LIMBO

Australia, 2023, 108 minutes, Black-and-white..

Simon Baker, Rob Collins, Natasha Wanganeen, Nicholas Hope, Mark Coe, Alexis Lennon, Joshua Gloria.

Directed by Ivan Sen.

Limbo has a religious meaning, not quite heaven, exclusion from heaven – or, as some commentary in this film notes, on the edge of eternity, the edge of hell.

So, the fictional town here is Limbo, on the edge of nowhere, out in the desert, remote. In fact, the filming was done in South Australia, in Coober Pedy, noted for its moon-surface-like landscapes, desert, hills, caves, for mining, and its distinctive motels and underground accommodation, and its underground church. It is quite striking, filmed in black and white, and opening with an aboriginal painting, symbolic stones, and the switch to this landscape of stones and hope for opals.

The director is Ivan Sen who, for 20 years, has focused on indigenous themes, and focusing on indigenous children, Beneath Clouds and Toomelah, and here there is sympathetic focus on young aboriginal children. But Sen has also been interested in detectives and police investigations, especially with his significant character, Jay Swan, a black detective in Mystery Road, Goldstone (and with Sen producing television sequels and an Origin story).

He continues his interest in police investigations but this time the detective is an outsider, white, Travis Hurley, with a thoughtful and intense performance from Simon Baker. He drives through the harsh landscapes, listening to religious programs on his car radio, finding the room in the underground accommodation at the Limbo Motel, then taking a drug fix.

Life is not rushed in Coober Pedy nor is it in this limbo. Travis slows down to the pace, first trying to contact Charlie Hayes, Rob Collins, brother of a girl who was abducted and presumably murdered, no trace of her grave. The case is 20 years old but is being reopened. So, most of the quiet action, often slow action, is Travis beginning to bond with Charlie Hayes, contact with his sister Emma (Natasha Wanganeen) working in a cafe, fostering some children. And he has a lead to a white opal miner, Leon, discovering he is dead but talking with his brother, Joseph, Nicholas Hope.

Gradually, sometimes very gradually, some more leads are forthcoming, from indigenous men who were young at the time, careful in giving information but providing enough for Travis to work on.

Travis has a back story, drugs squad, taking drugs, wife leaving him, taking their son whom he has not seen. This has repercussions for Zac, a young boy fostered by Emma, Travis enabling him to make contact with his father, motivated by his own loss of his son.

In a way, the mystery is solved, or, at least, suggestions of the solution and how it affects Travis emotionally as officials close the case and he is ordered back to the city, some homicide investigations.

This portrait of life in Limbo is a reminder of life in in towns, like Alice Springs, where black and white live together but there is inherent racism, violence, and a growing lawlessness amongst the youngsters and difficulties for control and for law and order.

Limbo is an interesting watch, and timely.

1. The Australian story, the outback, indigenous people, white settlers, tensions?
2. The South Australian settings, Coober Pedy and its landscapes, underground accommodation, the church? The hills in the desert, the peaks, the caves, mining, opals? Homes, trailers, the wrecked cars, the supermarket? The musical score?
3. The work and interests of the director, Ivan Sen, indigenous themes, his film career, writing, directing, composing scores, editing?
4. Simon Baker as Travis Hurley, detective, his back story, separation from his wife, her taking his son, his regrets, not seeing him, dreaming about his son? Drug squad, killing a man, taking drugs and continuing, the religious broadcasts on his radio? His coming to the town, the 20-year-old case, his investigation?
5. Limbo, the town and the motel, theological meaning of limbo, edge of eternity?
6. The drive through the desert, the visuals of the desert, overhead shots, the vastness, dry, moonscape land? The motel? The underground room, the corridor? Settling in, drugs, exhaustion?
7. Charlie Hayes, Travis going to his trailer, reticence? Not accepting his card, Travis putting it on his truck? The contacts, talking, memories of his sister, regrets at her death, disappearance, 20 years, talk in the town? Charlie being accused, Oscar and his friend denouncing him, police harassment? Take him to see Oscar, taking him to see Stan, Stan and the indirect communication, gradually building up something of a picture?
8. The car, the kids, law in the town, the kids running wild? Stealing from his car, renting the car while in town?
9. Looking for Leon, going to his home, finding Joseph, brother, story of Leon’s death? Joseph, his age? Living alone, out in the cave? The dog? Travis seeing him in the church, going to confession? Stories about Leon, liking aboriginal girls? The parties, Charlie and Emma going to the parties, Emma talking about the consequences? The visits to Joseph, the final visit, in bed, dying, a realisation of his guilt, Leon’s grave, the possible grave for Charlotte? Travis holding the gun to his head, not shooting?
10. Emma, love for Charlotte, the past, going to the parties at Leon’s, her working at the cafe, the girls, her boyfriends, concern about Zac and his wildness, contacting Travis, giving some information, out on the hill, the girls and their playing, curiosity, asking him questions? The invitation to the meal, his uncertainty, taking the drug shot, going, the meal, the girls and their continued questions, their backgrounds? Very direct? Emma and her drinking, provocation, Travis leaving, her apology the next day?
11. Life in the town, Emma and the girls going to the supermarket, the cool of the air-conditioning, modern? Cars, parking? The church, underground, the record playing with the descriptions of the art work, the priest coming out, hearing Joseph’s confession, the tourist bus arriving in his welcoming them?
12. The indigenous presence in the town, jobs, no jobs, the groups, the traditions, talk of Walkabout, dancing, Charlie and his drinking, painting his face? The silence, the stories, hidden?
13. Travis finding Zac, with the group, in the car, talking about his father, arranging for him to go out to Charlie’s trailer, their talking together? Travis taking him home to Emma? The effect on his life? Travis’s motivation, his own son and distance?
14. Getting his car back, the visit to Joseph’s cave, the closing of the case, explaining this to Emma, the phone calls, further homicide cases, his leaving?