'CANOES' IS RICH, DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE.Byline: BOB STRAUSS >FILM CRITIC "Ten Canoes" won a slew of Australian Academy Awards, hopefully not just because it's the first film made entirely in an indigenous aboriginal language. It's a great movie that tells a rich tale in a deceptively simple way -- and in a manner that may be entirely new to movies. Don't let that language stuff scare you off, either. The characters don't do a whole lot of talking in their Ganalbingu tongue, and what they do say is expertly subtitled sub·ti·tle n. 1. A secondary, usually explanatory title, as of a literary work. 2. A printed translation of the dialogue of a foreign-language film shown at the bottom of the screen. tr.v. . What's more, the whole thing is narrated offscreen off·screen adj. 1. Existing or occurring outside the frame of a movie or television screen: could hear sounds of offscreen mayhem. 2. , in charmingly accented English, by the great David Gulpilil, who's starred in such key Australian films as "Walkabout walkabout a dummy syndrome in horses; usually pyrrolizidine alkaloses caused by crotalaria poisoning. Affected horses walk compulsively, head press, appear blind and walk into objects. They do not respond to usual external stimuli or commands. ," "The Last Wave" and "Rabbit-Proof Fence." He's basically telling us, the viewers, about a storyteller from 1,000 years ago who's relating an even more ancient tale. This unfolds in a manner that's far easier to follow than the above description suggests. Set in the lush swamplands of Northern Australia The term northern Australia is generally considered to include the States and territories of Australia of Queensland and the Northern Territory. The part of Western Australia (WA) north of latitude 26° south — a definition widely used in law and State government policy , the film initially follows 10 hunters on their annual quest to gather the rare tree bark that they use for canoes. Once the one-man vessels are ready, they pole them through the sawgrass Sawgrass can be:
adj. 1. Ready for marriage; of a marriageable age or condition. Used of young women. 2. Sexually mature and attractive. Used of young women. new wife. Rather than express anger, Minygululu recites a very long, fable-like tale of their distant ancestors. It, too, is about a young man -- Yeeralpalil, also played by the junior Gulpilil -- who is in love with his warrior brother Ridjimiraril's (the imposing Crusoe Kurddal) third wife. This tale, too, proves to be very peripherally about jealousy, and much more a lesson in why people live by the laws that they do. If this sounds dryly ethnographic eth·nog·ra·phy n. The branch of anthropology that deals with the scientific description of specific human cultures. eth·nog , rest assured that it's anything but. These folks are as bawdy bawd·y adj. bawd·i·er, bawd·i·est 1. Humorously coarse; risqué. 2. Vulgar; lewd. bawd  i·ly adv. as anyone you'll see in an
Adam Sandler comedy. And everybody's naked all of the time, which
is about the only quality "Ten Canoes" shares with National
Geographic specials. Delicious irony also lends extra astuteness to all
of the narrative tracks; the overall effect is as post-modern as it is
prehistoric.
Rolf de Heer consulted with the People of Ramingining while writing the script and co-directed the film with Peter Djigirr, who also plays several parts in the movie. De Heer films the canoeists' slice-of-life segments in black-and-white and the more mythical, earlier story in vivid, sometimes spookier color, so we're never in doubt as to which time period we're at. Needless to say, the unspoiled environment is yet another character in this ingeniously playful celebration of the age-old practice of human storytelling Storytelling Aesop semi-legendary fabulist of ancient Greece. [Gk. Lit.: Harvey, 10] Münchäusen Baron traveler grossly embellishes his experiences. [Ger. Lit. . Bob Strauss (818) 713-3670 bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com TEN CANOES >Not rated: nudity, violence, language >Starring: Crusoe Kurddal, Jamie Gulpilil, Richard Birrinbirrin, Peter Djigirr, Frances Djulibing, voice of David Gulpilil. >Director: Rolf de Heer. >Running time: 1 hr. 31 min. >Playing: Nuart, West L.A. >In a nutshell: A delightful story that's a shrewd inquiry into the nature of storytelling as well. In Ganalbingu with English narration and subtitles sub·ti·tle n. 1. A secondary, usually explanatory title, as of a literary work. 2. A printed translation of the dialogue of a foreign-language film shown at the bottom of the screen. tr.v. . >Our rating: Three and one half stars |
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