The Naked Country
Tim Burstall | Australia 1993 | 90 min
Based on a novel by Morris West, this is a classic American cowboy tale set in Australia's exotic outback, with the Aboriginal people pitted against a rancher, Lance Dillon because he is on their land.
After a renegade Aboriginal man, Mundara, kills Lance's newly purchased Brahma bull and a ranch hand who gets involved, Mundara spears the fleeing Lance in the shoulder but does not catch up with him to finish the job.
The story of Lance's survival is the focus of the film, along with a parallel story of his wife Mary temporarily falling for Lance's opposite, Sgt. Neil Adams. Incredibly, the wounded Lance manages to fend off and kill three healty Aborginal men.
The characters of Lance, Adams and Mundara are contrasted against a setting of conflict that escalates out of control.
| Cast |
| ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release dates | 1993 - Australia (other sources say 1984, 1985, 1987) | ||
| Video/DVD Release Date | video: 1 September 1993, DVD: 5 September 2005 | ||
| Awards | not available | ||
| Rating | M - spearing violence | ||
| Language level | easy; some Aboriginal language (no subs) | ||
| Distributor | Filmways Australasian Distributors | ||
| Soundtrack | not available | ||
| Genre | Drama | ||
| Notes |
| ||
| Find this movie | Indigenous film suppliers and distributors |
Where to from here?
- Aboriginal people and their challenges
- Land and what it means to Aboriginal people
- Take the Aboriginal Australia Test