The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith **** (1978, Tommy Lewis, Jack Thompson, Ray Barrett, Freddy Reynolds, Angela Punch McGregor) – Classic Movie Review 9308

Director Fred Schepisi’s 1978 The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith stars Tommy Lewis as nice young Australian half-Aborigine Jimmie Blacksmith, who is brought up by bigoted minister the Reverend Neville (Jack Thompson) at the turn of the last century. But one day Jimmie Blacksmith finds that enough injustice is enough.

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith is a distinguished, powerful film about the racist treatment of the Aborigines, taken from Thomas Keneally’s real-life, true story novel. It is extremely well played, particularly by Lewis and Angela Punch McGregor as his girlfriend Gilda Marshall, and it is also stirringly made by Schepisi.

An axe murder sequence is very bloody, leading to its X certificate, now 18 in the UK.

Thomas Keneally also appears as Cook, following his appearance in Schepisi’s debut film The Devil’s Playground (1976).

It won three 1978 Australian Film Institute awards: Best Actress in a Lead Role (Angela Punch McGregor), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Ray Barrett) and Best Original Music Score (Bruce Smeaton).

Also in the cast are Ray Barrett as Farrell, Freddy Reynolds as Mort Blacksmith, Steve Dodd as Tabidgi, Peter Carroll as McCready, Ruth Cracknell, Elizabeth Alexander, Don Crosby, Peter Sumner, Tim Robertson, Ray Meagher, Brian Anderson, Jane Harders, Bryan Brown and John Jarratt.

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith is directed by Fred Schepisi, runs 122 minutes, is made by The Film House, The Australian Film Commission and The Victorian Film Corporation, is released by Hoyts Distribution (Australia), is written by Fred Schepisi, is shot in Eastmancolor by Ian Baker, is produced by Fred Schepisi, is scored by Bruce Smeaton and is designed by Wendy Dickson.

‘You can’t say we haven’t given you anything. We’ve introduced you to alcohol, religion, influenza, measles, syphilis, school. A whole host of improvements.’ – Peter Carroll as McCready.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9308

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