Rabbit Proof Fence and a few others

Rabbit Proof Fence (2002)

Being on vacation right now, I have time to catch up on my tv and movie viewing. One film that stood out to me recently was Rabbit Proof Fence. The movie is about the true story of three Austrailian Aborigine girls who are selected for assimilation by the Australian government as part of their project to bring Aborigine people into modern society. The conditioned aborigine's become housekeepers or manual labor. Despite the terminology used by the Australian government, their project amounts to slavery which is illustrated in this movie.

The three young girls (the oldest is 14 or 15) are taken to a camp by force where they are taught the western Christian way of life. The three escape the camp and try to make it home by following a "Rabbit-Proof Fence", a fence that extends across Australia to block rabbits.

The movie is shot in a straightforward, realistic style and is unflinching in its depiction of slavery and the human need to be free. It's not big on torture scenes like "Roots", but brings across its oppression more subtly by showing the children's struggle. Three non actors were chosen to play the children, a move that pays off with unvarnished and convincing performances. The children live on the run from authorities while looking for food and searching for their true path home. What makes the movie frightening is how recent this took place (it's set around the 40's or 50's but continued into the 70's). It may not seem as hard to believe in light of current world events, but this movie makes you feel its pain. I would definitely recommend seeing this film.

There are a couple of other movies I've seen lately that have taken on well worn, cliched themes but have injected them with enough style and feeling to make them worth viewing.

A History of Violence (2006)

Viggo Mortensen (Lord Of The Rings Trilogy) plays a small town diner owner and family man who heroically fends off murderous thieves. In the ensuing publicity Philadelphia mobsters come to the small town insisting Mortensen, who embodies god fearing family values living small town America, of being a ruthless mobster. Is he a good person caught up in mistaken identity or is he a cold blooded mob killer? I'll try not to give away the ending in this review.

Structurally, History is an action movie as Mortensen uses martial arts and expert gunplay to protect his family and others. Normally, movies of this type portrays the main character as a true hero overcoming the odds with the support of his family. Directed by David Cronenburg (The Fly, Dead Ringers), the movie has a tone of menace and dread shadowed with doubt. The action while thrilling isn't glorified and much of the story is about the effects of violence on people beyond the physical act. When is violence justified, is killing something to be revered or feared and will every act of violence taint your future. Maria Bello (ER, Auto Focus, The Cooler) shines as the loving wife who begins to question if she really knows her husband.

The Chorus (2004)

A new teacher arrives at a school for troubled youths and inspires them through stern kindness and extracurricular attention. Tons of movies have been made like this, so I went into this French film with reduced expectations. The teacher (supervisor, actually) arrives at the school which is functioning under a harsh punishment system and teaches them to sing. The students become inspired and start behaving better, one of which becomes a famous classical music conductor. It sounds so boring when I type it, but the movie is heartfelt and moving. No special tricks here, just solid direction and good acting raise this movie a cut above After School Specials.

Ong-Bak:The Way Of The...I forget the rest of the long title (2005)

In the Big 80's, action films and stars launched left and right. The illustrious list of B level action stars included Governor Schwartzenegger, Stallone, Mr. Racist-I mean Gibson, Seagal, Van Damme, Norris...the list goes on. In the 90's, action films fell out of favor and the number of action stars slowed to a trickle. Jackie Chan and Jet Li, that was about it. Now, comes the next big name in action: Tony Jaa.

Who? This guy comes out of nowhere with a form of martial arts I haven't seen before (they said what it was called, but I forgot that too). This style of martial arts involves a lot of lunging with elbow and shin blows, a style with a little more offense than usual. Also, Jaa is extremely acrobatic and will take to the air at a moments notice. There's a serious Jackie Chan influence in the high risk maneuvers he takes to (jumping through barb wire hoops, plates of glass, running on top of peoples shoulders) and a sense of speed and balance not seen since Brandon Lee.

The plot? I can't remember nor do I care. This movie is all about this Jaa guy kickin' ass and the movie serves it up with multiple camera angles and slo mo replay. Good stuff, look for this guy to own the direct to video action circuit in the near future. It may not sound like much, but when I was a teenager the B action movies were everything to me. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does next.