Bran Nue Dae
Rocky McKenzie, Geoffrey Rush
Director Rachel Perkins
Review Ray Chan
When it comes to Australian musicals – and that means those actually set in the country, and not the several international movies directed by Aussies – you can probably count the memorable ones on one hand. Priscilla, Shane Warne, The Boy From Oz …. and now I’m glad to say you can safely add Bran Nue Day to the list.
This lovable, exuberant film does not pretend to be anything but a celebration of indigenous life, as typified in the lyrics of its standout musical number, when the characters sing "there's nothing I would rather be, than to be an Aborigine" … although there is a slight nod at social commentary with the caveat "and watch you take my precious land away".
It’s a far cry from many movies with Aboriginal themes, such as Rabbit-Proof Fence or The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, which tended to be more serious and depressing in their portrayal of racial mistreatment and exploitation.
But thanks to the energy of the music and dance sequences, the vibrance and verve of the cinematography, and the ebullience of the multi-racial cast, the audience takes away a sense of conviviality more than any sort of bleak history lesson.
Bran Nue Dae is set in 1969 in the mixed-culture pearling town of Broome in Western Australia.
The handsome but hesitant Willie (played by Broome-born actor Rocky McKenzie) is besotted by aspiring singer Rosie (Australian Idol star Jessica Mauboy), but finds his efforts thwarted by the more outgoing Lester (Dan Sultan), who fronts the local band.
Meanwhile, Willie's mother, determined to see her son become a Catholic priest, dispatches him to a seminary school in Perth run by a stern German, Father Benedictus (hammed up hilariously by Geoffrey Rush), but a homesick Willie duly absconds and hits the trail back to Broome, catching a ride in the Kombi van of two young hippie tourists.
Along the way, they meet a homeless Aborigine under a bridge (Ernie Dingo), who claims to be the boy's uncle and comes along for the ride.
Various adventures ensue, some of them involving a sexually frustrated roadhouse owner (Magda Szubanski in a nice cameo) and members of the Chooky Dancers, punctuated by invariably lively song-and-dance numbers.
There’s a high-energy spontaneity and goofiness here that blends with honest emotions and sound comedic moments.
You never know when a song is going to break loose, and that’s part of the charm of this film, which boasts an eclectic soundtrack of country-rock, bluesy jazz, and some touching and traditional ballads, exemplifying the randomness and casualness of the script.
The musical on which the movie is based was written by another of Broome’s heroes, Jimmy Chi – a playwright of Asian/Aboriginal descent – and was originally scripted as a stage play, filled with frolic and farce.
Director Rachel Perkins has successfully transferred this spirit to the screen, with the movie culminating in an unexpected twist and musical reprise that cannot help but send the viewer away feeling good and floating on air.
