2009 Camera d’Or Cannes Film Festival winner ‘Samson & Delilah’ really hits the nail on the head, presenting a raft of Indigenous issues, with incredibly real acting adding authenticity. Although it is not like a typical boy-meets-girl film, it has a powerful message for all viewers.
Set in Central Australia, the film portrays the love story of two Indigenous teenagers. The story follows Samson (Rowan McNamara), a 15-year-old petrol sniffing teenager with no discernible future, and Delilah (Marissa Gibson), a 16-year-old Indigenous girl who tends to the needs of her grandmother, Kitty (Mitjili Gibson), who is an artist. After a slow start – one which reflects the tediousness of life in the small outback community - the story quickly jumps …show more content…
The first scene displays Samson waking up and instantly raising a petrol tin to his face, in order to get his early morning high. The issue of petrol sniffing is not sugar-coated, and makes for unbearable viewing at times. By repeating this sequence several times early on in the film, Thornton captures the repetitive nature and purposeless life of Samson. During the course of this opening segment, the same tiresomely upbeat reggae riff is played by Samson’s brothers’ band in the background. This reinforces the point being raised; that is, the tedious existence of these individuals - which leads onto the abuse of substances, such as petrol. It is no wonder that Samson reverts to substance abuse to escape such a monotonous lifestyle; the daily walks across the barren landscape of the community, the conflict, the lack of any purpose apart from getting high on petrol. It is this normality, and the banality of its depiction on screen, that makes the film so unsettling. But this isn’t the only problem for Samson. At one point, the camera hovers on Samson’s fridge, the only item being one half empty tub of butter; here Thornton foregrounds the substantial impoverishment that this Indigenous community faces. The wide lens captures the dilapidated state of the community’s buildings – most noticeably the poor condition of the township’s health centre, which is a rundown demountable parked in …show more content…
It is an honest film, which effectively highlights the many issues that Indigenous Australians in remote parts of this country battle in everyday life. Thornton has skilfully used a range of cinematic techniques to portray the many struggles of these people, in a way that, while extremely confronting and uncomfortable, still makes for compelling viewing. The monotonous, violence-filled, substance-abusing lives of these Indigenous Australians should be a major concern for those viewing the movie. But while it may be an unconventional love story, it efficaciously conveys the message being told – love always
Set in Central Australia, the film portrays the love story of two Indigenous teenagers. The story follows Samson (Rowan McNamara), a 15-year-old petrol sniffing teenager with no discernible future, and Delilah (Marissa Gibson), a 16-year-old Indigenous girl who tends to the needs of her grandmother, Kitty (Mitjili Gibson), who is an artist. After a slow start – one which reflects the tediousness of life in the small outback community - the story quickly jumps …show more content…
The first scene displays Samson waking up and instantly raising a petrol tin to his face, in order to get his early morning high. The issue of petrol sniffing is not sugar-coated, and makes for unbearable viewing at times. By repeating this sequence several times early on in the film, Thornton captures the repetitive nature and purposeless life of Samson. During the course of this opening segment, the same tiresomely upbeat reggae riff is played by Samson’s brothers’ band in the background. This reinforces the point being raised; that is, the tedious existence of these individuals - which leads onto the abuse of substances, such as petrol. It is no wonder that Samson reverts to substance abuse to escape such a monotonous lifestyle; the daily walks across the barren landscape of the community, the conflict, the lack of any purpose apart from getting high on petrol. It is this normality, and the banality of its depiction on screen, that makes the film so unsettling. But this isn’t the only problem for Samson. At one point, the camera hovers on Samson’s fridge, the only item being one half empty tub of butter; here Thornton foregrounds the substantial impoverishment that this Indigenous community faces. The wide lens captures the dilapidated state of the community’s buildings – most noticeably the poor condition of the township’s health centre, which is a rundown demountable parked in …show more content…
It is an honest film, which effectively highlights the many issues that Indigenous Australians in remote parts of this country battle in everyday life. Thornton has skilfully used a range of cinematic techniques to portray the many struggles of these people, in a way that, while extremely confronting and uncomfortable, still makes for compelling viewing. The monotonous, violence-filled, substance-abusing lives of these Indigenous Australians should be a major concern for those viewing the movie. But while it may be an unconventional love story, it efficaciously conveys the message being told – love always