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 Rabbit Proof Fence (2002)Rated: PG for emotional thematic material. Runtime: 94 min. Director: Phillip Noyce Writer: Doris Pilkington (book); Christine Olsen (screenplay) Tagline: 1500 Miles Is A Long Way Home. Cast: Everlyn Sampi, Kenneth Branagh, David Gulpilil....complete cast Genre: Adventure/Drama Most memorable quote: "If they'd only understand, we are doing it for their own good"
Review by Frank Wilkins
The rabbit was one of the most destructive plagues ever to be released in Australia. Thriving in the native climate, the rabbit destroyed crops and farmland and with it devastated the livelihoods of the early settlers of Australia. In 1901 the government built a barrier fence from a point on the southern coast through to a point on the northern coast to keep rabbits and other vermin on one side, and the farmland on the other. They called this Rabbit Proof Fence No. 1. At the time it was considered an historic human feat as the longest fence in the world and a message that man could accomplish anything in his quest to proliferate. In a twist of irony, it is this fence, a representation of man's progress, that is the central theme of a movie that highlights the shame of man's arrogance. The official government policy of the time, stated that all half-caste children (children of half white man and half Aborigine) should be taken from their families and their land, and made into servants so that the Aboriginal blood would eventually be bred out and they could be assimilated into white society. "If they'd only understand, we are doing it for their own good." Rabbit Proof Fence is the moving story of Molly (Everlyn Sampi), Gracie (Laura Monaghan) and Daisy (Tianna Sansbury), three aboriginal half-castes, who were violently removed from their families in Jigalong, a fence depot in Western Australia, and sent to the Moore River Native Settlement to begin their assimilation. The three escape and embark on a treacherous 1,500-mile journey on foot across harsh outback scrubland to reunite with their families. The payoff of director Philip Noyce's insistence that the production use amateur actors to portray our three heroines shows on their faces with a genuine sincerity that might not have been attainable with trained actors. They perform from their heart and act with honesty bringing the story to the screen with the expressions on their faces. It's as if these three kids have first hand experience of the atrocities of this oozing, not yet healed scar, on Australia's past. Several scenes, most notably when the children are captured and thrown into a car, seem forced or contrived and the dialogue (what little of it there is) not well delivered. But a large portion of the movie – and this is where Noyce really shines – is spent displaying the agony, pain and industriousness of these girls as they trek across the Outback stealing eggs and grabbing meals from good Samaritans, all the while, longing for the warmth and familiarity of home. An ironic beauty floods the screen with brilliant sunsets as Peter Gabriel's mournful soundtrack adds depth to the experience. "These other kids who were taken, they were much younger, they didn't know their mother, but I was much older, I knew my mother. I wanted to go home to mother." Their suffering is a victory for all the severed families and disjointed lives. The screenplay is adapted by Christine Olsen from a book of the same name written by Doris Pilkington, the real-life daughter of Molly's character. She pulls from her knowledge handed down to her by those who experienced it first hand. The movie works on several layers displaying brilliant symbolism and smart metaphors. A fence that is built to quarantine an undesirable element actually becomes the hero of the story, and we see it on Molly's face as she gets the idea that the fence can take her back home. I have a special interest in movies that bring to prominence otherwise unknown historical facts, and although the subject matter of Rabbit Proof Fence is a dark and forgettable slice of Australian heritage, the movie is about triumph and perseverance of the human spirit. It leaves you with an ambiguously warm yet distant sensation that burns down to your soul as you struggle with the knowledge that this terrible policy actually existed - and was not abolished until 1970! This is a story that needed to be told for its historical significance and it's an added delight that it is told with such artistic flair and loving craftsmanship. Frank Wilkins Read visitor comments and postings here Read or post comments about this film on the Screen formats: Widescreen Anamorphic 2.35:1 Subtitles: Closed Captioned Sound: English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Other Features: Color; interactive menus; scene access; filmmakers' commentary; making-of featurette. 
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