Samson and Delilah [DVD] [2009]

I have pre-ordered the DVD of this having seen it at my local independent film house a few weeks ago. This is a truelly amazing film that will stick in your head for a long time and I think will be one of those that you want to take off the shelf and watch once a year.
It takes you right to the edge, and just when you are asking yourself how anyone could have wanted to make a movie so singularly depressing... it lifts you up and takes you to a place that only the best of the best can.

This film is by far the most informative yet soul searching film I have ever seen. It gave me an understanding of the aboriginal culture that nothing else could have done, not even a trip to the australian outback. Few words spoken meant far deeper empathy. A truly magnificent film. Well worth watching!

Warwick Thornton's debut, the Australian film 'Samson & Delilah' begins as a tale of young love. Rowan McNamara plays Samson, a seemingly mute, petrol-sniffing Aboriginal teenager who lives with his older brother. His is a life of tedious routine, he wakes up, sniffs some petrol, tries to play guitar in his brothers reggae band, wanders around aimlessly, and listens to his radio.

The whole community has nothing to do, many are unemployed, life is bleak and uneventful. Nearby, Delilah (Marissa Gibson) looks after her enterprising Nana (Mitjili Gibson, Marissa's real-life grandmother). They pass the time making aboriginal paintings which are bought and sold in a gallery in the city. Little is said by anyone, Aborigines prefer body language and gestures to speech. The first third of the film shows us the painfully slow, utterly hopeless routines of this community.

Samson has feelings for Delilah, but has the social skills of a kangaroo, and Delilah wasn't going to fall for any of his antics. But they develop an unlikely friendship. The title of the film may suggest some religious themes, it's quite common for Aboriginal people to have Biblical names, many having grown up in Christian missions. Though Delilah does cut off her own hair, when her Nana suddenly passes away, a tragedy that her aunts blame her for and decide to beat her.

Samson throws a tantrum in retaliation at Delilah's treatment, and like typical teenagers they run away by stealing the community car, heading for the city of Alice Springs. They take shelter and refuge under a bridge, where the homeless Gonzo resides. Gonzo is played by and based on the director's own homeless, alcoholic brother, Scott Thornton. Scott was cast under the proviso that he had to go to rehab first.

In the city, things go from bad to worse for Samson and Delilah, with some shocking results. The film becomes more and more confrontational, serving as a powerful reminder of modern Australian society's attitudes to the Aboriginal community who all seem like ghosts to them.

Warwick Thornton states "if you want to tell the world what Australia is like today, you should watch Samson and Delilah". Over the past decade Australian cinema has made a habit of creating gritty, honest tales of real Australian life, and none as good as David Michod's recent 'Animal Kingdom'. 'Samson and Delilah' is not an easy film to watch, there's very little dialogue, and the first half of the film was probably too long, the many fantastic shots of the Australian outback couldn't hide its pedestrian pace.

But the film is shaped by Samson and Delilah's unconventional relationship, a completely innocent, practically speechless one. They show a tenderness to each other which you couldn't help but embrace. The film is beautifully shot by Thornton, the Australian sun is used in all its glory to capture some stunning moments throughout the film. The ending was a bit of a surprise, there was perhaps three scenes at the end which could've all marked the end of the film. Unsurprisingly, Thornton doesn't give you any answers. Nobody knows the answers to the problems facing the Aboriginal community. 'Samson and Delilah' is worth persevering with, a touching, provocative film, full of questions but very few answers.