Leofwine_draca CHARLIE'S COUNTRY is a well made piece of social drama from Australia. The concept of the film is to explore race relations between white Australians and the Aborigines, and it's not a very happy story; as expected, racism and the general treatment of Aborigines as second-class citizens has led to poverty and hopelessness on a massive scale. I enjoyed the way that these themes played second fiddle to what is essentially a character-focused drama telling of one old-timer's efforts to get by.I was absolutely delighted when I found out this film's protagonist was played by none other than David Gulpilil, who I've loved ever since I saw his debut feature, WALKABOUT. Gulpilil is typically excellent here, bringing his world-weary character to life with an unheralded realism; he's lived this situation, you can see it in his eyes. CHARLIE'S COUNTRY is a slow film, ponderous in places, but the quality of the direction and the naturalism of the acting is what sees it through.

manders_steve Rolf de Heer, director of this film, has a real connection with Australian Aborigines and the really challenging circumstances they find themselves in. David Gulpilil, one of Australia's leading Aboriginal actors, was in the dance troupe that entertained Queen Elizabeth II when she opened the Sydney Opera House in 1973. But now, in this semi-biographical film, back in his country of Arnhem Land in the eastern Northern Territory, he's finding it really hard to fit in. No matter what he does, it isn't right. White man junk food: no good. Going bush to go hunting with a gun: illegal. Make a traditional hunting spear: illegal too – a dangerous weapon. Help the police track criminals: promises go unfulfilled. Doing the best you can for your family: unappreciated, at best. So Charlie heads off and goes bush. And there the challenges continue to pile up. It's an incredibly insightful yet accessible examination of what has proved an insoluble problem for Australia for decades. Pretty much since the British settlers arrived here in the late 18th century and declared that the land was unoccupied (known as Terra Nullius) this situation was set up. Around a third of the film is in native language with subtitles (possibly David's own Yolngu tongue) and this adds to the convincingness of this film. And it has some really funny moments that add to approachability.As a descendant of the British settlers of this country, I have little ideas about what should be done to help the original human inhabitants of our country effectively. What we've been doing isn't working. This film points to the multi-faceted, multi-dimensional problems, but it doesn't find answers either. Maybe there aren't any, except time. Long time - generations. Anthropologists say Australian Aborigines have been here for at least 40,000 years, maybe up to 60,000. Imposing most of western civilisation's development onto an incredibly long lived culture in less than 200 years has obvious challenges. I think this film gives an authentic insight into the issues, and highlights that broadly workable solutions have yet to be found, in a genuinely entertaining way.

eddie_baggins Australia's official submission into this year's Best Foreign Language category at the Academy Awards, famed director Rolf de Heer's raw, uncompromising and impressively beautiful film is easily the most accomplished and important tale to come from our shores in quite some time and acts as a very personal journey for one of our country's most recognisable actors, David Gulpilil.To understand the power of Charlie's Country and the telling nature of its tale, one must look into how the film eventuated and what it harboured for Gulpilil in particular. Despite his success as an actor that started off in Nic Roeg's Walkabout in 1971, Gulpilil had found himself on hard times, the victim as sadly many indigenous people face in the country of alcohol abuse that saw him incarcerated in a federal penitentiary. Friends for many years after their collaborations in 2002's The Tracker and 2006's Ten Canoes (Australian film's worthy of being tracked down) de Heer visited Gulpilil in jail where the seeds of Charlies Country were formed when Gulpilil expressed a great desire to once more work with his friend and director. From there a story that was close to Gulpilil's heart began to be formed and it's where the quiet understated power of de Heer's work stems from.With a mere look, or with the camera following his every move through the vast beauty of the Australian outback or the more scary surrounds of Darwin, Gulpilil commands the screen and de Heer controls this wonderfully, not at all afraid to let Gulpilil's face tell us all we need to know. In what is undoubtedly a match between the actor and the real man, Gulpilil inhabits this man Charlie with a grace and understanding as he struggles to come to grips with his mother country slowly but surely coming under more influence from the white man. This small scale story of one man's trials and tribulations masks a much larger overall problem Australia has at its core regarding the treatment of our indigenousness people and a failure to properly combine the old and the new without losing the connection to the land and customs that for thousands of years have been integral to the culture of these people. All these elements within Charlie's Country play out in such a manner that never becomes overbearing, for there is subtle humour here (water buffalo anyone?) and grace from all involved that gives Charlie's Country not only a heart but a recognisable humanity.It shouldn't be surprising that Charlie's Country is a finely crafted and effective movie, for de Heer has long shown his ability to create memorably moving films and his previous collaborations with Gulpilil are some of the finest ever made in this country concerning indigenous culture. From Gulpilil's award worthy turn (which was rewarded with a Best Actor win at this year's Cannes Un Certain Regard festival), Graham Tardif's beautiful piano score and de Heers professional direction, this is Australian filmmaking and storytelling at its best and a moving portrait of modern day life in the harsh realities of the outback and the lives our indigenous people live in particular.4 and a half hand crafted spears out of 5 For more movie reviews and opinions check out - www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com

mistercsays1 The last 12 to 18 months or so have produced some fabulous Australian films - from The Rocket to Mystery Road to Tracks to 52 Tuesdays to The Rover - but it might just be that Charlie's Country usurps them all. Anchored by a superlative performance from David Gulpilil as the titular character, Charlie's Country is a beautifully realised film that explores the plight of Indigenous people living in central Australia through the experiences of a man who finds himself fed up with white fella ways yet somewhat removed from his own family, culture and community. Directed by Rolf de Heer, who co-wrote the screenplay with Gulpilil, this third collaboration between the pair – following Ten Canoes and The Tracker ¬– is perhaps the best work yet from both director and star. Charlie is a man on the margins. He is becoming increasingly disillusioned with his circumstances and his seemingly good-natured banter with the local police carries a bitter undertone. Malnourished and in need of somewhere to live, his resentment deepens when his gun, which he uses for hunting, is confiscated by authorities because he doesn't possess a licence. When a spear he has made is also deemed a 'dangerous weapon' and taken by the same police who call on him to serve as a tracker without ever offering to compensate him for his time, it is obvious that such actions are more about the exertion of authority and power than any genuine desire to keep the community safe. With his patience stretched to the limit, Charlie heads bush in an effort to live like the old ways; a solitary self-sufficient existence. However, with his health failing, he struggles to survive.The second half of the film takes place in Darwin, where Charlie finds himself in trouble with authorities. Some may find de Heer's approach preachy and not particularly balanced, but it is not hard to imagine that the events depicted here are a somewhat accurate representation of how this clash of cultures continues to play out today. Alternating between English and Yolngu, de Heer has created a wonderful portrait of a generally gentle man at odds with the world around him. The cinematography from Ian Jones is lush and evocative, while the sound design of Tom Heuzenroeder and James Currie and the musical score from Graham Tardif combine splendidly to complement the sparse dialogue. In fact, there are myriad shots that seem like still images, the merest of movement within the frame allowing us to absorb the naturalistic soundscape in all its subtle beauty. What the Dutch-born de Heer delivers is an indictment of the relationship between white law and the traditions of Australia's first peoples. It is a slow burn in which the audience is asked to reflect; not only on Charlie's circumstances but how the fallout from this clash of cultures continues to impact upon Indigenous people today. Charlie is searching for something, but he doesn't really know what it is. The drama is laced with genuinely funny moments and the film is never dull despite the languid pace of many scenes. Gulpilil is mesmerising and even the extended shots of him staring silently, seemingly in deep contemplation, are a joy to behold. There is good support from Peter Djigirr as Black Pete and cameos from the likes of Gary Sweet and Dan Wyllie, with Luke Ford burdened with the role of a two-faced policeman. While Bojana Novakovic makes a welcome late appearance as the only white person who affords Charlie any courtesy or respect, this is very much a showcase of Gulpilil's considerable talents. Despite enduring his own well-publicised battles with alcoholism and the law, Gulpilil's reputation has remained intact and this performance only serves to confirm his status as one of Australia's finest ever actors; his Best Actor nod in Un Certain Regard at this year's Cannes Film Festival bringing deserved international recognition. Given that much of what transpires is supposedly drawn from Gulpilil's personal experiences, the events depicted are easy enough to believe if not particularly nice to witness, even from a distance. Having made provocative films such Bad Boy Bubby and Alexandra's Project, this is a much more sedate but no less confrontational effort from de Heer, one of the few contemporary filmmakers to have enjoyed an extended career working in Australia. With Charlie's Country, de Heer has produced a compelling cautionary tale.