Directed by Phillip Noyce

Writing credits: Doris Pilkington  (book) & Christine Olsen  (screenplay)

MPAA: Rated PG for emotional thematic material.

Runtime: 94 minutes

Country: Australia

Language: English

Certification: Australia:PG / Norway:11 / USA:PG
 
 
 

Based on the true story of three young Aboriginal girls Molly, Gracie, Daisy (Evelyn Sampi, Laura Monaghan, Tianna Sansbury):  in 1931 they were forcibly removed from their families at Jigalong WA and taken to a camp 1500 miles away at Moore River to be trained as domestic servants, all part of official Government policy. Molly leads her younger sister and cousin on a daring escape and in a bid to find her way home, following –on foot - the rabbit proof fence that cuts across the Gibson Desert and towards Jigalong. But WA’s Chief protector of Aborigines, A.O. Neville (Kenneth Branagh) does his [misguided] best to recapture them, with help from black tracker David Moodoo (David Gulpilil).

Remarkable for its excellent storytelling, its economical, compressed characterisations and for its profound humanity, Rabbit Proof Fence is an adventure story and history lesson all in one. Of course it’s a political film, but Phillip Noyce’s instincts rely on the humanistic issues, not the political ones, to push our buttons. There is not a moment of political posturing. With three children at the centre of the film, it is surprising perhaps that the film plays as a grown up film, not a family drama. This is partly due to the subject, of course, but perhaps even more, it is the result of the tone set by Noyce. Without hysterics and without cheap sentimentality, Rabbit Proof Fence tells an extraordinary story about three  little girls. That’s the drama on which Noyce has focused, and his creative team provide ample support. And that includes the cast – but especially the three young girls, on whose shoulders the film’s success rests. We are perhaps used to seeing child actors deliver credible characters, but rarely from child actors who’d never seen a movie before, let alone act in one. Rest assured, you do not have to make any allowances for them: all three are wonderful, natural, credible and moving. Sweet, too. The oldies also do well: Branagh masters the complexity of a well meaning but  misguided A. O. Neville, for whom we feel a pang of pity as well as a touch of resentment. Gulpilil is exceptional as Moodoo, working his minimalist magic; Deborah Mailman is at her usual brilliant best; and Ningali Lawford is heart-wrenching as Molly’s mother. Chris Doyle’s cinematography and Peter Gabriel’s music bring out all the emotional colors of the film, which leaves us satisfied that what we have seen is important, true and of lasting value. And entirely enjoyable cinema.--Andrew L. Urban
 
 

Some things to think about while you watch the film (will make great content for movie quiz):

• Trace the trip that is made in the movie.  Starting point, ending point, and direction of travel.
• What climate/vegetation regimes can you identify as the journey unfolds?
• How about terrain?  How would you characterize it in this part of Australia?
• What is the time frame?
• What is the fence anyway?  What's it all about?  Why was it built?
• How are aborigines treated in the film?  What human rights do they have--or perhaps which ones don't they have?
• Who is the 'bad guy' in the film?  Is there a 'bad guy'?
• How would you describe the native lifestyle of the aboriginal girls beofre they were captured?
  
• What was the future lifestyle like for the kids who were 're-trained' at the orphanage?
  

If you are interested in more info, check out this site to learn more about the Australian Indigenous Population.