Andrew McMurtryREVIEW: 10 Canoes (2006)
November 9th 2008 11:57
“10 Canoes” is a quality Australian film. It was created to lessen the divide between European Australians and Aboriginals. While watching this film I got the feeling that the jokes and structure of the story told was for the benefit of European Australians to understand the complex Aboriginal culture. “I came from a water hole,” says the narrator of this film. It gives the viewer a sense of the Aboriginal culture and tradition as they tell a story from many centuries ago. As he considers birth, death and reincarnation in the aboriginal tribal mythology, he tells the story of a young man learning patience, the human cycle of life and how the natural world speaks to the Aboriginal people.
Everything begins and ends with the water hole. In aboriginal culture, people are fish and have to ask to be born. And when they die, this is where they return, to await the time when they can ask to be born again. “Ten Canoes” tells two versions of the same story, one filmed in black and white, and one, filmed in colour. The black and white story begins when the tribal chief leads ten warriors on a journey into the forest to make canoes from the bark off the trees. Dayindi is on his first trip and he complains that he doesn’t have a wife, yet his older brother has three. He likes the youngest of his brother’s wives, even though pursuing her would be against tribal law. This brings in a code of ethics into their society, when many white Australians would think that Aboriginal society is primitive and ruthless. It is because of this that Dayindi’s brother tells him a story with the moral “All in good time”.
There is a lot of wit and comedy relatable to other facets of Australian society in the story. The men laugh and tease each other about sexual expertise and endowment, which is a commonly thought of stereotype of all men. It makes them relatable to the common white Australian male. There are things in “10 Canoes” which seem to be hard to grasp for people unfamiliar with aboriginal culture, including the sorcery aspect. When the young sorcerer approaches the warriors, they get nervous, fearing that he will use magic on them. The tribe’s sorcerer warns them of things that the outsider might do, including a story about stealing their souls, which is a fate worse than death for the aboriginals.
A film like “10 Canoes” confronts the popular audience with questions about the depiction of aboriginal people in films and documentaries. In the past have we used observation of the aboriginal culture or stereotypical knowledge? “10 Canoes” is a very entertaining film that deals with the aboriginal culture and traditions. Hopefully films like this one will insight feels of respect and tolerance from white communities. More films about Aboriginal issues will only help white Australians, who have had somewhat of an intolerance for Aboriginal people, to be able to respect and admire Aboriginal customs and people.
This film is set in the green swampy lands of the Northern Territory, which is where many Aboriginal communities are. It depicts Aboriginal culture and traditions, including spears and weaponry as well as them making necessary items such as canoes and scraping the bark off the tree. This is important in modern Australian cinema as white Australians should know more about the richness of culture that the Aboriginals possess. This film and films like it raise ideas about tolerance and respect through all facets of the Australian society.
"10 Canoes" is a great film. It demonstrates great Australian filmmaking. It is just a phemonemal film and there is not really anything else I can say about it. It is visually spectacular with the great view of Northern Territiry swamplands as well brilliantly acted and narrated. You just have to see this movie. I'd give it 4.5 out of 5.
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Comment by Nevar
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Comment by Cibbuano
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I found it quite moving, actually, and poetic. Great footage of a part of Australia that I'd love to see...
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Comment by Lilla
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I have to agree, this was a great film and i also found it moving, poetic and very funny.
A wonderful tale and from what I hear a marvelous feat to get Aboriginals to work in past tense of anything?
Glad it is still going strong overseas.
Lilla ...
Comment by Mister Smith
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