Film Reviews

Rabbit Proof Fence

• Rating:
• Director: Phillip Noyce.
• Starring: Evelyn Sampi, Tianna Sansbury, Laura Monaghan, Kenneth Branagh, David Gulpilil, Jason Clarke, Ningali Lawford, Myarn Lawford, Andrew S Gilbert, Deborah Mailman, Natasha Wanganeen, Garry McDonald.
• Details: Aus /

Details: Aus / 93 mins / (12PG). Well meaning if slight drama, which documents an unlikely trek by three Aboriginal girls. Based on a true story, which took place in 1931, Rabbit Proof Fence looks at the state sponsored Aboriginal child removal policies. Championed by the 'Chief Protector of the Aborigines' A.O. Neville (Branagh), the practise dictated that half-caste' children must be forcibly removed from their families and sent to intuitions potted all over Australia, as the non indigenous populace worried about the emergence of a new race emerging. In Rabbit Proof Fences, three young girls, Molly (Sampi), Daisy (Sansbury), and Gracie (Monaghan) were taken from their mother to the remote camp of Moore River Native Settlement, some 1500 miles away. Deciding to leave, the girls, led by the wilful Molly (Sampi) set out on the arduous and dangerous trek. Perhaps it's due to the absence of a subplot or fully developed characters, but you can't escape the feeling that there's something missing from Rabbit Proof Fence. Noyce is obviously passionate about the material and resists the temptation to preach about the deplorable practice. And while the performances he elicits from his casts of unknowns are impressive, and his photography is superb, there's no real sense of drama or danger to the proceedings. Still, it's worth a look.

Review by Garreth Murphy