Charlie's Country

Name: Charlie's Country
Genre: Drama
Released: June 5, 2015
Duration: 108 min
Rating: 75

2015

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Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

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Generally favorable reviews based on 4 Ratings

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6.5

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6.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 4 Ratings

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Charlie's Country (US)

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Movie Details & Credits

Monument Releasing | Release Date: June 5, 2015 | Not Rated

Summary: Living in a remote Aboriginal community in the northern part of Australia, Charlie is a warrior past his prime. As the government increases its stranglehold over the community's traditional way of life, Charlie becomes lost between two cultures. His new modern life offers him a way to survive but, ultimately, it is one he has no power over.Living in a remote Aboriginal community in the northern part of Australia, Charlie is a warrior past his prime. As the government increases its stranglehold over the community's traditional way of life, Charlie becomes lost between two cultures. His new modern life offers him a way to survive but, ultimately, it is one he has no power over. Finally fed up when his gun, his newly crafted spear and his best friend's jeep are confiscated, Charlie heads into the wild on his own, to live the old way. However Charlie hasn't reckoned on where he might end up, nor on how much life has changed since the old days. [Monument Releasing]… Expand

Director: Rolf de Heer

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 108 min

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Critic Reviews

100

David Rooney

Jun 4, 2015

Equal parts ethnographic and poetic, this eloquent drama's stirring soulfulness is laced with the sorrow of cultural dislocation but also with lovely ripples of humor and even joy. Read full review

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky

Jun 4, 2015

Part of the movie’s mischievous charm lies in De Heer and cinematographer Ian Jones’ sophisticated use of Steadicam, which moves almost exclusively with Charlie, often seemingly in a struggle to keep up with his brisk, determined walk. Read full review

Eddie Cockrell

Jun 4, 2015

Charlie is the vessel through which de Heer navigates these turbulent waters, and the script was developed during sessions when the actor would throw out ideas and the director would structure the results. It is to both men’s credit that amid the suffering, there’s a ray of hope for Charlie in the end. Read full review

Danny King

Jun 4, 2015

Whether laughing, crying, mumbling to himself, or projecting a valiant stoicism, Gulpilil — beneath a white beard and a blanket of shaggy hair — commands the screen in close-ups liable to run for minutes at a time. Read full review

Tasha Robinson

Jun 4, 2015

Charlie’s Country is sincere at the expense of nuance, and tragic at the expense of variety: It tends to hit its points over and over, with blunt, on-the-nose sincerity. But Gulpilil’s performance keeps it from crossing too far into hand-wringing preachiness. Read full review

Nicolas Rapold

Jun 4, 2015

Unlike those in many art-house releases, this wilderness is not an abstract arena for playing out alienation but a living, breathing land with deep, abiding significance for Charlie and his fellow Aborigines cast adrift. Read full review

John Bleasdale

Jun 4, 2015

Most powerful of all is Gulpilil's performance. His presence at the centre of the film is one of anger, humour and ultimately resilience. Read full review

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Devilmath

Sep 27, 2015

After surprising Venice with The Tracker in 2002, and winning the Cannes Special Jury Prize with the universally acclaimed Ten Canoes in 2006, Rolf de Heer adds yet another stunning title to his filmography about Aboriginal Australian culture. Charlie’s Country is mainly a celebration of deAfter surprising Venice with The Tracker in 2002, and winning the Cannes Special Jury Prize with the universally acclaimed Ten Canoes in 2006, Rolf de Heer adds yet another stunning title to his filmography about Aboriginal Australian culture. Charlie’s Country is mainly a celebration of de Heer’s long time friend and Aboriginal icon David Gulpilil, who also won the Best Actor prize in Cannes for his interpretation. Since Walkabout (1971), Gulpilil has never stopped surprising with his strong performances, naturalism and authenticity; his charisma and a life of great highs and miserable lows made him the symbol of a generation, and brought Aboriginality into the mainstream of the screen arts.

Charlie’s Country tells the story of an Aboriginal man, Charlie (Gulpilil), who lives in a community in the Northern Territories of Australia. His constant fight against the white society’s prejudice and neglect fuels his desire to go back to the swamp where he was born, and live in the old way. De Heer has no remorse in exposing the government’s ignorant and preposterous approach to this social issue, and deals with Charlie’s personal conflict in a very sympathetic yet objective way. Charlie’s Country is an insight on Charlie’s problems with alcoholism, his inadaptability to modern society, and the unsolvable struggle between surviving in the artificial security of government controlled communities, and enjoying freedom in the wild and unforgiving Australian forest.… Expand

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