THE KILLING TIMES
Australia, 1985, 49 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Bob Plasto.
The Shifting Dreaming was a full length film, then The Killing Times was a re-edited version of a documentary-drama, 'The Shifting Dreaming". It was written by Dr David Millikan, author of the television series and book, "The Sunburnt Soul". The film was produced and directed by Bob Plasto.
The film shows the history of the Northern Territory and focuses on the Conistan Massacres. It highlights the history of the aborigines in Australia, their clashes with white settlers, prejudice and racism. It also shows sequences of the 1970s with the protests and the official discussions about land rites.
The judicial inquiry about the Conistan incident is documented and is the basis for the court scenes in the film. Several fine Australian actors contribute to the court sequences including Martin Vaughan and Ray Barrett.
The film is an interesting, attempt at combining history, contemporary issues and sensitivity to the aborigines and their oppression.
1. The impact of this docu-drama? For Australian audiences? overseas audiences?
2. Providing a historical perspective, facts and interpretation? Political issues? Social issues? Race and racist attitudes?
3. The introduction and the focus on the land of Australia, its remoteness to the northern hemisphere, aborigines and their 40,000 years history, the arrival of the white settlers, the early clashes? The inclusion of documentary film, from the turn of the century showing aborigines? The editing and interweaving the various strands of the film? Blending for an effective whole?
4 The scenes of the 70s? The protests, consciousness about land rights? The appeals? The open courts and justice? The hearings, the evidence? The white legal system and aboriginal law? The 1985 results - and the focus on the aboriginal lands?
5. The film inserting landscapes, the atmosphere of the desert, Uluru?
6. The introduction concerning the Conistan massacre: the editing in of the horsemen riding, the aborigines throwing spears, deaths? Quick impressions? The dramatising of the clash between white and black? Black deaths? The repetition of these sequences? The various stages of inserting them?
7. The history of the trial? The information given about the delay and the rumours in England about the massacre? The skill in the reconstruction of the hearing? The Judges? The defendants? The courtroom, the presence of the Judges, the defendants, the members of the public? The hearing in the open with Kramer and the woman missionary?
8. O'Kelly and his attitudes, the conduct of the hearing, his stances, the verdict in favour of the white men and his being unable to read it? The exoneration of the white men? The image of justice, the law? Bias?
9. Murray and his role as Police Protector, protector of the aborigines? His background in Gallipoli? Soldier?, His work in the Northern Territory? The admiration of Mr Kramer? His relationship with the white station-owners? The situation of Fred Brooks, his death? The background of his killing? The attack on Morgan? His leading the group, the two raids? His action, the report, concealing acts? His own attitudes towards the aborigines and killing them?
10. The landowners? English background, property? their attitude towards the aboriginal women, using them? Their attitudes towards killing aborigines? Self-interest and protection?
11. Morgan and his comments in the hearing, the pharisaic attack, justifying a stance against the aborigines?
12. The missionary and his position in the Northern Territory? attitudes? His emphasising that whites and aborigines were not equal? His circumstances? The contrast with the woman missionary and her impassioned speech about the grief of those who survived the massacre? Her being blamed for too equality between black and white?
13. The white racist attitudes towards the aborigines: exploitation, opening up the land, wanting it to be productive, using the women, quibbling on their provocation of the aborigines and the aborigines provoking them?
14. The aboriginal peoples, the Walbiri, the largest tribe in Central Australia until 1928. The massacre, the men, the women and children? Their fleeing their land? The records being lost? The decades passing? Their presentation to Justice Toohey and the hearing? Alex Wilson and his memory and evidence? The woman and her memory of the experience, her dancing it for the hearing?
15. The contribution of this kind of documentary-drama to Australian sensibility? To issues of justice?
