THE CHANT OF JIMMIE BLACKSMITH Movie Review

Set against the magnificent landscapes of New South Wales at the exact turn of the century, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith tells the story of a half-caste aborigine who's determined—through hard work and enormous resilience, even in the face of obscenely entrenched racism—to work within the limitations of his society in order to better his life. Jimmie is not by any means accepting of racism—nor is his good-natured half-brother, Mort—but he's got a grip on reality, and he understands where he is. He does the odd jobs and fence-building that he's hired to do, aware that he is paid less than white men but that he has no alternative. Insults, poverty, and general degradation are a way of life for him, and Jimmie's disgust at this inequity is obvious. Nevertheless, he continues out of necessity to play by rules he didn't make, withstanding treatment designed to grind his will into dust. One day, in an unplanned split-second, that changes. In the theatre where this film played in Detroit, that moment of reckoning provoked one viewer to hobble slowly to the lobby, where he fainted. His response was understandable. Jimmie's pent-up fury—the long-festering, undeniable fruit of racism—has to manifest itself somehow, and when it finally appears it takes the form of an unexpectedly shocking physical and emotional explosion. Based on a novel by Schindler's List author Thomas Keneally, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith was written for the screen and directed by Australia's Fred Schepisi, who has made a film so good, so instructive, and so necessary that it evokes astonishment. This is uncompromising, fabulously intelligent filmmaking that—once seen—will never be forgotten. (If at all possible, see the film in a letterboxed format; its majestic images and soundtrack contribute mightily to its epic impact.)

NEXT STOP … The Devil's Playground, A Cry in the Dark, Do the Right Thing

1978 (R) 120m/C AU Tommy Lewis, Bryan Brown, Ray Barrett, Elizabeth Alexander, Jack Thompson, Peter Carroll, Liddy Clark, Ruth Cracknell, Arthur Dignam, Ian Gilmour, John Jarratt, Ray Meagher, Kevin Miles, Robyn Nevin, Angela Punch McGregor, Peter Sumner; D: Fred Schepisi; W: Fred Schepisi; C: Ian Baker; M: Bruce Smeaton. NYR