Michael’s Movie Review: The Rabbit Proof Fence January 10, 2009
Posted by Michael in Movies.trackback
The Rabbit Proof Fence is awesome.
That’s it. That’s my review.
To be honest, I really don’t know how to do movie reviews, but we just watched the NetFlix DVD of this movie, and it is awesome. It’s a true story about these half-caste aboriginal girls who were confiscated by the government in the 1930s, pursuant to government policy, and the girls walked 1,500 miles to get home to their mother, outwitting an aboriginal tracker and the Australian government all the way. At the end, you get to see the two old women who did this as girls.
Cathy was all choked up.
I had something in my eye at the end, maybe some dog hair, but despite that the end of the film was moving.
If you want to know what I mean by awesome, maybe I can break that down for you like this:
1. Story: Awesome.
2. Acting: Awesome.
3. Directing: Awesome.
4. Cinematography: Awesome.
Bonus — the score for this movie is also a soundtrack album by Peter Gabriel.
Now, Peter Gabriel is not the greatest rock voice ever. That would be Steve Winwood, as I have previously advised you, and I am certainly correct about this, notwithstanding uninformed opposition in the comment thread including advocates for Peter Gabriel. However, Peter Gabriel is also good, not just as a vocalist but as a composer. He does not sing on the soundtrack for this movie, but it is really good.
So, I’m just sayin’, if you have not seen The Rabbit Proof Fence, you should get it on your NetFlix queue. You will come back to this post and thank me in the comments.
UPDATE: The movie does not explain the fence, by the way, but it was an attempt by Australia to limit the enormous environmental damage done by a hugely harmful and invasive non-native species. They literally put a rabbit proof fence across the continent in order to sequester the rabbits in western Australia and save eastern Australia. Most Australians live on the east coast. The fences are rabbit proof because they are precisely designed so that rabbits will not jump over them or burrow under them, going eastward, in sufficient numbers to establish a breeding population.
This map shows the fences, along with Moore River and Jigalong. The girls escaped from Moore River and walked home to Jigalong by following the fences.
You can read more about the lives of these girls here, including what happened after the movie ends.
So, are you sure it’s just awesome, and not like wicked awesome?
Aw shit, I should have said wicked awesome. I told you I don’t know how to do movie reviews.
And just to clarify, wicked as in New England wicked, not as in WP wicked.
Thanks for the tip. I’ll have to watch it. Mrs. Skinny thinks it’s great (actually, Wicked Awesome), but somehow I missed it. You know what else is good? The God’s Must be Crazy. I watched it over the Christmas break (hadn’t seen it in many years). Thoroughly enjoyed it. The second one is not quite as good, but is still a lot of fun.
And my in-laws made me sit through Tuesday’s With Morrie. It was sappy, but good. Something might have got in my eye during that one. The sports writer’s wife is a babe (BTW).
The Gods Must Be Crazy is good, but not quite up to Wicked Awesome.
It’s late. That’s my only excuse for “Tuesday’s.”
Wow. “God’s” as well. It’s a progressive malady.
Truth — I was gonna gig you for “God’s”, but then I figured, heck, it’s already just barely Sunday in Texas, you and I are both going to church in a few hours, so I cut you some slack.
Don’t expect this kind of charity all the time.
The wicked in WP does mean Wicked Awesome.
Hey:
I went to Mass last night. Does that count?
Australia week at the IB.
Yes, it counts.
I think Mike is trying to coax MoZ over hear so he can steal her.
an Anti-abortion link
Yeah, we saw it years ago.
Man’s Inhumanity to Man.
Be glad when ‘youknowwho’ comes back.
Great soundtrack.
Peter Gabriel has a few Awesome Concert Videos.
Put one of them on your NetFlix queue.
I became, at one time, VERY infuriated at Australia, and America at the same time.
Wanna bitch about human rights violations in our time?
OZ had SERIOUS issues not at all that long ago, and thanks to my friend, I was a sorta text activist whenever I heard about how much better AU is now, thanks to English conquest.
TRUE, being introduced to english concepts was good, but as they were executed in Australia, is about 10 times worse than anything The US, even the natives, experienced.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Generation
Before I read the wiki, let me share what I know.
Until After the US got over our “civil rights” issues, Australia was still something of a slave state. Australian Whites stole the younglins of Australian Aboriginals, and didn’t care, they were teaching the uninformed Abbo’s about western society.
It wasn’t racist, it was tribalist.
And in response, the Australian aboriginals responded STUPIDLY!!!
They said “we aren’t white, we aren’t like you” so they just kept up their old lifestyle, even though they don’t live it (won’t judge them much, they have to fight as the can)
Australia doesn’t CURRENTLY have a domestic social revolution going on, largely thanks to Muslims (at the moment) but also because, exactly what can the current hold against the ruling class other than past grievances? (those past grievances are significant BTW) BUT Australians, all of them the whites and blacks, are a pioneering people.
Sorry, gonna stop now.
I get riled up about stuff like this, for various reasons.
Notice how in the wiki they work so hard to blame howard?
He’s Australia’s Bush.
Gah, I came over here after reading your fab duck porn comment on Fuck You, Penguin- and find you’ve posted this.
When “Rabbit of Seville” is my all-time fave cartoon and this one in the top 5.
I officially utterly lo0ve and worship you now.
Well, Melouise, here’s that duck porn I mentioned.
I love you too.
TachyON!!!!!!!
You know last night michael started to talk all studly and shit?
But then he closed out with romantic.
I hate him cuz you gots a good man there, A DOOF! but a good man.
I hate you michael.
I can’t believe Michael pimped IB on Fuck You, Penguin without mentioning the ORIGINAL endorsement for FY,P emanating from the Moronosphere.
http://ace.mu.nu/archives/280678.php#280678
I take my role as the “Diogenes of the Interwebthingy” seriously – wandering the innertubes searching for one honest pet blog.
^Or one that doesn’t involve donkeys banging each other
TachyON!!!!!!!</I.
Hi Awsomely WickedPinto.
Haven’t been on in days. Glad you think of me fondly. I’m never gonna be able to keep up here. The Barcelona-Gay-Whorehouse and other chores call.
Get your cute butt down here to see me.
^ See! I totally screwed that up.
*lack of practice*
Everything that is opened must be closed doll.
I think that my Mud Mentor called it “the angry door.”