Last night I went to see Tracks, the film adaptation of the memoir of the same name by Robyn Davidson. Davidson, for those that don't know, became famous after completing a 1,700 mile trek across Australia from Alice Springs to the west coast. The trek, much to her resentment it's understood, was documented by American photographer Rick Smolan who met up with her three times along the way on the understanding that the magazine would sponsor Davidson's trek. Smolan's photographs were published alongside an article written by Davidson herself and both went on to publish books - Davidson to write a full-length account in Tracks and Smolan to put together his photographic collection in From Alice to Ocean.
What a film. It's beautifully shot, but you only have to see the trailer to see that. It was even more fun for me having been out to the Red Centre so recently, and flown over this extraordinary landscape myself but the film makes it all so immediate, so real, that you don't have to have flown to the other side of the world to appreciate it.
I have to admit I have never read the original memoir but I was immediately drawn in to this girl's world, and her eccentric character. Sure, the film can't resist providing some kind of emotional explanation as to why a 27 year old woman would try to cross the Australian desert with just the help and companionship of four camels and a dog... but Mia Wasikowska is brilliant, and somehow you can't help but fall for this essentially difficult, and slightly barmy, woman.
I was relieved, too, that not too much was made of this story being important because she was a woman. For once I felt inspired by a woman because of what she did, not because she's female or because the world is telling me I ought to look up to her because I'm a woman too.
It's a brilliant story and so, by default, you would assume it would make a brilliant film... but, to me, it's an achievement to keep an audience engaged with so little visual variation. The Australian outback is just desert. Once she passes The Rock, that's pretty much it save a handful of Aboriginal huts. But I was hooked, and it was certainly a good advertisement for whoever made those sandals... but less so for good sunscreen practice, pretty sure she doesn't have time for any of that mumbo jumbo...
I'm really keen to read the book now and see how faithful the film was but if you just want to go see a beautifully made film, escape for a while, and feel inspired to capture some frothing wild camels - go see this film.
What a film. It's beautifully shot, but you only have to see the trailer to see that. It was even more fun for me having been out to the Red Centre so recently, and flown over this extraordinary landscape myself but the film makes it all so immediate, so real, that you don't have to have flown to the other side of the world to appreciate it.
I have to admit I have never read the original memoir but I was immediately drawn in to this girl's world, and her eccentric character. Sure, the film can't resist providing some kind of emotional explanation as to why a 27 year old woman would try to cross the Australian desert with just the help and companionship of four camels and a dog... but Mia Wasikowska is brilliant, and somehow you can't help but fall for this essentially difficult, and slightly barmy, woman.
I was relieved, too, that not too much was made of this story being important because she was a woman. For once I felt inspired by a woman because of what she did, not because she's female or because the world is telling me I ought to look up to her because I'm a woman too.
It's a brilliant story and so, by default, you would assume it would make a brilliant film... but, to me, it's an achievement to keep an audience engaged with so little visual variation. The Australian outback is just desert. Once she passes The Rock, that's pretty much it save a handful of Aboriginal huts. But I was hooked, and it was certainly a good advertisement for whoever made those sandals... but less so for good sunscreen practice, pretty sure she doesn't have time for any of that mumbo jumbo...
I'm really keen to read the book now and see how faithful the film was but if you just want to go see a beautifully made film, escape for a while, and feel inspired to capture some frothing wild camels - go see this film.
9/10
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