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The Tracker

  • 20022002
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
3K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
The Tracker (2002)
Fanatic is a government trooper who is heading an expedition to find an Aboriginal man accused of murdering a white woman. Others in the expedition are the Follower, a greenhorn trooper, the Veteran, and the Tracker.
Play trailer2:10
1 Video
6 Photos
  • Drama
  • Western

Fanatic is a government trooper who is heading an expedition to find an Aboriginal man accused of murdering a white woman. Others in the expedition are the Follower, a greenhorn trooper, the... Read allFanatic is a government trooper who is heading an expedition to find an Aboriginal man accused of murdering a white woman. Others in the expedition are the Follower, a greenhorn trooper, the Veteran, and the Tracker.Fanatic is a government trooper who is heading an expedition to find an Aboriginal man accused of murdering a white woman. Others in the expedition are the Follower, a greenhorn trooper, the Veteran, and the Tracker.

IMDb RATING
7.3/10
3K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Rolf de Heer
  • Writer
    • Rolf de Heer
  • Stars
    • David Gulpilil
    • Gary Sweet
    • Damon Gameau
Top credits
  • Director
    • Rolf de Heer
  • Writer
    • Rolf de Heer
  • Stars
    • David Gulpilil
    • Gary Sweet
    • Damon Gameau
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 44User reviews
    • 25Critic reviews
    • 71Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 16 wins & 16 nominations

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:10
    Trailer

    Photos6

    The Tracker (2002)
    The Tracker (2002)
    The Tracker (2002)
    The Tracker (2002)
    The Tracker (2002)

    Top cast

    Edit
    David Gulpilil
    David Gulpilil
    • The Trackeras The Tracker
    Gary Sweet
    Gary Sweet
    • The Fanaticas The Fanatic
    Damon Gameau
    Damon Gameau
    • The Followeras The Follower
    Grant Page
    Grant Page
    • The Veteranas The Veteran
    Noel Wilton
    • The Fugitiveas The Fugitive
    • Director
      • Rolf de Heer
    • Writer
      • Rolf de Heer
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    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. —Bruno Benton
    • australia
    • fanatic
    • racism
    • chained
    • sacred ground
    • 126 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • The Fanatic. The Follower. The Fugitive. The Tracker.
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Western
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

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

    • Connections
      Featured in Gulpilil: One Red Blood (2002)

    User reviews44

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Strong film, not the director's best
    As far as Western films go, the Tracker is nothing groundbreaking or particularly accomplished. I'd compare it to Anthony Mann's Naked Spur, another beautiful looking wilderness bounty-hunter film with a primary interest in psychological tension between morally ambiguous characters. Like Naked Spur, there is a trickster figure, an innocent, a veteran trailblazer, and a sadistic military figure. There is plenty of intrigue between characters as new situations arise, but The Tracker lacks the complexity of the screenplay thanks to the director's political heavy-handedness. Gary Sweet's character is not convincing or particularly well developed, as his simplistically evil nature makes him highly predictable and almost comedic. While I enjoyed the music on its own merits, I agree with another commenter that it leaves little room for the viewer to come to his own conclusions about the characters.

    On the other hand, there are some great moments, such as the Tracker's improvised trial of the Fanatic, which causes one question how capital punishment becomes perceived as legitimate. The Tracker's adoption of white traditions and religious rites causes us to view him differently than we would otherwise. The circumstances of the Fanatic's dependence upon the Tracker and the Tracker's dependence upon the mercy of the Fanatic create an intrigue that is again reminiscent of the Naked Spur. Aided by the beautiful scenery of the outback, the cinematography is very nice, and the editing is distinctive as the film maintains a slower pace with spacious musical and visual interludes that are sometimes kitschy but occasionally effective. Overall, this was I film that I thoroughly enjoyed, even if the screenplay wasn't as powerful as I had hoped.
    helpful•17
    6
    • YesYesNo
    • Feb 16, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 8, 2002 (Australia)
    • Country of origin
      • Australia
    • Official sites
      • Cyan Films
      • Production Notes [Australia]
    • Languages
      • English
      • Aboriginal
    • Also known as
      • El rastro
    • Filming locations
      • Gammon Ranges, South Australia, Australia
    • Production companies
      • Adelaide Festival of Arts
      • SBS Independent
      • Vertigo Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $55,188
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,993
      • Jan 19, 2004
    • Gross worldwide
      • $672,495
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

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