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| Special Features: |
Widescreen anamorphic format
Chapter selection
Commentary by director Phillip Noyce featuring musician Peter Gabriel, actor Kenneth Branagh, screenwriter Chiristine Olsen and author Pilkington Garimara
Documentary: "Following the Rabbit-Proof Fence" |
| Video Format: |
Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1)
[SS-DL]
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| Languages: |
English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
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| Subtitles: |
English for the hearing impared.
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| Captions: |
Yes
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| Casing: |
1-Disc Keep Case
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 Australian director Phillip Noyce abandoned the world of big budget thrillers to make a personal and moving film about slavery in Australia. "Rabbit-Proof Fence" tells the true story of two sisters and their cousin who are ripped from their mother by the government of Australian and trained to be maids. Until 1970, Australian had a policy of taking half-cast children from their Aboriginal mothers and relocating them for assimilation into white society. The children were fathered by White men who had sex with the aboriginal women and moved on. These many children became known as Australia's "Stolen Generations." Of course the only assimilation these people underwent was being trained to be domestic servants for their full-blooded white brethren.
Noyce found three young aboriginal children to play the lead roles. The untrained children turn in remarkable performances. Molly (Everlyn Sampi) is the oldest at 14. She and her sister Daisy (Tiana Sansbury) along with their cousin Gracie (Laura Monaghan) a stolen from their mothers and transported 1500 miles to an internment camp. They are forbidden from speaking their native tongue. The children are indoctrinated in the ways of serving White society as maids. The children make an unsuccessful escape attempt. After a stretch in solitary confinement, they escape for good.
The three girls make their way across the Australian outback guided by a long barbed wire 'rabbit-proof fence.' The fence was erected to protect farmers from hoards of rabbits. The children are hunted by Moodoo (David Gulpilil), an aboriginal scout. Their journey is a harrowing adventure , which illustrates the resilience of the human soul yearning to be free. Kenneth Branagh plays A. O. Neville, the Bible-thumping administrator of the Government agency, which oversaw this modern form of slavery.
Heart-wrenching movie. Great picture and sound. Good extras.
Picture Quality: 8/10
With the exception of some slight shimmering and softness around the edges, the picture is great. Good delineation of colors. Excellent flesh tones. No pixilation. The vast desolation of the Australian outback is presented in all of its rich, muted majesty.
Sound Quality: 10/10
Peter Gabriel's score is superb. The sound is rich, with excellent balance between the ranges. The movie doesn't make great use of the surround sound track, but it still gets the job done. No loss of dialogue.
Easter Eggs:
No Easter Eggs found during review.
Extra Features: 6/10
The documentary "Finding the Rabbit-Proof Fence" concentrates on the search for the children cast in the lead roles. The kids are cute, but at 50 minutes, the documentary told me more than I really wanted to know.
The commentary track on the other hand is quite good. Noyce is joined by Peter Gabriel, Kenneth Branagh, screenwriter Christine Olsen and Doris Pikington, the woman who really lived these events and wrote the book on which the movie is based.
The Final Word:
"Rabbit-Proof Fence" is a powerful film, which will move all but the most jaded of hearts.
Rusty White
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