Empire Australasia – August 2019

BIG SCREEN. SMALL SCREEN. YOUR REVIEWS BIBLE STARTS HERE

THENIGHTINGALE

DIRECTORJenniferKent

CASTAislingFranciosi,SamClaflin,Baykali

Ganambarr,DamonHerriman,EwenLeslie

PLOTTasmania,1825:AstheBritishwage

warontheIndigenouspopulation,Irish

convictClare(AislingFranciosi)hiresBilly

(BaykaliGanambarr),anIndigenoustracker,

tohelpherhuntdowntheBritishofficer,

Hawkins(SamClaflin),responsiblefor

a horrific act of violence against her family.

[FILM]

OUT 29 AUGUST/ 136

HHHHH MINS/RATEDTBC

THENIGHTINGALEISnotthefirsttimethat

Australiancinemahastackledthehorrificexcesses

oftheso-calledFrontierWars,butneverbeforehas

it beendonesowithsuchunflinching,merciless,

brutality.WhileWarwickThornton’sSweet

Countryis redolentwithmournfulsorrowandJohn

Hillcoat’sThePropositionis a savagelyviolent

anti-Western,neithercanmatchthesheer,relentless

ragethatanimatesdirectorJenniferKent’sbleak

drama.Hersis a filmthatseeksnottoentertainthe

viewer,buttopunish,holdingusaccountablefor

ourcomplicityinatrocitybothhistoricaland

contemporary,racistandmisogynist.

Theplotis simplicityitself:IrishconvictClareis

raped,brutalised,andleftfordeadbyHawkins,the

commandingofficerofthelocalgarrison.Clare

survivesand,vowingvengeance,setsoffinpursuit

ofherattacker,whois travelingnorthtothecityof

Launcestontopetitionfora promisedpromotion.

WefollowClareassheventuresintotheprimordial

interior of the island with her hired tracker Billy,

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EXCELLENT

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GOOD

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OKAY

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POOR

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AWFUL

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EDITED BY IAN FREER

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