Tracking down the past

Rolf de Heer is one of Australia' most respected directors. His films are renowned for their heart, and their unashamed portrayal of the complete character spectrum. The Tracker is also written by De Heer, and he has created a beautiful epic detailing the a shameful part of Australia's history.

Starring David Gulpilil in the title role, the film examines the relationships and power play between a group of four men. Three men are led across Australia by an Aboriginal Tracker in the hunt for a black man accused of murdering a white woman. The year is 1922, and indigenous people of Australia have no rights. If caught, the man will be assumed guilty, and hanged for his crime.

The Tracker leads The Fanatic (Gary Sweet), The Follower (Damon Gameau) and The Veteran (Grant Page) through some harsh and beautiful country, according to 'signs' left in the dirt by their escapee. The Fanatic is in charge, and his ruthless methods set standards for the rest of the group. He has no hesitation in using violence to achieve his goal - bringing the black man to justice. The film studies the four men, their attitudes to life, their responses to certain actions, and most importantly, their reactions to each other. As they descend further into the bush, and the strain of the land begins to show, cracks appear in the team, and the lines of power begin to blur.

Supporting the film is a beautiful soundtrack, written by De Heer and Graham Tardif, and performed by Archie Roach. The lyrics sometimes tell the inner story behind the actions, at other times they enhance the landscape with allegorical tales.

Peter Coad

Another brilliant aspect is the use of art. Artist Peter Coad was commissioned to paint 14 landscape and figurative works for inclusion in the film, a first for an Australian film. The paintings are used ingeniously to display violence in the film, a method that works to both soften the impact of the actions, and also make them so much more powerful. The works are melded beautifully into the landscape of the film, using dramatic and bold colour to depict the shocking and harsh nature of the land.

Performances are the high point of the film though. De Heer has purposely scripted sparse dialogue, and the characters express much of their emotion, and tell a substantial part of the story using only the faces and their actions. Sweet is magnificent as the psychotic and obsessive policeman, and Gameau's rookie cop is pitch perfect. He manages to capture the strength, the vulnerability and the ultimate wisdom and compassion of the young man.

Page is wonderfully subtle as The Veteran. His expressions tell audiences exactly what he's thinking, and provide some humorous moments in a heavy and involved cinematic story.

However it is Gulpilil, experiencing resurging popularity in the film community, who is the standout of the film. His face is so expressive, it is possible to know precisely how The Tracker feels at all stages through the journey, while creating a mysterious layer to his personality which keep both characters and audiences on edge. Gulpilil creates a truly wonderful and emotional portrayal of a man who is forced to betray his own people, and participate in their heartless slaughter.

The Tracker is a socially important film in the history of Australia, as compassionate as it is political, definitely a film that no Australian should miss.

Belinda Yench