Australasian Cinema

home MASTER LIST inclusive list by date Australian Cinema (2008 unit) film details directors writers producers cinematographers New Zealand films NZ films by date top ten best films AACTA, AFI awards auteurs one-time directors endings couples bibliography links TYPES OF FILMS American art films Asian biopics books=>film bush cars children comedies coming of age crime diasporas disability docos exploitation Fremantle, WA gay horror/SF/fantasy indigenous Jewish metafilm music prison road films Russian shorts social realism sport surf Tasmania teenpics war WA westerns women's films

 

Rabbit-Proof Fence

(2002)

A film based on the book by Molly's daughter
DORIS PILKINGTON GARIMARA

A Critical Review and Bibliography

Credits
Directed by PHILLIP NOYCE
Screenplay by CHRISTINE OLSEN
Produced by PHILLIP NOYCE, CHRISTINE OLSEN
Producer JOHN WINTER
Executive Producers DAVID ELFICK, JEREMY THOMAS, KATHLEEN McLAUGHLIN
Cinematographer CHRISTOPHER DOYLE
Edited by JOHN SCOTT, VERONIKA JENET
Production Designer &
Costume Designer ROGER FORD
Children's Drama Coach RACHAEL MAZA
Music by PETER GABRIEL
Music Arranged & Mixed by RICHARD EVANS, DAVID RHODES
Sound Designer CRAIG CARTER
Supervising Sound Editor JOHN PENDERS

Cast
Molly Craig EVERLYN SAMPI
Daisy Craig TIANNA SANSBURY
Gracie Fields LAURA MONAGHAN
Mr A.O. Neville KENNETH BRANAGH
Moodoo DAVID GULPILIL
Molly's Mother NINGALI LAWFORD
Molly's Grandmother MYARN LAWFORD
Constable Riggs JASON CLARKE
Mavis DEBORAH MAILMAN
Dormitory Boss (Nina) NATASHA WANGANEEN
Mr. Neal GARRY McDONALD
Police Inspector ROY BILLING
Miss Thomas LORNA LESLIE
Miss Jessop CELINE O'LEARY
Matron KATE ROBERTS
Moodoo's Daughter TRACY MONAGHAN
Escaped Girl (Olive) TAMARA FLANAGAN
Kangaroo Hunter DAVID NGOOMBUJARRA
The Fence Builder ANTHONY HAYES
Depot Manager ANDREW S. GILBERT
Gracie's Mother SHERYL CARTER
Wiluna Liar HEATH BERGERSEN
Moore River Policeman TREVER JAMIESON
First Farm Mother EDWINA BISHOP
Farm Daughter KERILEE MEURIES
Car Driving Policeman ANDREW MARTIN
Fence Worker KEN RADLEY
Mr Evans DON BARKER
Mrs Evans CARMEL JOHNSON
Policeman at Railway DAVID BUCHANAN
Policeman at Evans' Farmhouse RICHARD CARTER
Jigalong Mother FIONA GREGORY
Tommy Grant REGGIE WANGANEEN
Woman In Queue GLENYS SAMPI
First Dormitory Girl KIZZY FLANAGAN
Second Dormitory Girl ANTONIA SAMPI
Aboriginal Hunter MAURICE KELLY
Jigalong Extras JANGANPA GROUP
Singing Women at Jigalong ELSIE THOMAS
ROSIE GOODJI
JEWESS JAMES
JANGANPA GROUP

Distributors
Ocean Pictures/REP (Australia)
Becker Entertainment (Australia)
HanWay Films (international sales)
Miramax Films (USA)
Miramax Films (Canada/ South America/ United Kingdom/ Italy)

Runtime: 97 min
Rated: PG (Australia)

Release Dates and Box Office Information
Rabbit-Proof Fence opened nation-wide on February 21st 2002, on 100 screens.
It grossed $1,245,454 (AUD) in its first week
After 10 weeks it had grossed $6,091,234 (AUD)
U.S. release 21st June 2002 (LA/NY)
U.K. release 30th August 2002
Argentina release 19th September 2002

Awards and nominations: N/A

Interviews with the filmmakers
There are a large number of interviews with Phillip Noyce, and some of them can be found at:
http://www.abc.net.au/arts/film/stories/s488231.htm
http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=5770&s=Interviews
http://www.abc.net.au/arts/film/stories/s488231.htm
http://www.ayn.ca/news/0203/rabbit_proof.htm
Interviews with the crew can be found at:
http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/2002/02/01/FFX9NKXU4XC.html

Reviews
Not surprisingly, many critics have had their say about the film. Some of the reviews can be found at:
http://www.branaghcompendium.com/rpf.html http://observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,647930,00.html
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/film_reviews/article_985.asp?s=1
http://www.anglicanmediasydney.asn.au/cul/rabbitproof.htm
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/RabbitProofFence-10000853/reviews.php http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/review/film/s485339.htm
http://entertainment.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4459,3823911%255E7622%255E%255Enbv,00.html
http://www.darkhorizons.com/reviews/rabbit-n.htm

Collecting the information
Since the film is so freshly made, I found it really difficult finding hard copy material, such as books and journals. The book on which the film was based, as well as Pat Jacobs's ãMister Neville, a biographyä (1990) was unfortunately not available, so I had to relay on the internet for my research. While searching the World Wide Web, I found more material than I could work with. Most of the information was reviews, which I was mentioning earlier. The official website http://www.rabbitprooffence.com.au/ provided lots of useful information and interesting stories around the making of the film. The whole story about how the scrip was written and developed, which took about five years, and how Phillip Noyce thought Olsen was a lunatic calling him at home in the middle of the night, can be read at http://www.rabbitprooffence.com.au/news/MollyStory.html
This story like other stories about the film and the making of the film are linked from the official website which also lists a number of reviews from sources as:
The Age
Herald Sun
Courier Mail
Ain't It Cool
Urban Cinefile
Sunday Program
Cumberland Press
Adelaide Advertiser
The West Australian
Hollywood Reporter
Sunday Mail, QLD
Sunday Mail, SA
International Movie Database (IMDB)

Other useful websites:
Urban Cinefile http://www.urbancinefile.com.au
IMDB Website http://www.imdb.com

Synopsis
Rabbit-Proof Fence is the true story of Molly Craig, her younger sister Daisy and cousin Gracie, three young Aboriginal girls who was forcibly separated from their families on the orders of Mr. O.A. Neville, Western Australia's Chief Protector of Aboriginals, in 1931.
Mr. Neville, or ãMr. Devilä as the Aborigines call him, is a very proud and noble man with rather distinctive believes. He refers to the half-casts as an ãunwanted third raiseä which needs to be helped into the white culture and society. Due to this, Molly, Daisy and Gracie are to be taken to Moore River Native Settlement, an internment camp, set up as part of a government policy to train Aboriginal children as domestic workers and integrate them into white society. When Molly's mother hears about this, she says with a smile; ãif he want half-casts ö he make his own.ä

After fighting desperately to get away from the police, Molly, Daisy and Gracie are with violence snatched from their mothers' arms and pushed into the police car. Many hours later they end up in Moore River at the Native Settlement. They are told this is their new home, and are forbidden to speak their own language.
As the days go on, Molly dislikes the place and its people more and more. A desire to go home to her mother grows inside of her and one day she has had enough. She leads Daisy and Gracie in an escape from Moore River. With an outstanding determination and amazing strength Molly guides the girls on an epic journey, one step ahead of the authorities, over 1,500 miles of Australia's outback in search of the rabbit-proof fence that cuts across the continent and will lead them back home to their mother in Jigalong.

Personal Review
I think Noyce and Olsen managed to tell the story in an excellent way, providing angles from different peoples point of view. Molly's of course, but also Mr. Neville's (Kenneth Branagh). In his believes the ultimate way of living was the way he lived his life, serving the country as a dedicated worker. And he was determined to help the Aborigines. One of his statements goes: ãIf they would only understand what we are trying to do for themä That line speaks for itself, he just didn't know better.

Moodoo (David Gulpilil) is another interesting character. Although with very few lines, his facial expressions tells everything we need to know. During the hunt, he seem to develop a bond with Molly, and with his only line in the film; ãShe's pretty clever that girl. She wants to go home.ä

Considering that the children have had no acting training whatsoever, all three are doing a fairly good job. Yet there were some parts in the film in which I felt the emotions failed to match the action/drama. Especially in the separation scene, which to me seemed a bit inconvenient. It could have been both longer and more dramatic, or at least have two policemen getting the children, to make it more realistic.

Otherwise the film was really good overall and absolutely worth watching. The very best bit, I found is to see those women still alive in the end and hear them talk. This makes the whole film even trustworthier.

Critical Uptake
Rabbit-Proof Fence is one of those films that really open up for discussion. Almost everyone who has seen the film has something to say about it.
For me the partly unfamiliar story was a bit shocking. The way the government treated and looked down at the Aboriginal lifestyle and culture was absolutely terrible. During the first half of the 20th century, it was official policy in most states to remove half or quarter cast Aboriginal children and put them in white homes. This practice continued until the early 1970s.
This is a dark section in the Australian history, yet the story needs to be told. This is however a very sensitive topic. The reception in Australia has been mostly positive. Some critics have accused the film for being slow and predictable, but how could it not be predictable it is a true story.

Some Comments


ãRabbit-Proof Fence has been made with such transparent humanity and idealism it scarcely seems to matter whether the story is true or not.ä

-Evan Williams, The Australian,
February 23, 2002


ãThe photography is superb, with Christopher Doyle giving the harsh Australian outback a personality of its own, while the haunting score is complementary
without being overpowering.ä

-Scott Abrahams, Cumberland Press


ãParts of Rabbit Proof Fence do manage to engage and the ending ... is especially affecting. But Noyce's methods never move far from the mundane: hand-held camera for moments of high intensity, characters running towards embraces in slow motion, intrusive arty clichŽs.ä

-Tom Ryan, The Age,
February 2002



Production
Production started on September 18th, 2000 in and near Adelaide, Australia on a budget of $10,5 million (AUD), and wrapped in November 2000. Funded by Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC) [au] and distributed in Australia by Becker Entertainment [au] (Australian co-distributor) and Ocean Pictures Pty. Limited [au] (Australian co-distributor).
On the official website, all the information about the making of the film can be found, and even Molly's and Doris's stories. This website is as interesting as the film. It provides all the information needed for an understanding of the Story, the Truth and the Journey. For more tutorial-friendly material a Rabbit-proof Fence Study guide is to be found at:
http://www.metromagazine.com.au/metro/03/images/Rabbit-proofFence.pdf

Prior work of the Filmmakers
For Christine Olsen, this was her debut as a feature film scriptwriter and producer. She has a documentary background and has directed and produced some short films.

Christine Olsen Filmography
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002), Producer, Screenplay
ÎTil Death Do Us Part (1998), Director
My One Legged Dream Lover (1998), Producer
Hephzibah (1999), Producer
The Crossing (1994), Director

Phillip Noyce on the other hand, has been in the business for a long time. However, the director of Australian classics like Newsfront (1978) and Dead Calm (1989) before going to the US to make blockbusters such as Clear And Present Danger (1994), Patriot Games (1992) and The Bone Collector (1999), has not worked with an Australian film for 12 years!
Backroads (1977) was his first feature film, but he has been making short films and documentaries since high school.

Phillip Noyce Filmography
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002), Director, Producer
The Quiet American (2002), Director
The Bone Collector (1999), Director
The Saint (1997), Director
Clear and Present Danger (1994), Director
Sliver (1993), Director
Patriot Games (1992), Director
Blind Fury (1990), Director
Dead Calm (1989), Director
Echoes of Paradise (1989), Director
Heatwave (1983), Director, Screenplay
Newsfront (1978), Director, Screenplay
Backroads (1977), Director, Producer, Screenplay
Let the Balloon Go (1976), Second Assistant Director
The Golden Cage (1975), Assistant Director

John Winter Filmography
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002), Producer
My Mother Frank (2000), Producer
Paperback Hero (1998), Producer
Doing Time for Patsy Cline (1997), Producer
Turning April (1996), Co-Producer
Vacant Possession (1995), Producer
The Roly Poly Man (1994), Line Producer
No Worries (1993), Associate Producer
Love in Limbo (1993), Co-Producer
... aka Just One Night (1993)

Finding the Girls
In the search for three Aboriginal unknown bush kids to take the lead roles, Noyce and casting agent Christine King spent nearly three months in four-wheel drives combing Australian towns and cities, Aboriginal centres and outback settlements. After 12,000 interviews, 13-year-old Everlyn Sampi was chosen to play the main character, Molly; eight-year-old Tianna Sansbury as her sister Daisy; and Laura Monaghan, 10, as their cousin Gracie.

Position of Australian Film and Value
Since the film only has been released in Australia, no information of its value and achievements overseas is available.

What can be said is that Rabbit Proof Fence is an example of an ãobviousä Australian national cinema. The plot, the story could not been someone else's. Besides I don't think any other country would dare to raise such a sensitive topic and humiliate the Australian government.
Then of course, it is the outstanding landscape, a typical event in Australian national cinema, and Australian national cinema is described as a medium sized English language cinema.
Now, the questions remaining: will the film achieve anything overseas? Will the story be spread?

Children who were taken in this way are now referred to as the ÎStolen Generation'. We must never forget


By Anna Branden,
H231 Australian Cinema,
Murdoch University, 2002