Charlie's Country

Charlie's Country

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Rolf de Heer
Produced by Rolf de Heer
Peter Djigirr
Nils Erik Nielsen
Written by Rolf de Heer
David Gulpilil
Starring David Gulpilil
Luke Ford
Music by Graham Tardif
Cinematography Ian Jones
Edited by Tania Nehme
Release dates
  • 12 October 2013 (2013-10-12) (Adelaide)
  • 22 May 2014 (2014-05-22) (Cannes)
Running time
 108 minutes
Country Australia
Language Yolngu Matha
English

Charlie's Country is a 2013 Australian drama film directed by Rolf de Heer. It was selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival[1] where David Gulpilil won the award for Best Actor.[2] It was also screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival[3] and awarded the Best Fiction Prize and the Youth Jury Prize at the 2015 International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH) in Geneva.[4]

The film was selected as the Australian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards, but was not nominated.[5]

Plot

Charlie, an Aboriginal man who lives in Arnhem Land paints tree barks and fishes barramundi fish, all the while feeling out of place in an Australia which is no longer his.[6] He laments the loss of his culture in modern Austrailia. After his spear is confiscated by the police who think it is a weapon, he decides to leave his Aboriginal community and go to the bush.[6] He falls ill and is rushed to the hospital in Darwin.[6] Shortly after, he befriends a woman who buys alcohol illegally for other Aboriginals, and he gets arrested.[6] As a result, he is sent to prison.[6] Finally, he agrees to pass on traditional dances from his generation to the young Aboriginal boys, fearing the loss of their cultural identity.

Cast

Critical reception

Charlie's Country currently holds an approval rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes[7] and 75% on Metacritic.[8]

Jane Howard of The Guardian wrote a good review of the film.[6] She argued that the "camera is often motionless and there is a sense of still photography to the work."[6] She added that Gulpili's flawless acting carried the movie.[6] In the Sydney Morning Herald, Paul Byrnes also praised his "extraordinary grace and physical ease" as an actor.[9] He added, "The level of trust between actor and director here is part of the reason this work will live on."[9] Similarly, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney praised the collaboration between de Heer and Gulpilil, arguing, "It's a testament to what de Heer and Gulpilil have achieved here -- with simplicity and infinite nuance -- that through all the highs and devastating lows we witness in this brief chapter of Charlie's life, the character's identity remains etched into every aspect of the performance."[10]

In Variety, Eddie Cockrell praised the cinematography, concluding, "The tech package is seamless. Ian Jones’ widescreen photography immerses the viewer in the Australian outback, while Graham Tardif’s plaintive score emphasizes both the dignity and the anguish of Charlie’s all-too-common plight."[11] In The Australian, Evan Williams called it an "unforgettable film, beautifully made, at times unbearably sad, but tinged with an unquenchable optimism and humanity."[12] He added that some scenes were likely to provoke racism in some viewers, thus helping them question their own ingrained prejudices.[12]

However, writing for the ABC, Jason Di Rosso wrote a negative review.[13] He called it, "another disappointment in that category of ambitious Australian filmmaking that’s about trying to make art, as well as entertain."[13] He added that the film lacked "ambiguity" adding that there "are thinly drawn racist characters and an inability to render different tones in the one visual idea."[13] Moreover, he disageed with other reviewers about de Heer and Gulpili's close relationship: for Di Rosso, "de Heer hasn’t shown enough faith in his central performer and the collection of beautiful and ugly landscapes he’s drawn together."[13]

Accolades

Award Category Subject Result
AACTA Awards
(4th)		 Best Film Nils Erik Nielsen Nominated
Peter Djigirr Nominated
Rolf de Heer Nominated
Best Direction Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Nominated
David Gulpilil Nominated
Best Actor Won
Best Sound James Currie Nominated
Tom Heuzenroeder Nominated
Asia Pacific Screen Awards Achievement in Directing Rolf de Heer Nominated
Best Actor David Gulpilil Nominated
Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard - Best Actor Won
Un Certain Regard Award Rolf de Heer Nominated

See also

References

External links

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