Sweet Country, written by Steven McGregor and David Tranter

Sweet Country, written by Steven McGregor and David Tranter

This is an outstanding motion picture that should make one pause, think about the plight of First Nations, Aboriginals and other destitute populations that have seen their land stolen, the members of their communities abused, tortured and killed.

In an age when white people want to keep African, Mexican or other migrants behind “great, beautiful walls”, vote therefore for the likes of the bullish, ridiculous, dangerous Trump, it worth remembering how they got to their lands in the first place.

It was by eliminating those who had lived in America, Australia or other civilized places, where conquerors took no trouble to accommodate those who had been their First, never mind stop at that magic Wall.

Sweet Country is about what happens in Australia, near the Northern Territory frontier, in the 1920s, when Aboriginal people were treated like the African Americans when slavery was sanctioned and official.

Although they are not slaves according to the law, the majority of the white people treat the First Nations as if they were not just inferior beings, but also as a loathsome, despicable property, that can be disposed of.

Harry March has abused one of the Aboriginal women, Lizzie, and he is determined after having forced himself upon her to continue with his abhorrent, ghastly, inhuman behavior.

He torments and puts in chains one young man, also an Aboriginal, and when he escapes, the mad white villain comes to the house of Lizzie’s husband, Sam Kelly, with his gun ready.

As it would be pointed out later at the trial, he does not shoot once or twice, but makes his intentions more than obvious, making threats and claims, sure that the runaway boy is hiding in the house.

Harry March insults, threatens, bullies the innocent couple, coming to the front door with rifle in hand, pointed inside and starting to break down the door, up to the point where he is facing the property owner, who also has a gun in hand, with which he kills the intruder.

A more obvious case of self-defense is hard to find.

Nevertheless, this is where white people make the laws, they are the ones to apply them and mostly, the rules are designed to protect the supremacists against any other who challenge their position.

Therefore, a posy is organized, led by Sergeant Fletcher – portrayed by the always excellent Bryan Brown, first seen and admired by the under signed in F/X, wherein he was a master of Special Effects.

Philomac, an aboriginal man is called to lead the search party, only to be beaten, tormented when they run into other First Nations, who run into the road, make plain their intention to keep the white people away from their land.

The men who are used with having control, dominating the others, do not listen, disregard the warnings, engaging the tribe with their guns, only to have one of them knocked down from the horse and then apparently killed.

Sargent Fletcher kicks Philomac around, accusing him of deliberately leading the posy into this trap, insulting and abusing the poor man, until there is interference from another…white man.

The titan of Australian and World Cinema, Sam Neill, plays a rara avis, a rare bird among the pale face population, a decent, humane, kind, friendly, religious, respectful white man who acts with integrity, affection towards all humans, including the First Nations.

The furious Sargent attacks Fred Smith as well, with the later proclaiming that he would turn the other check, if the tormenter wishes to continue with his beating.

When they reach a desert, the leader of the group which is now reduced in number after the killing of one of the men, divided by the consequent beating and fight, there is little the party can do.

Philomac states that he can no longer help trace the fugitives – Sam Kelly and Lizzie -  this is not his domain of expertise, the land ahead is unknown to him and besides, Sam is alone now, there are only footprints in the sand from one man.

Sargent Fletcher continues on his horse alone, in the arid, waterless territory, only to be exhausted, nearly killed by the hot son of the desert, where he has no water, until Sam Kelly comes to save him and give him water to drink.

Lizzie narrowly escapes some wild, attacking tribesmen, one of which is killed by her husband, who arrives on the scene just as his wife is about to be kidnapped, probably raped.

A judge arrives at this frontier and it appears for a while that justice would be done, and they are all equal in front of the law, which might protect white, aboriginal and others alike…

Alternatively, is it too much to hope for?