The Tracker (2002)

It's 1922; somewhere in Australia. When a Native Australian man is accused of murdering a white woman, three white men (The Fanatic, The Follower and The Veteran) are given the mission of ... See full summary »

Director:

Rolf de Heer

Writer:

Rolf de Heer

Stars:

David Gulpilil, Gary Sweet, Damon Gameau

16 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
David Gulpilil	...	The Tracker
Gary Sweet	...	The Fanatic
Damon Gameau	...	The Follower
Grant Page	...	The Veteran
Noel Wilton	...	Fugitive

Storyline

It's 1922; somewhere in Australia. When a Native Australian man is accused of murdering a white woman, three white men (The Fanatic, The Follower and The Veteran) are given the mission of capturing him with the help of an experienced Native Australian (The Tracker). So they start their quest in the outback, not knowing that their inner wrestles against and for racism will be more dangerous that the actual hunting for the accused.

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Plot Keywords:

fanatic | australia | racism | tracker | silhouette | 

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Taglines:

The Fanatic. The Follower. The Fugitive. The Tracker.

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Genres:

Drama | History | Western

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Australia

Language:

English Maori

Release Date:

8 August 2002 (Australia)

Also Known As:

El rastro

Filming Locations:

Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, Dulwich, South Australia, Australia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Adelaide Festival of Arts, Australian Film Commission, The, Australian Film Finance Corporation, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The music for this film is performed by Archie Roach, a popular aboriginal country musician.

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Quotes

[first lines]
The Tracker: About half a day ahead, boss, and he's gettin' tired.
The Fanatic: Tell me when it gets to dark. Come on. Keep going.
The Tracker: Okay, boss. Like this?
[mock running and galloping]
The Tracker: We'll catch him quick.

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Connections

Referenced in Gulpilil: One Red Blood (2002)

User Reviews

A tremendously memorable film!

I watched this wonderful film last night on television after having, unfortunately, missed it during its house release several years ago. Even though it would have been far better to see the beautiful cinematography on the big screen I was still moved and highly impressed with this historically insightful look under the carpet of our history.

It is an interesting coincidence that I watched The Proposition several days ago and was able to watch The Tracker last night-both films, although separated by roughly fifty years, still circle the same historical period in that they both deal with Australia's adolescence and it is this historical backdrop that binds these films together in my mind.

If a film returns to my thoughts after I have watched it, regardless of the geographical setting or the chronological period, that film is successful by my standards and if you wakeup the next morning replaying scenes of the film then it certainly is a winner-that is exactly what happened this morning. De Heer's script and direction created a haunting movie. The subtlety of the nuances made for a deeply intellectual journey through the tracks of these different people embroiled in activities beyond their understanding. Is this the paradigm of human existence? De Heer is to be congratulated for writing a scrip dealing with historical topics generally bypassed by commercial film makers and then directing that film with such sensitivity and understanding. It is rare to see a film that paints such a critical view of the relationship of the Aboriginal people and the close-mindedness of the Anglo settlers during that first century of contact. The definitive film about this contact has yet to be made and I for one anxiously await its production. We know so little, even if we make a concerted effort to locate the sources, about this early period of racial interaction. In the history of the world has there been such a diametrically antagonistic confrontation between peoples? The accuracy of this contact drama seems to have been lost because of the very nature of the discontinuity between these peoples. De Heer attempted to redress this lack of information and due to the brilliance of his insights, as well as the brilliance of the cast, we the audience are the better for having watched their work.