Page 8 - Metro

Bad

Blood

and

Bitterness

COLONISATION AND THE WESTERN IN
WARWICK THORNTON’S SWEET COUNTRY

EIGHT YEARS SINCE HIS INIMITABLE TALE OF YOUNG LOVE,
SAMSON & DELILAH, TOOK ONE OF THE TOP PRIZES AT CANNES,
WARWICK THORNTON HAS ONCE AGAIN ROUSED AUDIENCES
THE WORLD OVER – THIS TIME, WITH A SPIN ON THE WESTERN
CENTRING ON AN ABORIGINAL FUGITIVE COUPLE ESCAPING
ILL-APPLIED JUSTICE AND THE WHITE COLONISTS HOT
ON THEIR TRAIL. NICHOLAS GODFREY INVESTIGATES THE
INFLUENCES, INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES AND THEMES THAT
INFUSE THIS FILM REPLETE WITH POLITICAL URGENCY.

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#DKHK@G in 2009, and has been the subject of fevered anticipation ever since. In the
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ticularly for 3GD 2@OOGHQDR, Wayne Blair, 2012), documentary maker (especially We
#NM S -DDC @ ,@O, 2017), visual artist (,NSGDQ "NTQ@FD DQG ĺFWLRQ GLUHFWRU
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3GD 3TQMHMF). While Thornton’s efforts in these various domains have been warmly
received, the plaudits have not come close to the acclaim that saw the director win
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hybrid 3GD #@QJRHCD ZDV WRR VOLJKW IRU FULWLFV DQG DXGLHQFHV WR JHW D ĺUP KROG RQ
the rapturous applause that greeted 2VDDS "NTMSQX at the 2017 Venice and Toronto
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