The movie ”Rabbit-Proof Fence“ is set in 1931 in Western Australia. It was directed by Phillip Noyce in 2002 and it’s a drama based on a true story.
The characters of the three little girls were played by untrained actors: Evelyn Sampi starring as Molly Craig, Tianny Sainsbury as Daisy Craig, and Laura Monoghan as Gracie Fields. Kenneth Branagh played the Chief Protector of the Aboriginals, A.O. Neville, and David Gulpilil played the tracker Moodoo.
The movie is about the so called “Stolen Generations” and focuses on one particular story. Molly Craig, Daisy Craig and Gracie Fields, their cousin, are three Aboriginal girls, who actually live happily in Jigalong with their family. One day, as they are on their way to get supplies, the girls are stolen by the police and placed into “Moore River Native Settlement”. There, they are supposed to be trained to behave like white people and to work as domestic servants.
Molly, the eldest of the three, makes the decision for them to run away together. Throughout the movie, the viewer follows their journey back home. While running away, they face various obstacles such as fear, extreme heat and they are constantly chased by a tracker named Moodoo.
I think, it is a good movie in basically every aspect. The acting is very realistic. For example, when the three girls are stolen, the mother and grandmother react as any mother or grandmother would when their child or grandchild is taken away. Even though the children are untrained actors, they behave professionally, but at times, they could have shown more emotions, such as fear or sadness, especially in the moment they were removed from their family.
Additionally, the music, scenery, and costumes perfectly match each scene. Since the girls are very poor, they have very few clothes in the beginning, which accurately shows their harsh living conditions.
If someone asked me whether they should watch the movie, I would definitely recommend it, especially if they want to learn about the topic of the “Stolen Generations.” It’s also a good choice for teaching students and children on a more emotional level. Personally, I really enjoy the movie, since it has consistently held my interest.