Vanessa McMahon

By far one of the best and most memorable films for me in the past five years was the cinematic masterpiece "Samson and Delilah" (2009) by Australian director Warwick Thornton. Directed as his first feature after sixteen years as a cinematographer, the film is set in the Central Australian desert. It is a contemporary Aboriginal rite of passage story about two young lovers, Samson and Delilah, who experience a journey together that changes their lives forever.

Thornton’s "Samson and Delilah" was filmed in aboriginal language which gave even Australians access to a place in their country they never knew existed. He wanted to show his fellow countrymen and the world the new side to Australia. When I met with Warwick, he described his film as a ‘classic road movie’. I myself would say there is nothing classic about it as I have never seen anything quite like it. He most definitely uses his skills as a cinematographer as it is visually stunning and portrays the Australian Outback in all its organically vibrant colors. He also achieves the remarkable feat of making a love story between a boy and a girl who barely say a word to each other throughout the entire film. The characters are portrayed through movement, action and song and their love story develops through roads traveled and hardship. By the end, they have lived a whole life together yet have not hardly spoken nor even kissed once.

'The film is 110 minutes long and yet the script was only 83 pages', Warwick explained. He loves reflexive cinema and wanted to let the audience figure it out, hence the rich visuals and lack of dialogue which he described it as ‘spontaneous filming’. "Samson and Delilah" was funded by the Australian independent and national film commission and he was given total artistic license for his auteur-ship, a remarkable feat as his film subliminally criticizes the Australian government. He had to fight to get two available screens in the country; however, up against the release of Avatar (2009, Cameron) they still struggle against Hollywood hegemony. He laughs when he admits: 'Screen Australia paid me to make them look bad!' Australia’s is a cultural cinema and today the national film funds continue to open their doors to the furthering of indigenous aboriginal films.

"Samson and Delilah" won the Camera d'Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and recently gained new audiences at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival where it screened in the NATIVe - Indigenous Cinema section.  

Written by, Vanessa McMahon

Visit the official websites here: 

http://www.samsonanddelilah.com.au/

http://www.samsondelilah.co.uk/

stills from Samson and Delilah