Rabbit-Proof Fence (film)

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Rabbit-Proof Fence
File:Rabbit-Proof Fence movie poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Phillip Noyce
Produced by Phillip Noyce
Christine Olsen
John Winter
Screenplay by Christine Olsen
Based on Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence
by Doris Pilkington
Starring Everlyn Sampi
Kenneth Branagh
David Gulpilil
Music by Peter Gabriel
Cinematography Christopher Doyle
Edited by Veronika Jenet
John Scott
Production
company
Distributed by Miramax Films
Release dates
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  • 4 February 2002 (2002-02-04)
Running time
 93 minutes[1]
Country Australia
Language Western Desert language
English
Budget USD$6 million
Box office USD$16.2 million

Rabbit-Proof Fence is a 2002 Australian drama film directed by Phillip Noyce based on the book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara. It is loosely based on a true story concerning the author's mother Molly, as well as two other mixed-race Aboriginal girls, who ran away from the Moore River Native Settlement, north of Perth, Western Australia, to return to their Aboriginal families, after being placed there in 1931. The film follows the Aboriginal girls as they walk for nine weeks along 1,500 miles (2,400 km) of the Australian rabbit-proof fence to return to their community at Jigalong, while being pursued by white law enforcement authorities and an Aboriginal tracker.[2]

The soundtrack to the film, called Long Walk Home: Music from the Rabbit-Proof Fence, is by Peter Gabriel. British producer Jeremy Thomas, who has a long connection with Australia, was executive producer of the film, selling it internationally through his sales arm, HanWay Films.

Plot

Set in 1931, two sisters, 14-year-old Molly and 8-year-old Daisy, and their 10-year-old cousin Gracie live in the Western Australian town of Jigalong. The town lies along the northern part of Australia's rabbit-proof fence, which runs for several thousand miles.

Thousands of miles away, the official Protector of Western Australian Aborigines, A. O. Neville (called Mr. Devil by them), signs an order to relocate the three girls to his re-education camp. The children are referred to by Neville as "half-castes", because they have one white and one Aboriginal parent. Neville's reasoning is portrayed as: the Aboriginal peoples of Australia are a danger to themselves, and the "half-castes" must be bred out of existence. He plans to place the girls in a camp where they, along with all half-castes of that age range, will grow up. They will then presumably become labourers and servants to white families, regarded as a "good" situation for them in life. Eventually if they marry, it will be to white people and thus the Aboriginal "blood" will diminish. As such, the three girls are forcibly taken from Jigalong by a local constable, Riggs, and sent to camp at the Moore River Native Settlement, in the south.

Map of the rabbit-proof fence showing the trip from Moore River to Jigalong.

During their time at the camp, Molly notices a rain cloud in the sky and deduces that if she, Gracie and Daisy were to escape and go back to Jigalong on foot, the rain will cover their tracks, so nobody can track them. Gracie and Daisy decide to go along with Molly and the three girls sneak off, without being noticed and run away. Moments after their escape, an Aboriginal tracker, Moodoo, is called in to find them. However, the girls are well trained in disguising their tracks. They evade Moodoo several times, receiving aid from strangers in the harsh Australian country they travel. They eventually find the rabbit-proof fence, knowing they can follow it north to Jigalong. Neville soon figures out their strategy and sends Moodoo and Riggs after them. Although he is an experienced tracker, Moodoo is unable to find them.

Neville spreads word that Gracie's mother is waiting for her in the town of Wiluna. The information finds its way to an Aboriginal traveller who "helps" the girls. He tells Gracie about her mother and says they can get to Wiluna by train, causing her to break off from the group and attempt to catch a train to Wiluna. Molly and Daisy soon walk after her and find her at a train station. They are not reunited, however, as Riggs appears and Gracie is recaptured. The betrayal is revealed by Riggs, who tells the man he will receive a shilling for his help. Knowing they are powerless to aid her, Molly and Daisy continue on. In the end, after a harsh long journey, the two sisters make it home and go into hiding in the desert with their mother and grandmother. Meanwhile, Neville realizes he can no longer afford the search for Molly and Daisy and decides to suspend the pursuit.

Epilogue

The film's epilogue shows recent footage of Molly and Daisy. Molly explains that Gracie has died and she never returned to Jigalong. Molly also tells us of her own two daughters; she and they were taken from Jigalong back to Moore River. She managed to escape with one daughter, Annabelle, and once again, she walked the length of the fence back home. However, when Annabelle was 3 years old, she was taken away once more, and Molly never saw her again. In closing, Molly says that she and Daisy "... are never going back to that place".

Cast

Production

The film is adapted from the book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence, by Doris Pilkington Garimara, which is the second book of her trilogy documenting her family's stories.[3]

Criticism

The film stirred debate over the historical accuracy of the claims of the Stolen Generation.[4][5][6] Andrew Bolt criticised Neville's portrayal in the film, arguing that he was inaccurately represented as paternalistic and racist, and the film's generally rosy portrayal of the girls' situation prior to their removal from their parents.[7][8] Bolt questioned the artistic portrayal in the film of the girls as prisoners in prison garb. He claimed they would have been dressed in European clothes, as shown in contemporary photos, and says they were tracked by concerned adults fearful for their welfare.[8] He claimed that when Molly Craig saw the film, which portrayed her journey, she stated that it was "not my story". However, she clarified that statement by saying her story continued into her adult life and was not nicely resolved, as the film's ending made it appear.[9]

The historian Keith Windschuttle states that the events that are portrayed appear to distort the history of the treatment of aboriginal children generally. He states that the children in the film were in fact uncared for, and having underage sex with whites. Windschuttle notes that Neville's speech about extinguishing the aboriginal race is fabricated and has no historical evidence.[10]

The film is largely based on a book by the protagonist's daughter which says that the girls left voluntarily.[11][12] The film is widely shown in Australian schools. Conservative commentator and radio broadcaster Andrew Bolt notes that there is little attempt to analyse the historical basis for it.[13]

Windschuttle states that the forcible removal of Aboriginal children was quite rare in the early twentieth century, and was almost always done for the benefit of the children.[14]

Reception

Critical response

The film received positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a rating of 88% based on 138 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6 out of 10. The site's consensus states, "Visually beautiful and well-acted, Rabbit-Proof Fence tells a compelling true-life story."[15] On Metacritic the film has a score of 80 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[16]

David Stratton of SBS awarded the film four stars out of five, commenting that Rabbit-Proof Fence is a "bold and timely film about the stolen generations."[17]

Box office

Rabbit-Proof Fence grossed US$3,756,418 in Australia, and $6,199,600 in the United States. Worldwide, it grossed $16,217,411.[18][19]

Accolades

Selected accolades.

Wins

2001 – Queensland Premier's Literary Awards.[20]
  • Film Script—the Pacific Film and Television Commission Award (Christine Olsen)[21]
2002 – Australian Film Institute Awards[22]
2002 – Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards[23]
  • Best Director (Phillip Noyce)
  • Best Screenplay—Adapted (Christine Olsen)
2002 – Inside Film Awards[24]
2002 – New South Wales Premier's History Awards[25]
2002 (USA) – Aspen Filmfest[26]
2002 (Switzerland) – Castellinaria International Festival of Young Cinema,[28]
  • ASPI Award (Phillip Noyce)
  • Golden Castle (Phillip Noyce)
2002 (USA) – The 2002 Starz Encore Denver International Film Festival[29]
  • People's Choice Award: Best Feature-Length Fiction Film (Phillip Noyce)
2002 (South Africa) – Durban International Film Festival[30]
  • Audience Award (Phillip Noyce)
2002 (UK) – Edinburgh International Film Festival[31]
  • Audience Award (Phillip Noyce)
2002 (UK) – Leeds International Film Festival[32]
  • Audience Award (Phillip Noyce)
2002 (USA) – National Board of Review Awards 2002[33]
  • Freedom of Expression Award
  • Best Director (Phillip Noyce)
2002 (USA) – San Francisco Film Critics Circle[34]
  • Special Citation (Phillip Noyce, also for The Quiet American (2002))
  • Audience Award: Best Foreign Film (Phillip Noyce)
2002 (Spain) – Valladolid International Film Festival[35]
  • Audience Award: Feature Film (Phillip Noyce)
2003 (UK) – London Critics Circle Film Awards (ALFS)[36]
  • Director of the Year (Phillip Noyce, also for The Quiet American (2002))
2003 (Brazil) – São Paulo International Film Festival[37]
  • Audience Award: Best Foreign Film (Phillip Noyce)

Nominations

2002 (Australia)
Australian Film Institute Nominations[38]
  • Best Actor in a Supporting Role (David Gulpilil)
  • Best Cinematography (Christopher Doyle)
  • Best Costume Design (Roger Ford)
  • Best Direction (Phillip Noyce)
  • Best Editing (Veronika Jenet, John Scott)
  • Best Production Design (Roger Ford)
  • Best Screenplay Adapted from Another Source (Christine Olsen)
2002 (Australia)
Film Critics Circle of Australia Nominations[23] Australia
2002 (Poland)
Camerimage—2002 International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography[39]
2002 (USA)
Golden Trailer Award Nominations[40]
  • Golden Trailer: Best Independent
2003 (USA)
Golden Globe Nominations[41]
  • Golden Globe: Best Original Score—Motion Picture (Peter Gabriel)
2003 (USA)
Motion Picture Sound Editors Nomination[42]
  • Golden Reel Award: Best Sound Editing in Foreign Features (Juhn Penders, Craig Carter, Steve Burgess, Ricky Edwards, Andrew Plain)
2003 (USA)
Political Film Society Awards[43]
  • Exposé
  • Human Rights
2003 (USA)
Young Artist Awards[44]
  • Best Performance in a Feature Film—Supporting Young Actress (Everlyn Sampi)
  • Best Performance in a Feature Film—Young Actress Age Ten or Under (Tianna Sansbury)

See also

References

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  15. ↑ Rabbit-Proof Fence at Rotten Tomatoes
  16. ↑ Rabbit-Proof Fence at Metacritic
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  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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