14) Bran Nue Dae

Bran Nue Dae (2009)

Director: Rachel Perkins

Starring: Rocky McKenzie, Jessica Mauboy, Geoffrey Rush, Ernie Dingo, Missy Higgins, Tom Budge, Magda Szubanski


Willie (Rocky McKenzie), a young aboriginal boy from Broome, is sent to a Catholic boarding school in Perth by his evangelical mother in the hope that he will one day become a priest. In his final year at the school, Willie decides the life of a priest is not what he is after so he runs away. He meets up with Uncle Tadpole (Ernie Dingo), a homeless boozer, and together they set off for Broome, hitching a ride with a couple of hippie tourists (Missy Higgins and Tom Budge).

This is a refreshingly different movie. It is different to what you expect from an Australian movie. Australian films of late have traditionally fallen into two categories: quirky comedies (The Castle, Crackerjack, Kenny) or serious, often quite heavy, dramas (Little Fish, Lantana, Candy). Aboriginal films in particular have usually fallen into the latter. Bran Nue Dae, however, is light and irreverent, managing to confront indigenous issues without resorting to sermonising or browbeating (the film even ends with a tongue-in-cheek stolen generation joke!). This adaptation of the stage musical of the same name is innocent and playful without being shallow.

It is also different to any other screen musicals you are likely to see. Usually screen musicals will have huge budgets which are poured into lavish production numbers. It lacks the big showstopping tunes you get in Dreamgirls or Chicago (I only saw it yesterday and already I can only remember one tune from the film) and the songs it has don't suit the glittery choreography of a Moulin Rouge. But that is not an inadequacy, it is simply not what the film is aiming for. Bran Nue Dae is much more low key. The only 'big number' in the film is 'I'd Rather be an Aborigine' and even the choreography for that is very simply and tongue-in-cheek. The songs in the film are also quite short, and at times it feels a bit like they haven't given you the whole song (not being familiar with the stage show I can't say for sure whether they've chosen to cut some verses).

The cast is lovable. Ernie Dingo in particular shines, reprising the role he played on stage, and has an obvious affinity with the material. Geoffrey Rush brings some clout to the cast and is suitably hammy as Father Benedictus. Singers Mauboy and Higgins are fine in their roles, with the film never getting heavy enough to really test their dramatic abilities. Rocky McKenzie was a bit bland, but that may not be his fault but rather a result of being the straight character surrounded by such a weird and wild supporting cast.

I will have a bit of a whinge though about the editing of the musical numbers, which is a bit clunky both visually and audibly. The songs have obviously been studio recorded and laid over the footage, which is common practice, but the sound mix doesn't seem to fit the locations making something not seem quite right while you are watching. There are also times, particularly in cut-away shots where the sound does not match the visuals of someone singing or playing an instrument (particularly distracting in the scene where Missy Higgins is clearly beating a drum while singing, but her beats do not match what you hear).

This movie was bright and colourful (the red of the sand and the blue of the sky really make the film pop visually), innocent, humorous and most of all fun. If they made more movies like this you might get more people going to see Australian films at the cinemas.