BRAN NUE DAE - Review

Filmed in Western Australia and set there in 1969, Bran Nue Dae is a bright and colourful adaptation of the original stage musical.
Marketed as a heart warming and funny sing-along musical, Bran Nue Dae is in fact very much a cleverly layered political and historical commentary on life for Indigenous Australians during the indoctrination of Christian ways by the white occupiers.
It doesn’t preach at the viewer, but allows a knowing nod to what went on, with subtle nudges throughout, such as the musical number “Nothing I’d Rather Be Than An Aborigine”. Not only is it a catchy tune, but also a very insightful expression of Aboriginal feeling when you really listen to Jimmy Chi’s lyrics.
Casting for such a film is vitally important, and director Rachel Perkins has succeeded for the most part, with Ernie Dingo’s Uncle Tadpole being a favourite. His singing is impressive and his comedic timing and expression is excellent.
Missy Higgins has a great time as a Buddhist Hippy traveling Oz by Kombi and she gets to spout some of the best lines in the film.
Jessica Mauboy looks lovely as Rosie, and shows great acting potential, but it’s her amazingly smooth singing voice that she shines with here. She could sing the words off of a road sign and they would sound good.
Rocky McKenzie in the lead role of Willy, whose journey we are essentially following, is however, sadly overshadowed by his cast mates in every scene, even by the very overdone and cartoon like Geoffrey Rush as Father Benedictus. McKenzie is also not credited as having actually sung any of the musical pieces in his scenes either. Perhaps a stronger performer in this role would have been more effective, but perhaps it is because of this that we empathize with Willy as the underdog, thus wishing him on to success and a happy resolution by the film’s end. You be the judge.
This film should become an Oz classic; it’s vastly superior to tripe like Priscilla, and in a far more understated and humbler way.
So if you’re after something up-beat and feel -good, but without that layer of sugary sweet treacle that spoils such fare as Mama Mia!, then get hold of Bran Nue Dae. Nowhere else have I seen an Aboriginal football team riding on the back of an old flatbed truck dancing to Zorba the Greek or a young German -Aboriginal hippy called Wolfgang.