Rabbit-Proof Fence
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Movie Reviews of Rabbit-Proof Fence
Movie Review: Compelling Tale of Racial Caste System in Australia
Summary: 5 Stars
Based on a real story of three half-white, half-Aborigine girls who were legally kidnapped and torn from their mothers in a small Australian village, Rabbit Proof Fence is a compelling, never sentimental, fast-paced account of an odious racial "purification" program exercised in Australia from early 1900 to 1970, giving these poor children the tag "The Lost Generations." Mostly these poor children were kept in camps where they were to be, ostensibly, taught in the ways of Australian white middle-class society so that, after three generations, their "blackness" would disappear. But in truth these children were really trained to be domestics or slaves for white land owners. In the film, we get to know the three girls and find that the oldest, Molly, is very street smart and perceives that the camp she and her cousins are in is a deadend. There's only one thing to do: reunite with their mothers, so they make their escape. Much of the film shows us the harrowing journey that these three girls make and the spiritual strength, inspired by the bond between them and their mothers, that they draw from to make their dangerous trek in the desert. What's remarkable about this film is how dead-on the acting is from the three girls, ages between seven and thirteen. The director, who discussed in great detail the casting in the documentary section of the DVD, says that finding the right girls would make or break the film. He shows how he gained the girls' trust, taught them to act (they were not professional actors), and most of all, explains how they lost their innocence and connected themselves to a part of their history that until then they were not clear about. This is the only DVD where the documentary footage on the making of the film is as compelling as the film itself. To see these girls blossom as actors and raise their social consciousness in the process, maturing as human beings, both on and off the camera, is a remarkable thing to witness.Movie Review: A very touching biographical movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Rabbit-Proof Fence is a true and real life biography of a girl being snapped away from her mother because she is a half-caste - offspring of a white man and an aboriginal woman. The movie has a very detail description of the intention of the Whilte Australians in the 30s to whiten all these children by removing them from their mothers, sending them to the training camps. The story depicted 3 girls running away from the camp and walked 1200 miles back home to reunite with their mother. The movie is very natural and touching that you will just be drawn inside the hearts of those girls, who has nothing but strong determination to go home and live a life they want. The movie also described the arrogance of the Whitle Australians until the 1970s, who tried every effort to justify their whitening process of this Stolen Generation. It is a very honest portray of the experience of Molly, who was unfortunately being forced into this generation and lived a wandering and heart breaking life due to this policy. It should be watched by all people so that we could learn to respect other people's life and culture as they are, instead of superimposing what we think is the best for them, for they might end up to be a curse of life for these people. This is a very touching and introspecting production that should not be missed. It does not attempt to achieve a melodramatic effect, but a simple honest reminder for respecting the aboriginals who are actually the native people who live on this island continent. Things haven't been really improved in Australian over the aboriginal issues, but this is a very good attempt to raise the conscious of people over the land that the White Australians conquered 200 years ago, and how much the mentality of some of these people have and have not changed. The cinematography is also spectacular. In all, this is not a movie to be missed.Movie Review: The Stolen Generation: A Story Of Courage and Defiance
Summary: 5 Stars
When I read news accounts that it was not until 2008 when the Austrian government got around to apologizing to the Aborigine culture for its policy of removing half-caste children from their families, I felt compelled to learn as much as I could about this atrocity.
Based on legislation that began in 1869, the Aboriginal Protection Act would expand into the 20th century, with more concise language to continue the horrendous practice of forceful and cruel child removal from half-caste families, and indict them into a racist and bigoted system whose sole aim was to bleed and breed the black out of them, and then 're-socialize' them into the culture of their guardian oppressors. I can think of nothing more insidious and cruel.
My research led me to an article written by a woman who interviewed several of these children. I read other documentation of 'the stolen generation', and this later led to the filming of the story of Molly Craig, her younger sister and cousin, Gracie, and Daisy who escaped entrapment at the missionary settlement where they were imprisoned. And how, under Molly's strength and leadership, they began the arduous 1500 mile journey to return to their family.
This powerful and emotional packed film of courage, determination, and a deep sense of cultural faith is based on actual events, thanks to the book written by Molly's daughter, Doris Pilkington Garimara.
I encourage you to see this heartbreaking film. I am convince this will prompt you to learn more about the abusive and cruel policy by the British/Australian government, which 'stole' the human rights of countless children and their families by a contemptible practice of racial purification, which continued [in many places] through the 70's.
Maizie Lucille James
May 29, 2010
Movie Review: I Felt Everything
Summary: 5 Stars
My range of emotions just about covered the gamut. Anger at the white paternalistic institution and the people that implemented this barbarism; devastation for the mother and grandmother at the separation from their children; awe at the sheer grit of the girls; fear that they wouldn't make it back home without something else happening; and admiration for the young neophyte actresses who turned in a beautiful performance with the help of a talented director and editor. It must have been a very unforgiving environment to work in; there is nothing pretty about the topography of western Australia. In fact, it reminds me a lot of western Oklahoma! Token A-list actor Kenneth Branaugh did his job well; he really had me believing that he really was a despicable, pompous bastard who actuallythought he was doing right by these native families.
The music during the end credits is gorgeous, haunting, evocative -- this from the man who gave us Sledgehammer and dancing fryers! I was grateful for my stereo TV and headphones as I found myself replaying the end credits repeatedly, and you can bet I'll keep an eye out for the soundtrack.
As usual, the DVD extras make a good package that much better. Having the voiceover of the director, screenwriter and cast members enhanced the viewing experience, but I do wish they would consider parallel captioning for the audio presentation. It's not fair that the hearing-impaired would miss this information, but even those of us with perfect hearing who may not be well versed in Australian dialect would benefit from it.
I hate what was done to these kids and others like them. I love that their story was told by independent filmmakers; thank God for Miramax. I love the story, I love the music, and I WILL be buying the DVD for my own collection.
Movie Review: Rabbit-Proof Fence
Summary: 5 Stars
Rabbit-Proof Fence is the touching and poignant story of a fourteen year old girl's trip home after being forcibly removed from her home in 1930's Aboriginal Australia. Molly and her sister and her cousin were taken by government officials and put into an internment camp for half-castes (people of mixed blood). The girls escape the camp and manage to elude the police and a native tracker. They travel almost 1500 miles through Australia along the rabbit-proof fence (a fence put up to prevent rabbits from eating the crops), they even had to make it through a desert. The Chief Protector of the Aborigines was a truly terrifying man. He had the power to do anything he wanted and seemed to honestly believe in the racist policies of the office he held. The policy of removing children from their homes and placing them in these camps continued until 1970. The children removed are now referred to as the "Stolen Generation."
I really felt for the girls. The mother explains their religion to Molly before she leaves, telling her the bird is the "Great Spirit" and will always look out for her, and you see Molly looking for that bird throughout the movie. You watch their mother and grandmother pray for their safe return.
The director did a great job showing the emotions that must have gone through the girls' minds on the trip. The movie is filled with the beautiful scenery that makes up Australia. The movie was filled with terrific unknown actors-Molly was unbelievably good. By the end of the movie, I was exhausted from the girls' harrowing journey. The end of the movie was my favorite part- we met a couple of the actual girls and heard their story in their own words. I'm really glad I watched this movie.