Sir Nigel John Dermot Neill, or beloved actor Sam Neill as we all knew him best, was an Irish/New Zealand actor who sadly passed last month. Born in Omagh, reared in Kiwi country, we know Sam best from his roles in The Piano, Peaky Blinders, Thor and of course his turn as dino-expert Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park.
In this review from the archives, Ellen Murray looks at Sam's 2018 role in the devastating exploration of colonialism and its enduring legacy in Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country.
"I've always wanted to do a western, and this is definitely a western of sorts," Sam noted when being interviewed about his role as preacher Fred Smith.
The upheaval and exploitation of Indigenous people by mostly white Christian colonisers is, unfortunately, a story not unfamiliar to cinema. However, with Sweet Country film director Warwick Thornton succeeds in creating a distinctly Australian tale; one that works as both a gripping on-the-run story and as a profound meditation on the devastating impact of colonisation on Aboriginal Australian culture.
In a land of intense heat, unforgiving landscape and hard living, an all-consuming rage bubbles close to the surface, barely concealed and often acted on. Aboriginal characters struggle to reclaim their dignity, autonomy, and freedom in a country that has been rendered hostile by colonial invasion, while white Australians impose order and authority upon a land and people that resist their control. As these competing forces collide, events unfold with an inexorable brutality, driving towards a devastating and seemingly inevitable end.
Set in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1929, Sam Kelly (Hamilton Morris) is an Aboriginal farmhand who lives a relatively peaceful life with his wife, Lizzie (Natassia Gorey Furber), and their niece. The couple work for the well-intentioned, if somewhat naïve, preacher Fred Smith (Neill). In a moment of poor judgement, Smith sends Sam and Lizzie to work for his cattle-rancher neighbour, Harry March (Ewen Leslie). Ignorant, volatile, and struggling with PTSD following his service in the First World War, March treats the couple with increasing contempt and hostility. His behaviour ultimately culminates in him sexually assaulting Lizzie, an act that sets in motion a devastating chain of events.
Things escalate further when March becomes convinced that Sam is hiding one of his escaped workers in his home. He threatens the couple by shooting live rounds through their windows and door. In an act of self-defence, Sam shoots back, killing March with one shot. Realising that he will not be given a fair shot at fair adjudication, Sam and Lizzie escape into the outback, hotly pursued by Sergeant Fletcher (Bryan Brown) and a group of white settlers seeking revenge rather than justice.
Thornton confronts violence head-on, sparing the viewer little as he forces us to fully confront the physical and emotional suffering inflicted. Yet he refuses to reduce the narrative to a simple binary of oppressor and victim, and also explores the psychological toll that violence exacts upon the perpetrators. His characters are layered; while white characters enact horrific cruelty, they are also depicted as possessing an awareness of their own shame, however desperately they attempt to suppress or deny it. This complexity in no way absolves them of their obscene wrongdoing, but rather deepens Thornton’s exploration of the corrosive effects of white supremacy, revealing the profound damage it inflicts across all sides of the divide. This nuanced characterisation is further aided by the cast's all-round fantastic performances.
Thornton, who himself grew up in the Northern Territory, is an accomplished DOP, and utilises his intimate knowledge of the land to develop the film's bold style and breathtaking visuals. Reflecting his characters’ internal struggles, the Australian outback presents as both a place of both immense beauty and bounty, or a land of incredible bleakness and bareness.
Overall, Sweet Country is a devastating meditation on justice, when justice is defined solely by the oppressor. Hard as it may be to watch at times, those who can bring themselves to do so will be greatly rewarded by this rich and superbly crafted film.
"I've done quite a number of arthouse films... What turns up on my desk that is of interest, I'm happy to consider. 'Yes, I need to make more science fiction,' that's something that's never crossed my mind." Sam commented later during that same interview as the thought back on his varied and impressive career. "I think I've covered all the bases."
Ellen Murray
Sweet Country is available to stream online now.
