THE TRACKER
Australia, 2002, 98 minutes, Colour.
David Gulpilil, Gary Sweet, Damon Gameau, Noel Wilton, Grant Page.
Directed by Rolf de Heer.
The Tracker is a fine cinematic achievement by writer-director, Rolf de Heer. De Heer wrote the screenplay but also wrote the lyrics to Graham Tardif’s music.
The film is stylised in its presentation, in the names of the characters who are not personalised but described by their role: Tracker, Fanatic, Follower, Veteran, Fugitive. The film is divided into sections – and is theatrical, even operatic, in its structure and presentation.
The visuals of the Australian bush and desert are particularly striking.
David Gulpilil won best actor award at the AFI awards in 2002. From his appearance in Walkabout as a teenager, through such films as Storm Boy and Crocodile Dundee, as well as his career as a dancer, David Gulpilil has been a striking presence in Australian cinema.
The supporting cast is very strong: Gary Sweet as the main pursuer of the Aborigine who is being tracked for murdering a white man’s wife (Sweet was to appear in Rolf de Heer’s next film, Alexandra’s Project). Damon Gameau is the young apprentice who goes along for the trek. Stunt director for many years, Grant Page, is the Veteran.
The film was released in 2002, the year in which a number of films with Aboriginal themes were released: Rabbit-Proof? Fence, Australian Rules, Black and White, Beneath Clouds. The film and this group won the Australian Catholic Film Office award for 2002 and The Tracker won a Signis at Venice in 2002.
Rolf de Heer was to continue this association with Aboriginal themes, collaborating with David Gulpilil’s son, Jamie, to write and direct the Aboriginal language film, Ten Canoes. Ten Canoes won a prize in Cannes, 2006, in Un Certain Regard. It then went on to win six of the awards at the Australian Film Institute – including best film and best director.
Rolf de Heer, a migrant from Holland and Indonesia to Australia, has found a unique place in Australian film-making with such films as Dingo, Dance Me To My Song, The Man Who Read Love Stories and, especially, Bad Boy Bubby.
1. Australian historical and race issues? The attitudes of black and white in the 19th and 20th centuries? The beginning of the 21st century?
2. The 1922 setting, the Aboriginal status in Australia, their lives in the bush, their work as trackers, relationship with the whites, killings, survival in the bush? Aboriginal law and its status?
3. The comment on white law and Aboriginal law, equal in God's eyes - with Aboriginal law perhaps a bit more favoured?
4. The beauty of the landscapes, the widescreen photography, the rugged mountains, the valleys, the arid desert? Aborigines being able to hide in this bush? The work of the tracker, his explanation to the young man, the illustration of the moved rocks etc?
5. The significance of the songs, the lyrics, the themes, oppression, home? Archie Roach's performance?
6. The paintings, in themselves, the bright colours, depicting the action, a plot device, the violence off-screen but visualised in the paintings?
7. The characters as persons and symbols, the information given at the beginning, visualising them, the descriptions, their background, their stances? As symbols for audience response? Their speeches throughout the film according to this symbolic status?
8. The significance of the tableaux of the groups in the landscapes, the effect of people within the Australian landscape?
9. The title and the personality of the tracker: information about his background, his work, skills, walking and not riding, pretending ignorance, saying "Boss" and being subservient? His interactions with the fanatic, under his orders? His being insulted by the young man, bonding with him? The older man and his sympathies? His attitude towards the fugitive? Seeing him, following, leading the police to him? His seeing the Aboriginal groups along the way, his information about tribes, customs and law? Half a day behind the fugitive, about to catch him at his own pace? The reaction to the authority and prejudices of the fanatic, the ignorance of the boy, allowing for the tolerance of the older man? His compassion towards the wounding of the older man, his Latin words of absolving him from sins? His own views, humanity? In chains? Humiliated? Going into the pool, not being able to swim, his attempt to kill the fanatic or frighten him? The importance of being taken over by the spirits? The impact of the shooting of the first Aboriginal group and their being hanged? The shooting of the innocent group? The fanatic's talking of hanging? Putting the poison in the food for the young man? Drugging him? The fanatic and his fear that the food was poisoned? The fanatic's final speech, condescending, racist? The tracker trying him officially, condemning him, absolving him, hanging him?
10. The fanatic and the Australian attitudes of 1922, authoritarian, the talk of civilisation, disgust at the Aboriginal race, inability to relate? His relentlessness? Losing the food, the horses, going on no matter what? The older man, the conversations, his being wounded, wanting to abandon him? Smothering him during the night? The shooting of the Aborigines and hanging them? His talk to the boy, demanding that he shape up? The pool, the struggle with the tracker, almost drowning? His threats to hang him? The shooting of the innocent Aborigines and his reasons? His being taken by the young man, chained, riding, his speech about his authority and justice? His being condemned by the tracker? Being hanged? The silhouette against the sun and his being hanged as a warning?
11. The older man, being dragooned into the expedition, not surviving it? His basic respect for the Aborigine? His advice to the young man? Quiet, speared, not wanting them to abandon him, delaying the progress, the young man helping him, his being killed by the fanatic?
12. The young man, his training, prejudices of the time? Talking tough, insensitively and ignorant? His being taunted by the fanatic? His riding, helping the older man, going back for him? The clashes with the tracker, beginning to understand him, learn from him? The final quest? His being horrified by the shootings, his weeping? The taunts of the fanatic, going into action, taking his guns, tying him up? His being drugged during the night?
13. The young man and the tracker going to the tribe, seeing the fugitive, his being proclaimed innocent, the group of Aborigines, the ritual, the law? Spearing the fugitive because of his raping the woman? Giving back the guns? The tracker advising the young man and their leaving in peace?
14. The film's dramatising and assessing of black-white relationships in the past? In the present, the future? The symbolic death to the older attitudes, the awakening of new attitudes and the possibilities of working together and reconciliation?
