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Phillip Noyce's Rabbit-Proof Fence is exhausting-
both in the best and worse sense of the word. Exhausting in
how the story of three aboriginal girls escaping the Australian
government camp they were relocated to in 1931 is so unbelievable.
To see young Molly (Everlyn Sampi), her sister Daisy (Tianna
Sansbury), and cousin Gracie (Laura Monagham) follow the 1,500
mile chain-linked fence across the sweltering Australian Outback
is heartbreaking and amazing just to consider, let alone watch.
It's also exhausting to witness Noyce attempt to infuse his
Hollywood experience (He did give us two Jack Ryan films,
Sliver, and The Bone Collector) into a story
that really requires no razzle dazzle to razzle and dazzle
the audience. In reality, the film needed a Nicolas Roeg to
simply film the harsh and beautiful landscape as these girls
make their harrowing journey. In execution, Noyce tries to
give us a cribbed history lesson wrapped into a coming of
age story which is really not the point. In the end, Rabbit-Proof
Fence becomes somewhat critic-proof in the way it shows
the perils and outcome of this journey. It speaks to emotional
levels that can't be touched by us mere mortals.
While Rabbit-Proof Fence is a somewhat fictional account,
the background and the story are sadly all too real. As a
way of preventing half-English/half-aboriginals from perpetuating
down the genetic code, the Australian government chose to
relocate these children to a camp where they would be allowed
to propagate and create a "purer" race for their
own people. Sounds charming, no? The process is made all the
more gentlemanly by the leadership of Mr. Neville (Kenneth
Branagh), who sounds like he's waiting in the que for some
crumpets when he's talking about budget problems of genetic
superiority. The three girls-Molly, Daisy, and Gracie- are
picked up by the government from their family's farm and sent
to the camp to become what is now known as "The Lost
Generation". But instead of being taught to go to church
and to otherwise lose all sight of identity, Molly convinces
the other two to run away in search of the "rabbit proof
fence." This is the fence (duh!) farmers have put up
along a 1500 mile stretch through the Outback to keep rabbits
from destroying crops. It also happens to run right back to
the place where they were taken away from their family. The
film follows them as they attempt to outwit the searchers,
survive the extreme weather conditions, and to find their
way back home. And we also get Peter Gabriel's soundtrack
attempt to out-Graceland Paul Simon. ("I'm more
diverse and ethnic. No, I'm more diverse and ethnic.
Oh yeah, I've got Africans for back-up singers. Well, I've
got Australians!")
It's really hard to NOT be moved by this story. Especially
when Noyce brings out the real-life two sisters at the end
and shows them walking into the sunset. I know Ebert has already
said this, but it is the most effective conclusion to a biography
since Schindler's List. Noyce lets his camera linger
over the old women's faces to the point where their wrinkles
and their sad eyes tell the story of a life that has seen
too much suffering. The movie also, at the end, tells us that
this program was continued by the Australian government until
1970. Doesn't seem that long ago, does it? These are
the little, personal moments of the film that give Rabbit-Proof
Fence most of it's impact. These were quiet, sweeping
scenes that needed no elaboration from the filmmaker. Too
bad Noyce didn't use this style all the way through. It may
depend on one's thinking, but I think some stories are good
enough to leave alone. No symbolic sledgehammering, no fancy
camera moves, no Hollywood formula. But it is this formula
that Noyce cannot shake. Noyce made his mark with the likes
of Harrison Ford, Sharon Stone, and Denzel. This year, he
shifts gears into full-miramax force with Fence and
The Quiet American. I haven't seen the latter but I
can sense that Noyce wanted to add a little of that old fashioned
movie-making into these somewhat smaller films. It may have
sounded like a good idea on paper, but a story like this of
the three girl's does not need to be painted as a coming-of-age
story. And that's what he clearly does with the framing of
the journey and with bits of dialogue. We also don't need
to Uncle Tom-like Aboriginie Moodoo (David Gulpili) who must
search for the three girls on behalf of Mr. Neville. Wanna
guess that he doesn't end up looking that hard? These are
clichés that are put in this movie because it is assumed
that no one would watch without interference. Well, we would!
I would, anyway. Sometimes, I just want to get a good history
lesson with some deep emotional impact. But the story of the
conflict between the English and the aborigines is so glazed
over that it feels like an insignificant footnote. This film
may be intended for an Australian audience, but I think that
the past prior to this moment should be explored if nothing
more than just foundation. As far as being a history lesson,
it is slapdashed from an outsider's position. I don't even
want to mention poor Branagh who gets stuck with the Ashcroft
role. It would have been a good villain for him if he hadn't
been reduced to reading lines off a telegraph and saying this
like, "Oh, dear. The budget won't allow it!". I
would like to say he was wasted, but I can't think of anything
that hasn't wasted his talents in the past five years. These
are the flaws that rob Rabbit-Proof Fence away from
greatness. As it stand even with its flaws, it still remains
to be a sad and terribly touching story.
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