Thoroughly enjoyable movie. Presented an indigenous view of were traditional culture meets white in outback towns. All the good & bad elements of the breakdown in traditional structures are presented in a simplistic rendition of the strength of culture through the wrapping within the protective framework of Elder knowledge. The simplistic & warmhearted presentation of coming of age & recognition of where value & importance actually lies, was lovingly if somewhat unrealistically presented during the bush parts. Consequence & direness regardless of bush knowledge were very poorly presented in the traveling through the bush section of movie. Very much let the rest of the movie down. Loved the way the negative aspects of cultural breakdown were presented so ordinarily, sledgehammer approach was not used for a change, and made them so much more significant in there everyday ordinariness.
7 Reviews
Reliable and well done
gilhardwick-4644027 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Having been raised myself in the remote inland, taught by old bushmen and experienced in finding my way around, using firearms and able to feed myself off the land well before the age of 10, I found nothing lacking in the way of authenticity in this film beyond taking the viewer on a tour through different parts of the country where the actual track is far more prosaic.
This film does not compare with the old 'Walkabout', for example, but the more recent 'Ten Canoes', all featuring Gulpilil. His wise and engaging info-comic touch is unmistakable. The story isn't about survival in harsh terrain or dire consequences of making mistakes. That particular country is good during the dry with nothing dramatic to endure. From the beginning it is about Pete simply remembering his lessons, keeping a cool head, and knowing in which direction to travel.
Ten is a good age for healthy active boys to be out and about, as boys that age would have been traditionally in any culture. The clever young up-and-comers would be starting out by 7-8, and certainly all of them by 12-13. The singular disappointment is that Kalmain is lost by then, and off to child detention.
The contrasting loss of Indigenous culture or more reliably taking up contemporary Western mass-consumerism is thus shown for what it is; not great tragedy but self-centred, materialistic, pointless. Retaining the traditional bush lessons of elders on the other hand restores a sense of authentic self and belonging, capability and self-worth.
I thoroughly recommend this film, especially pitched as it is to children and young adults.
This film does not compare with the old 'Walkabout', for example, but the more recent 'Ten Canoes', all featuring Gulpilil. His wise and engaging info-comic touch is unmistakable. The story isn't about survival in harsh terrain or dire consequences of making mistakes. That particular country is good during the dry with nothing dramatic to endure. From the beginning it is about Pete simply remembering his lessons, keeping a cool head, and knowing in which direction to travel.
Ten is a good age for healthy active boys to be out and about, as boys that age would have been traditionally in any culture. The clever young up-and-comers would be starting out by 7-8, and certainly all of them by 12-13. The singular disappointment is that Kalmain is lost by then, and off to child detention.
The contrasting loss of Indigenous culture or more reliably taking up contemporary Western mass-consumerism is thus shown for what it is; not great tragedy but self-centred, materialistic, pointless. Retaining the traditional bush lessons of elders on the other hand restores a sense of authentic self and belonging, capability and self-worth.
I thoroughly recommend this film, especially pitched as it is to children and young adults.
More than David vs Goliath
ashthedarkarcher9 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Satellite boy is a film made in 2012, directed by Catriona McKenzie. The movie is about a young indigenous boy named Pete and his friend Kalmain, who travel 85km from Wyndham to Kununurra to try and stop a construction company from demolishing Pete's home, an old drive-in cinema. Early on however, the boys get lost and must rely on Pete's knowledge of country to survive.
Satellite boy contains characters such as 12-year-old indigenous boy Pete. After his mother leaves to go to university in the city he is left to live with his grandfather Jubi, an aboriginal elder who teaches Pete all the traditional ways their people use to live. Pete also has a best friend named Kalmain who accompanies him on their journey. Kalmain is around the same age if not slightly older and was raised by what is assumed to be his alcoholic mother.
There were many conflicts in this movie. The first conflict established, was that of the two boy's vs the construction corporation as this took up most of the film. The situation felt like a typical "David v Goliath" scenario as the boys attempted to take on the big company.
There was also conflict between Pete and Kalmain about how they would deal with the corporation, including a scene in which Kalmain pulls a gun on construction workers, Pete shocked at this, runs over to Kalmain and tries to grab the gun from him.
Lastly, a less obvious conflict was between Pete's desire to be with his mother and her wanting him to come with her to the city, versus his yearning to be in country. Overall, Pete chooses to live in the country with his grandfather as that is his home, saying that both he and his mother have different wants and so need to go different ways.
The movie intends to develop sympathy for the main character, and in watching the movie the viewer is left feeling for the characters. The cinematography was quite striking, highlighting the landscapes of the Kimberly regions of Western Australia. The soundtrack was subtle yet helped support the imagery of the varying scenes.
Pete was unable to prevent the demolition of his home, and to an extent this felt like a metaphor for the futility of opposing the march of capitalistic "progress". However, the disappointment was short lived as Pete seemingly discovered his love for country and that overcame the grief of his old house being destroyed.
Satellite boy contains characters such as 12-year-old indigenous boy Pete. After his mother leaves to go to university in the city he is left to live with his grandfather Jubi, an aboriginal elder who teaches Pete all the traditional ways their people use to live. Pete also has a best friend named Kalmain who accompanies him on their journey. Kalmain is around the same age if not slightly older and was raised by what is assumed to be his alcoholic mother.
There were many conflicts in this movie. The first conflict established, was that of the two boy's vs the construction corporation as this took up most of the film. The situation felt like a typical "David v Goliath" scenario as the boys attempted to take on the big company.
There was also conflict between Pete and Kalmain about how they would deal with the corporation, including a scene in which Kalmain pulls a gun on construction workers, Pete shocked at this, runs over to Kalmain and tries to grab the gun from him.
Lastly, a less obvious conflict was between Pete's desire to be with his mother and her wanting him to come with her to the city, versus his yearning to be in country. Overall, Pete chooses to live in the country with his grandfather as that is his home, saying that both he and his mother have different wants and so need to go different ways.
The movie intends to develop sympathy for the main character, and in watching the movie the viewer is left feeling for the characters. The cinematography was quite striking, highlighting the landscapes of the Kimberly regions of Western Australia. The soundtrack was subtle yet helped support the imagery of the varying scenes.
Pete was unable to prevent the demolition of his home, and to an extent this felt like a metaphor for the futility of opposing the march of capitalistic "progress". However, the disappointment was short lived as Pete seemingly discovered his love for country and that overcame the grief of his old house being destroyed.
Brilliant, Australians do this stuff so well, understated... total respect for the film-makers
bobn-1080912 April 2021
Aussie movies share common characteristics... understate, irreverent, subtle and in this case a sublime respect for culture and roots.
A young man man torn in two directions eventually finds his own sense of self, self respect and respect for his history.
Slow paced, just like the country he comes from and every moment rich in joy, if you choose to look at it with eyes other than those that only appreciate the Marvel Universe, (which I love also).
Enjoy it.
A young man man torn in two directions eventually finds his own sense of self, self respect and respect for his history.
Slow paced, just like the country he comes from and every moment rich in joy, if you choose to look at it with eyes other than those that only appreciate the Marvel Universe, (which I love also).
Enjoy it.
Shields itself from ever being culturally insensitive but consequently weakens its own moral complexity
Likes_Ninjas9019 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Catriona McKenzie's Satellite Boy is a case of good intentions limiting the possibilities of a film. This is unapologetically a coming of age story, where the young central character learns to fully embrace their indigenous heritage and survival skills, shunning the modern consumerist world.
Where other films like Samson and Delilah have exposed the bleakness and nihilism of the outback life, this film is intended as a gift to Aboriginal communities and their belief in the Milky Way as a vision of heaven. Yet through this idealism McKenzie's film is also overly simplistic. It substitutes realism, detail and insight to uphold and prove its sentimental and conservative values.
The film is about the journey of Pete (Cameron Wallaby), a young Aboriginal boy who lives with his grandfather Old Jagamarra (David Gulpilil) and is reluctant to embrace the ways of the bush. They live in the outback town of Wyndham in an abandoned cinema.
When their land is threatened by a mining company Pete sets off to confront the manager of the company to try and stop them. He leaves his grandfather behind but is joined by the equally young and inexperienced Kalmain (Joseph Pedley). Together they have to use their outback skills to survive and find the company as they cross their desert.
The film was shot in North Western Australian in the Kimberley region, which is rich in Aboriginal culture and listed as a world heritage area. Special permission had to be granted to film there, which accounts for why the film is highly sanitised. The film never weighs up the ramifications of this journey.
Both Pete and Kalmain continually avoid tension and danger. They gather popcorn and water before the journey but never seem to be short of food because gathering food from a rock is sufficient. They don't suffer physically either from heat exhaustion because they're lucky enough to be able to find a river to cross. The most dangerous episode is when they find a loaded magnum handgun. Yet this also results in a positive outcome that foils the miners.
The film is so chipper about the power of heritage and culture that it denies its own moral compass. What happens after Pete rejects the consumer life of his mother and stays in the outback? He disappears into the desert at the end of the film, which is allegorical for committing himself to the land.
The reality though is that children need a balanced life. Understanding their heritage and who that makes them is invaluable and should never be forgotten. However, is schooling, friends and employment somehow less important? These are equally essential in building the character of any person, whatever their heritage or background is, but the film doesn't make a point of that.
Similarly, the psychological damage of living in the outback is untested too. In recent years we have debated the racial boundaries of intervening into Aboriginal communities because of the number of documented cases relating to the likes of sexual assault and alcoholism. Satellite Boy doesn't have the psychological depth or bravery to explore and debate the pressing issues faced by self-governing communities and the impact on young individuals.
Its content with being a beautifully photographed yet hollow movie, one that shields itself from ever being culturally insensitive but consequently weakens its own moral complexity.
Where other films like Samson and Delilah have exposed the bleakness and nihilism of the outback life, this film is intended as a gift to Aboriginal communities and their belief in the Milky Way as a vision of heaven. Yet through this idealism McKenzie's film is also overly simplistic. It substitutes realism, detail and insight to uphold and prove its sentimental and conservative values.
The film is about the journey of Pete (Cameron Wallaby), a young Aboriginal boy who lives with his grandfather Old Jagamarra (David Gulpilil) and is reluctant to embrace the ways of the bush. They live in the outback town of Wyndham in an abandoned cinema.
When their land is threatened by a mining company Pete sets off to confront the manager of the company to try and stop them. He leaves his grandfather behind but is joined by the equally young and inexperienced Kalmain (Joseph Pedley). Together they have to use their outback skills to survive and find the company as they cross their desert.
The film was shot in North Western Australian in the Kimberley region, which is rich in Aboriginal culture and listed as a world heritage area. Special permission had to be granted to film there, which accounts for why the film is highly sanitised. The film never weighs up the ramifications of this journey.
Both Pete and Kalmain continually avoid tension and danger. They gather popcorn and water before the journey but never seem to be short of food because gathering food from a rock is sufficient. They don't suffer physically either from heat exhaustion because they're lucky enough to be able to find a river to cross. The most dangerous episode is when they find a loaded magnum handgun. Yet this also results in a positive outcome that foils the miners.
The film is so chipper about the power of heritage and culture that it denies its own moral compass. What happens after Pete rejects the consumer life of his mother and stays in the outback? He disappears into the desert at the end of the film, which is allegorical for committing himself to the land.
The reality though is that children need a balanced life. Understanding their heritage and who that makes them is invaluable and should never be forgotten. However, is schooling, friends and employment somehow less important? These are equally essential in building the character of any person, whatever their heritage or background is, but the film doesn't make a point of that.
Similarly, the psychological damage of living in the outback is untested too. In recent years we have debated the racial boundaries of intervening into Aboriginal communities because of the number of documented cases relating to the likes of sexual assault and alcoholism. Satellite Boy doesn't have the psychological depth or bravery to explore and debate the pressing issues faced by self-governing communities and the impact on young individuals.
Its content with being a beautifully photographed yet hollow movie, one that shields itself from ever being culturally insensitive but consequently weakens its own moral complexity.
Long, aimless, boring.
bobwarn-938-5586723 September 2021
Random cuts, Plot holes, Slow script
dummyt-2195625 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is heavily weighed down from the horrible and slow script that just goes on and on and on. The actors don't understand what to do due the script being so bad, and it ends up making the movie slow, dull, and boring. Would not recommend due to half the movie just being them walking in the desert with no talking just quiet music. I would give it higher if they actually got the actors to understand the script, but they just don't. Random cuts are everywhere in the movie leaving people questioning what is even happening. The plot holes are horrible for example a new character is randomly introduced, gets 1 minute of screen time and never is shown again. If I had to say any good things about the movie it would be the landscape shots that look good as it shows the Australian outback. But then again those are often reused throughout the movie. As it shows the same shot of the milky way as a horrible excuse for a transition to a new scene. The actors don't work well together, and the random cuts leave me wondering what is happening. For example, at the start of the movie we see Pete and Kalmain blow up a van in the outback. Pete gets let out easily due to Jubi being a "well respected man". The audience just has to wonder what he meant by that as it never brought up again. Some scenes make no sense as when they find a river, it cuts to them swimming then randomly cuts to them sitting down staring at each other before it shows Kalmain carrying Pete across the river. The very start of the movie shows Jubi and Pete speaking in their native language but there is no subtitles till later in the movie, so we just have to try and figure out what they are saying as it becomes important later in the movie and the audience has no idea what is going on. In my opinion this movie seems like it was clearly rushed and not thought out very well. I think if they had more time, it could've been better. I would not recommend it as it gets very boring very fast. I wanted to stop watching due to how bored I was in the first 15 minutes of the movie. The first part of the movie Is trying to explain the characters, but it doesn't do a good job and still leaves many plot points. It is also very boring as there is not much action besides one small scene that becomes irrelevant almost instantly. The second part of the movie is them just walking in the outback. The only redeeming qualities in this part is the beautiful shots of the Australian outback. Other than that, it is just boring scenes that tries to make it look like they are going on this big adventure when in reality it is just them walking in a bland outback for most of the scenes. The third and final part is when they arrive in the city. This is the only part of the movie with any action as it shows Kalmain nearly shoot workers. But it is ended almost instantly, and it just goes back to the boring and dull script as Pete and his mother talk for a few minutes then drop him off back to Jubi. The movie ends with Jubi and Pete dancing with other aboriginals and Pete and Jubi about to go on an adventure which could lead to a sequel, but if the movie was this bad, I would not like to see a sequel anytime soon. I would give these 1 and a half stars out of 5 and that half a star is being very generous. Unless you want to be put to sleep then don't watch this dull and bland movie.
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