There is a long history of Aboriginal people in tracker roles in Australian movies. Once again, as has often been the case, the tracker isn't specifically identified. In this film, however, all the major characters are anonymous, each representing a particular type of person at the time, so it works well that they are not given specific names. A good insight is still available into the complexities of their personalities. The story itself is basic: it is the early 1920s; a party of four men is chasing an Aboriginal man accused of killing a white woman. Rolf de Heer has created a bold film that makes innovative use of paintings as an illustration of the violence and in making it implicit adds to the mystique and impact of the horror. This is accompanied by cinematography that evocatively captures the essence of the film and the Australian bush. A captivating film that will hold your attention throughout its sometimes disturbing story and often slow pace, with a combination of subtlety and the occasional bit of humour.

When fifteen-year-old Sam Franks returns home to Genoa, a sleepy river town in country Victoria, from boarding school for the summer holidays, he is reunited with Silvy, a childhood friend. During a night swim together, Silvy disappears, presumably beneath the water. Twenty years later, we pick up Sam (Pearce) as a grown man. Escorting his father's dead body back to their hometown by train, he meets a woman called Ruby (Bonham Carter). When Sam attempts to return to the city in his father's old car, he is caught in a massive downpour. He rescues a woman from the swollen river. It's Ruby. They begin to roam the town, as he once did with Silvy, and her memory starts to become painfully present. This is a beautifully shot film, and Helena has a credible Aussie accent. Somewhat European in its styling, this film will remain with you long after the closing credits.