Blackfellas (Day of the Dog)

James Ricketson | Australia 1993 | 95 min

Based the book The Day of The Dog by Archie Weller, who co-wrote the script with the director, Ricketson’s film tells of an part-Aboriginal (John Moore) caught between his allegiance to his “people” and his aspirations to escape the cycle of abuse and self-destructive behaviour in which they live in the name of “brotherhood”.

On one side is his life-long friend, the charismatic but feckless “Pretty Boy” (David Ngoombujarra), and the girl to whom he is attracted, Polly (Jaylene Riley). On the other there is his white mother (Julie Hudspeth) and the values and material comforts of white man’s civilization.

Although the script tends to rely overmuch on a conventional narrative trajectory, for the most part it convincingly depicts the incompatibilities of Aboriginal and Anglo-Australian world views and the realities of the Aboriginals’ marginalized lives (the Nyoongah people whose homeland is now occupied by Perth where this story is set contributed to the film).

Using a largely untrained cast, the performances by Moore and Riley do lack rhythm at times and Ricketson’s direction, particularly of action sequences can lack finesse but David Ngoombujarra, who won an AFI Best Supporting Actor, exudes a natural charisma whilst overall the film resonates with a trenchant truthfulness that makes it well worth watching.

Cast	John Moore - Doug Dooligan David Ngoombujarra - Floyd "Pretty Boy" Davies Jaylene Riley - Polly Lisa Kinchela - Valerie Ernie Dingo - Percy John Hargreaves - Detective Maxwell Julie Hudspeth - Mrs Dooligan Jack Charles - Carey Michael Watson - Hughie Kelton Pell - Willice Mick Innes - Kev Andy King - Prison Officer Bill McClusky - Team Coach Leslie Wright - Magistrate James Sollis - Opposition Footballer
Release dates	Sydney, Melbourne opened on August 26, 1993 Perth opened September 2, 1993 Official national release date November 4, 1993
Video/DVD Release Date	1995 (This release lacks brilliance), 2003, 2005
Awards	1993 AFI Best Actor in a Supporting Role, David Ngoombujarra 1993 AFI Best Screenplay Adapted from another source, James Ricketson 1993 Sydney Film Critics Award, David Ngoombujarra
Rating	MA 15+ - Mature accompanied
Language level	difficult
Distributor	Ronin Films, 21st Century Video
Soundtrack	Merv Graham, David Milroy
Genre	Drama
Notes	Based on the novel The Day of the Dog by Archie Weller. James Ricketson played an acting role in the movie Wo die Grünen Ameisen trämen (Where the Green Ants Dream). The movie Blackfellas is set in Perth.
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