Noyce's film nearly flaw-proof

Returning to his Outback homeland, big budget director Phillip Noyce ("The Bone Collector") has given us "Rabbit-Proof Fence," a film of understated power and beauty, delving into a still raw period of Australian history concerning their indigenous people, the Aborigines. From 1905 to 1971, the Australian government sanctioned the kidnapping of "half-caste" children, who came from Aboriginal-white marriages, and placed them in institutes where they could be "domesticated," or white-washed, depending on your particular spin. Today, these children are known as the Stolen Generations.\nSet in 1931, "Rabbit-Proof" tells the true story of three young girls, ranging from 8 to 14, who crossed some 1500 miles of Australian outback to rejoin their mother, using the expansive rabbit-proof fence as their guide. Noyce, who cast three aboriginal non-acting children in his lead roles, gives us moments of natural reality both heart-wrenching and warming, but never veering into sentimentality or melodrama. Noyce films the children's journey with sweeping and silent minimalist shots, letting the natural images speak for themselves. On the other end of that spectrum is a claustrophobic world skewed with canted angles and distorted conceptions. Kenneth Brannagh chillingly plays A.O. Neville, the official who oversaw the "protection" of the Aborigines, and helped institute the government's "relocation" program for the half-castes. Brannagh becomes a disturbingly intricate character whose motives may have been right, but whose actions were terrifying.\nNoyce's film has caused some controversy Down Under, where the government seemingly still refuses to apologize for its actions. Gary Hardgrave, the Citizenship/ Multicultural Affairs Minister of Australia, commented saying, "…(The) practice is not continuing today and I believe it is important for American audiences not to judge Australia by past practices" (www.aintitcool.com). Obviously, Noyce had the opportunity to explore complicated themes within his film: the loss of innocence in children, the banal nature of evil, a seething world of politics. What makes "Rabbit-Proof Fence" a wonderful film is that Noyce takes these complex ideals and weaves them under a gorgeous tapestry of simplicity, letting the images and the actions of the characters speak volumes more than mere words. While film freaks and general audiences alike will soon be filling the hours (so-to-speak) with upcoming award shows and self-serving congratulations, what we should be watching (where the real beauty and art lies) is in the eyes of three small girls who are quietly crossing 1500 miles of Australian outback to return to their mother, following the rabbit-proof fence.