The Rabbit
Proof Fence is an Australian made film, based on the true story of the struggle
of the Aboriginals. The film focuses on the Stolen Generations, revealing how
the early settlers took away the most precious from the native Aboriginals -
their children. In this era, hundreds of thousands of Aboriginals were badly
mistreated by the white settlers, who took their land and their territory and their
families. Thousands of indigenous children were removed from their families and
they couldn’t do anything about it. They also attempted to breed out the
Aboriginals, by kidnapping “half-caste” children from their families. This is the main aspect of the Rabbit Proof
Fence movie, as it is based on the three half-caste girls, Molly, Gracie and
Daisy, who were taken away from their families by the Government. The film
generally focuses on their escape from the camp into the open dessert of
Australia to find their home. During their tough journey, they come across
various situations, they meet kind and helpful people as well as dangerous
people. A tracker, known as Voodoo, follows their path, as he is supposed to
catch them and bring them back to the camp. Their journey consist of 1500 miles
of walking across Australia’s treacherous desserts. They are attempting the
impossible, as their only resources are determination, pain and each other.
I have
watched the Rabbit Proof Fence twice now, and the true inspirational story of
the little girls, still touches me. I truly empathized with the Aboriginals
while watching it and I kept thinking about how hard it was for them. I really
do like the story and how the director portrayed it, I loved every minute of
the movie. In every scene there is a situation that either gets you excited or
worried for them. I liked this, because it kept me engaged and kept me thinking
about the dangers and the cruelty they are experiencing. I enjoyed the movie not
only because of its story, but also because of the characters! The three girls
are amazing actors and were able to remake the atmosphere perfectly! What
surprised me the most, was that they never acted before! I enjoyed all the
characters, but the one I enjoyed the most was Molly, the oldest of the
girls. She looked after the younger two
girls like a mother. Molly, played by
Everlyn Sampi, amazed me with her great acting. Everlyn Sampi does a very good job giving depth to
Molly with her fiercely expressive eyes. I was astonished by her bravery and knowledge that she portrayed in the film. Molly was taught the key to survival by her family, she
has amazing survival skills and is extremely resourceful. I don’t think they did Molly justice
with showing her survival skills in the movie. They could have shown more of
the skills that are needed to survive such a journey. I enjoyed Everlyn’s act, it was very raw and real, it was like
she had felt the struggle and pain of the Aboriginals. The two younger girls, Gracie and
Daisy, also represented the pain and struggle perfectly. A.O Neville represents the government and its policies, and I
think the actor Kenneth Branagh does a very good job personifying the racist attitudes of
the time.
I found it amazing that three little girls actually walked 1500 miles
across the unkind desserts of Australia at that young age, all the way
successfully hiding from trackers and everybody, who was looking for them. And they
actually managed to find their home! Unbelievable.
I don’t
think the movie shows enough of the situation in the camps, I think it would be
interesting and important to see more of what was happening in the camps. The
pain of the mothers is shown well, I could feel their pain when their children
got snatched away by the government.
I have seen the Rabbit Proof Fence twice now,
and I still can’t believe that this inspirational story is true. After watching
this movie, I couldn’t believe that Australia, a place full of joy, could have
a horrific and petrifying history. The movie shows the unpleasant history of
Australia and its attitude towards its Indigenous people. Indigenous children were not only
separated from their families, but also their communities and culture. They
were not permitted to use their languages and they were denied their identity
and history.
The children of the stolen generation
suffered severe traumas due to separation from their families. They experienced
depression, alcohol and substance abuse and suicidal tendencies. They were
exposed to racism and discrimination. Being taken from their families and communities
caused the confusion and loss of identity. Kidnapping half-caste children from
their mothers and families, was truly monstrous and left unhealable scars to
the generations of the Aboriginals.
Precise numbers of Indigenous people removed from
their families are hard to establish, as records were not kept well. However,
the report, “Bringing them home” (cited in
http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/sorry-day-stolen-generations)
concludes that: 'between one
in three and one in ten Indigenous children were forcibly removed from
their families and communities in the period from approximately 1910 until
1970....In that time not one Indigenous family has escaped the effects of
forcible removal'.
This is
probably the most inspirational movie I have ever seen. I definitely enjoyed
watching it and I highly recommend it to everyone. If you are interested in the
history of Australia, this movie is perfect for you, you will learn a lot and
it will give you a great understanding of the fate of the Stolen Generations. I
also highly recommend all Australians to watch this movie, and hopefully they
will feel for the Aboriginals and understand their pain. Although some parts of
the movie weren’t explained in detail, I still found this fascinating and
appealing movie to watch!
