Sweet Country **** (2017, Hamilton Morris, Sam Neill, Bryan Brown, Matt Day, Ewen Leslie) – Movie Review

Sweet Country is a sweet racially charged Australian Western.

Director Warwick Thornton’s obviously ironically named Australian Western, inspired by true events on the Northern Territory frontier in the 1920s, stars Hamilton Morris as middle-aged Aboriginal farmhand Sam Kelly, who is loaned by preacher-farmer Fred Smith (Sam Neill) in his absence to his unstable alcoholic neighbour Harry March (Ewen Leslie) to build a fence.

Things inevitably take a turn towards tragedy and Sam ends up having to shoot this white man in self-defence, and then makes a run for it in the Outback he knows so well. But a posse organised by the ageing but dogged Sergeant Fletcher (Bryan Brown) is in hot pursuit, with disgusted Fred Smith (Sam Neill) tagging along as the voice of reason and the country’s conscience.

A classic pursuit Western (albeit set in Australia in the 1920s) becomes a tense courtroom drama (albeit set in the open air as the town has no courtroom and the judge won’t allow a trial in the pub). This movie really has all the classic ingredients, all freshly gathered and perfectly cooked.

And so the film climaxes in an outdoor trial, with the visiting Judge Taylor (Matt Day) presiding. With Sam hardly defending himself, accepting the likely unfair tragic outcome, can justice be done in such a prejudiced society?

Outstanding cinematography on dazzling Outback outdoor locations in South Australia and Northern Territory is not only the icing on the cake of this great movie, but also an integral character in the drama – and a star of the movie too.

Talking stars, Morris is excellent and old hands Sam Neill and Bryan Brown are tremendous, with Matt Day strong in his relatively short but impactful role at the end. The screenplay is first rate too, thanks to writers Steven McGregor and David Tranter. The Production Design by Tony Cronin is impeccable.

But of course Warwick Thornton must have the main kudos, as both the cinematographer (with Dylan River) and the director.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Movie Review

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com