D Hargreaves

I wanted to love this film so much. The trailer gave me concerns and I should have listened to that gut feeling. Overplayed, far too romantically-attractive stylisation of the main character, which defeats the human story (underpins the book’s success). The actress did a stellar job, I am criticising the makers of the film and their interpretation of the character. We don’t need to see her as loveable because of her physical beauty in the scenes. We should be focused on the experiences and what the natural surrounds bring out in her (the desperate loneliness that abandonment brings). What we are missing is the person at one with nature. After all that has happened and will happen it’s nature that is a constant. Nature is an escape from others but not yourself. In that moment time stands still, your memories linger and there are no distractions from it. The perfectly made up face, neat clothing and beautiful skin are out of place, a distraction. The experiences this young girl suffer should be what grabs us instead we are captivated by this homely experience of living in swamp and still looking beautiful. The court room drama seems to be the selling point of this film and it’s no better than Law n Order, artificial drama. What a shame. I tend to think Reece has too heavy a hand in this and it shows. All glitz, no grit. True human stories are painful and beautiful if told with integrity and not packaged for Hollywood digestion. A lot of hype for a so-so movie. Even if you don’t read the book, look at shows like Naked and Afraid to understand living in a swamp is a constant battle with nature, your body and your mind. It’s not what the movie conveyed at all. That’s not even factoring in the trauma this young girl endures. Nothing is her saving grace, a few kind souls offer her respite but she still has to face up to the reality of her life.

A movie dedicated to the art of film making. Exceptionally well shot. Sound is powerful without being over played. The new characters are endearing. The only oddity was the mismatched connection with the love interest. No real depth or spark but it didn’t really need it, the movie had us pulled in with the new aviators. Bob was every bit realistic and relatable. This is not a one-and-done film. You will see it multiple times and leave wanting more!!!

Outstanding scenery, good sound effects, exceptional acting by the Police Sarg. A blunt and brutal tale showing the treatment of women. A highlight is the strength of women to survive and organise as a sex class to fight back against the violence and ownership. The ending will leave you devastated and uplifted. Leah is at her finest with a mixture of rawness and subtle expressions. This is where the movie does it’s best work (with the most powerful lines and acting.) The plight of Aboriginal people is told differently. The control and brutality is present, so too the gentleness. But there is very little narrative about their independence separate to the brutalisers. We don’t see their rallying to fight as the women did. This is a credit to Leah for not embedding stereotyping in the way of “strong Black people”. Instead, we are left not knowing everything and seeing only glimpses of their lives. This left you with a urge to know more, the mark of a truly memorable movie. Well done! Not so well done (in reviews) is a well-trodden simplified explanation of why Molly befriends Yadaka. Reviewers see her looking past the racism of the day, not true. She resists with force when told she may be of Aboriginal descent. It disgusts her, historically accurate but not a display of her rejecting racist social structures. Essentially it’s a tale of women’s lives, the necessity to see others for their practicality (in a harsh landscape) AND the value in retaining a caring nature (for your own preservation). Nurturing the dead child, remembering the earlier children, all these seem at odds with the harshness displayed by Molly. She has to be harsh to keep going but also needs to keep a softness in order for her to keep her sanity. Both the harshness and soft nature are essential for survival. In this interaction she sees Yadaka as yet another man coming into her space but he has a use. Her ability to connect with him is not in spite of his Aboriginality but because of it. Aboriginal people are talked about in the movie as having knowledge and structures. This is meaningful for Molly. She relates and keeps Yakada around. It’s far more nuanced than ‘look at Molly befriending the Blacks when it wasn’t the done thing’. Yadaka himself recites his life expressing his humanity. In both examples we see Molly and Yadaka as humans, about as anti racist as you can hope for. This is the lesson in it.