Interesting story, with one great performance by Gulpilil, let down a bit by Gary Sweet's character. He's such a thorough bastard, that ordinary racism can't explain it - why is he such a monster, is he racist or simply a psychopath, and how did a fellow like that end up in the position of heading this little troupe in the first place? The movie doesn't seem to care about these issues in the slightest, and I think that's a pretty big failing for a film dealing with the big issues it seems to be wanting to grapple. Or maybe the problem is that Sweet appears to be play-acting at being evil, rather than really embodying it. And the dialogue & accents aren't always convincing if this is meant to be 1922. Not sure whether to blame the script, the direction, or the actors (excluding Gulpilil). But I liked where the story went in the end, and David Gulpilil, as usual, was wonderful - he makes everyone else look like amateurs. Worth seeing for his character alone. He's the centre of the film, complex and completely compelling and believable. So the film works as a portrait of his experience, and for that alone I'd recommend seeing it. It's just a pity that the white characters, who are secondary but none the less are there throughout the whole film, don't come across as equally believable people.
Review of The Tracker
The Tracker
(2002)
Okay film, with one great performance from Gulpilil
26 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers