"Sweet country" is a Western situated in the Australian Outback in stead of Monument valley of the USA. When Sergio Leone took the Western genre to Europe in the '60s this subgenre came to be known as Spaghetti Westerns. Much to my surprise Westerns situated in Australia are also a subgenre of their own: the Meatpie Westerns. By the way the beauty of the Australian landscape is in no way inferior to (the also magnificent) Monument valley.
Situated in Australia as it is, the role of the Indians in the mainstream Western is now played by an Aboriginal. The racism however has remained the same. When the Aboriginal killed a white man out of self defence he fled, because he had no illusions of getting a fair trial (and he is right).
At least since "Dances with wolves" (1990, Kevin Costner) we are accustomed to the white men being the "bad guys" in Westerns. "Sweet country" continues this tradition, but with some nuance. Indeed a white man is the villain in this movie, but in his defence can be said that his sufferings as a soldier in the First World War has caused him severe psychological damage.
At first this way of justifying racism irritated me. A man fighting a war at the other end of the World, is this not far fetched? The answer is no! About 10% of the Australian men fought in the First World War on the side of the English army. See also "Gallipoli" (1980, Peter Weir).
Situated in Australia as it is, the role of the Indians in the mainstream Western is now played by an Aboriginal. The racism however has remained the same. When the Aboriginal killed a white man out of self defence he fled, because he had no illusions of getting a fair trial (and he is right).
At least since "Dances with wolves" (1990, Kevin Costner) we are accustomed to the white men being the "bad guys" in Westerns. "Sweet country" continues this tradition, but with some nuance. Indeed a white man is the villain in this movie, but in his defence can be said that his sufferings as a soldier in the First World War has caused him severe psychological damage.
At first this way of justifying racism irritated me. A man fighting a war at the other end of the World, is this not far fetched? The answer is no! About 10% of the Australian men fought in the First World War on the side of the English army. See also "Gallipoli" (1980, Peter Weir).