENIAR is not responsible for external links content and does not endorse a particular website

The Tracker is not distributed for sale in Europe.

ENIAR supporter Steve Lowman says that a double CD pack of The Tracker/Walkabout (another classic movie starring David Gulpilil) is now not on the list of the major online CD seller, CD-Wow - infact The Tracker is now on no UK list.

However, it is possible to import the double pack from Australian DVD sellers, and probably for a very reasonable price. The best search I have found for this is at the following URL:
http://www.happyhunter.co.uk/zon_GB/Curr_GBP/catryDVD/reg_10/tracker%20walkabout

I believe that, whatever the listings say about it being Region 4, all copies are actually Region 0, and will play on PAL Region 2 machines.

This search result page can take you to any of a number of Australian DVD sellers, which generally confirm that this is a multi-region DVD pack, and perhaps it is up to individual purchasers to decide who they want to buy from.

The search result page says that prices include delivery, but one cannot be 100% sure of that until the appropriate stage of the purchasing process at each individual seller site. Obviously, delivery from Australia will take a little more time than from UK.

AUDIO:Interview with Director of The Tracker, Rolf de Heer (RealAudio)

VIDEO: clip from The Tracker (Quicktime, 582k file)

related links :

• Man who lives in two worlds
  11 December 2002 - You can imagine the controversy if Nicole Kidman or Russell Crowe was shown smoking marijuana on the national broadcaster. But this week one of Australia's best-known actors will be seen smoking a bong on an ABC documentary - and no one will turn a hair. Since 1971, when he became an overnight sensation in Walkabout, Nicholas Roeg's classic about a clash of cultures, David Gulpilil has been the world's favourite Aboriginal star.
• Emotions flare at Australian Rules
  March 7, 2002 - A debate about 'Australian Rules', a lively drama about a white youth and his Aboriginal best mate who play for a country football team, produced tears, a walk-out and angry accusations about white film-makers taking black stories at the Adelaide Festival.
• Film forces Australia to face its cruel past
  February 10, 2002 - The Observer (UK) - Images from Rabbit-Proof Fence of children in detention are especially poignant as the United Nations, the Catholic Church, charities, international human rights groups and prominent writers and academics have been haranguing the government over its treatment of asylum-seekers, which includes locking up children in a desert camp.
• Dream time for our film-makers
  January 28, 2001- Some of Australia's finest film directors are scrambling to make films of Aboriginal stories. And now many predict the ailing local film industry could be in for an Aboriginal-led recovery.
• Aboriginal Stories Enrich AFI Entries
  18 September, 2002 - An unprecedented four feature films competing in this year’s AFI Awards tell stories centred on Aborigines or Aboriginal themes, including one, Beneath Clouds, written and directed by Aboriginal filmmaker Ivan Sen, enriching and expanding the body of Australian film making.
  

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