Taking out the much-coveted Camera d’Or this year at the Cannes Film Festival, director Warwick Thornton’s first feature film has reignited the Australian film industry. Using very little dialogue, this unpredictable coming of age story relies upon body language to engage with its audience.
Set in a remote Aboriginal Community in the Central Australian desert, Samson & Delilah follows the story of two Aboriginal teens, Samson (Rowan McNamara) and Delilah (Marissa Gibson) whose fight for survival is thwarted by violence, poverty and substance abuse.
The film opens with Samson, a sometimes-violent boy who is interested in music but is unable to learn an instrument due to an overbearing brother who is already able to play the guitar. Driven to petrol sniffing by hunger, Samson’s journey throughout the movie is controlled by substance abuse. His love for an Aboriginal girl named Delilah, however, reveals an almost understated dynamic to his character that brings the story to life.
Delilah is Samson’s polar opposite; she takes cares of herself and her ailing Nana while assisting in the painting of Aboriginal style artwork that is sold by a racist non-indigenous man. Her controlled character clashes well with Samson’s erratic personality as the two slowly unite in their purpose to escape their mundane existence.
Choosing to cast unknown actors in the title roles, Thornton clearly wanted to be as truthful to his chosen subject matter as possible. Both McNamara and Gibson grew up on communities similar to the one shown in the film. This life experience certainly assisted them in bringing their characters to life – they live and breathe Samson and Delilah on the big screen.
What sets this movie apart from many other foreign films is its ability to reconstruct culture without the use of unnecessary social stereotypes. There is no Hugh Jackman shouting “Crikey!” in this film! The truth of the story is delivered in the actions of the characters. The audience can see that Samson loves Delilah because although she rejects him multiple times, he continues to pursue her. Dialogue has been replaced by a language that can speak louder than words.
Thornton, a native Aboriginal himself, not only directed Samson & Delilah but also shot and wrote it. His attempt at delivering an honest depiction of the lifestyle of an Aboriginal community shines through the poignant silences and extraordinarily realistic images of the cinematography. Filmed on a hand held, the sometimes-shaking camera becomes a lens through which the audience is personally invited into a reality that is usually kept hidden from western society. Thornton carefully manipulates this filming device by carefully choosing the images he wants his audience to see; violence is not used for the purpose of shock value.
As intriguing as Thornton’s cinematography is, Samson & Delilah’s greatest appeal will undoubtedly be its unpredictable storyline. Working almost like a thriller, even the most informed viewer will be shocked by the unexpected turns this film makes as its characters progressively sink lower in society.
The resoundingly positive response that it received from at the Adelaide Film Festival and at Cannes last month was clearly much deserved. Sadly, Samson & Delilah has not yet found an American distributor. However, there are plans in motion to bring the movie to theatres throughout the world.
Having already taken over two million Australian dollars in the box office after only a month in Australian cinemas, Samson and Delilah will surely be the first of many successes for the creative and immensely talented Thornton.
9 out of 10
Samson and Delilah is out in Australia now and will be a the Toronto International Film Festival this year with no US release announced yet.
What is the best foreign film that you have seen this year?