The Tracker (2002)

Rolf de Heer’s The Tracker is a film concerned with the idea of natural justice and the people who either rightly or wrongly take it upon themselves to see it administered. Shot in the Flinders Ranges in South Australia, the film is a stirring account of four men hunting a fifth, and the things that set them apart, as well as that which they inevitably have in common.

The first of multiple collaborations between de Heer and David Gulpilil, The Tracker begins with a painting of the Australian landscape, a convention that continues throughout the film and is mainly used to represent acts of brutal violence. This choice is clever not only in the way it spares the audience from any overt depiction of traumatic events, but also in helping to break the action up into segments which definitely assists the overall flow of the narrative. As the four men (two police, one deputised local and the eponymous protagonist) track an Aboriginal fugitive accused of murdering a white woman, they are often dwarfed by the landscape in beautiful wide photography which reflects their obvious dependence on one another and their understanding of the surrounding area. Gulpilil in the lead manages to convey power and humility in a subtle and genuinely magnetic performance.

Aside from the cinematography by Ian Jones, which also lingers on the gaze of each character as they traverse the land, the contemporary blues soundtrack (written by the director and regular collaborator Graham Tardif and sung by Australian stalwart Archie Roach) helps to propel the narrative in a direct way which never feels overdone and is yet another unconventional flourish that stays with you long after the final shot. With twists and turns throughout, all of these elements work together to create a formidable and powerful sense of reality within the film.

de Heer’s beautiful and confronting film is one that unfolds slowly and, at just over 90 minutes, is a powerhouse of economic and virtuosic filmmaking. Between the confident and astute direction and the performances of both Gulpilil and Gary Sweet (fantastic in his role as antagonist), The Tracker remains as gripping today as it would have been at the time of it’s release in 2002.

5/5