Starring: David Gulpilil, Gary Sweet, Damon Gameau
Director: Rolf de Heer
Rated: M15+
IT’S 1922 and The Tracker (David Gulpilil) leads a search through the outback for an Aborigine (Noel Wilton) accused of murdering a white woman.
The expedition is led by The Fanatic (Gary Sweet) who is accompanied by The Follower (Damon Gameau) and The Veteran (Grant Page).
While The Tracker walks his own walk on this journey, the trail has disastrous consequences for every black Australian The Fanatic meets. Eventually The Fanatic’s despotic behaviour shocks The Follower so much, he starts to follow his conscience instead.
It is of great significance that no character in this film has a name. Indeed, in all but one case, their titles always have the definite article as well. Each of them are roles, positions, an everyman or woman. Furthermore the only relationship the story has to 1922 is that the direct killing of Aborigines could have passed unreported or at least unprosecuted in that period.
Rolf de Heer has never been interested in period dramas or historical stories. Dance Me to My Song explored the issue of a disabled woman’s sexuality. The Quiet Room was about the trauma of marriage breakdown. Bad Boy Bubby was a shocking portrayal of child abuse.
De Heer writes stories of the here and now and, despite its context, The Tracker is a very contemporary tale about race relations.
In the grandeur of the Flinders Ranges, in this Garden of Eden so wonderfully shot by de Heer and director of photography Ian Jones, sin scars the earth.
This film is a small story told on an epic scale. The Tracker is a very slow and deliberate study of the human condition.
David Gulpilil turns in a stunning performance, as does terrific newcomer Damon Gameau as The Follower. This latter character provides us with the hope we need to believe that we do not have to be prisoners of our past.
