Bran Nue Dae (Brand New Day) - Film Review
Jun. 7th, 2013 11:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatJust finished watching a rather unique and relatively unknown Australian independent film based upon the popular aboriginal musical Bran Neu Dae. (Well, popular in Australia at any rate. It hasn't quite made it's way across the pond.)
In 1969, an aboriginal boy, named Willie, has been sent away by his mother to a Catholic boarding school in Perth to become a priest. He gets in trouble with Father Benedict (played by Geoffrey Rush) and decides to follow his dream, which is to live in his home town of Broome, with the girl he is crushing on, and fish. Along the way he meets an old aboriginal hobo and drunk, who tells him that he's his uncle - "Tadpole", and a pair of hippie wannabees. The story features aboriginal music and songs including the rather catchy and satirical song - Nothing more than I'd rather be and Bran Nue Dae.
Here's the original movie trailer:
And the satirical song - There's Nothing I'd Rather Be:
It's not at all what I expected. I went into this one blind. And it is admittedly slow in places, the boy playing Willie sort of walks through his role. But Uncle Tadpole is quite good in places...particularly in a dream sequence in the middle of the film which discusses the history of the aborigini and what will their future be - which is shown in faded black and white. Up until that point, my attention wandered, so I had to rewind and re-watch.
The movie grew on me and I found it rather haunting in places with a garish raw energy.
By no means a great film, but an unique one - which sort of stands out from most movie musicals. In some respects it reminds me a little of the raw energy of some of the bollywood musicals. Although that is admittedly a stretch. At any rate it is definitely unique and positive in its overall outlook - a rarity these days, where pop culture seems to be getting increasingly smug and cynical with its own self-importance. Also don't be fooled by the plot synopsis of the boy going back to be with his girl...it's not that much of a romantic flick.
In 1969, an aboriginal boy, named Willie, has been sent away by his mother to a Catholic boarding school in Perth to become a priest. He gets in trouble with Father Benedict (played by Geoffrey Rush) and decides to follow his dream, which is to live in his home town of Broome, with the girl he is crushing on, and fish. Along the way he meets an old aboriginal hobo and drunk, who tells him that he's his uncle - "Tadpole", and a pair of hippie wannabees. The story features aboriginal music and songs including the rather catchy and satirical song - Nothing more than I'd rather be and Bran Nue Dae.
Here's the original movie trailer:
And the satirical song - There's Nothing I'd Rather Be:
It's not at all what I expected. I went into this one blind. And it is admittedly slow in places, the boy playing Willie sort of walks through his role. But Uncle Tadpole is quite good in places...particularly in a dream sequence in the middle of the film which discusses the history of the aborigini and what will their future be - which is shown in faded black and white. Up until that point, my attention wandered, so I had to rewind and re-watch.
The movie grew on me and I found it rather haunting in places with a garish raw energy.
By no means a great film, but an unique one - which sort of stands out from most movie musicals. In some respects it reminds me a little of the raw energy of some of the bollywood musicals. Although that is admittedly a stretch. At any rate it is definitely unique and positive in its overall outlook - a rarity these days, where pop culture seems to be getting increasingly smug and cynical with its own self-importance. Also don't be fooled by the plot synopsis of the boy going back to be with his girl...it's not that much of a romantic flick.