The Tracker (2002 film)

The Tracker
File:The Tracker poster.jpg Theatrical film poster
Directed by	Rolf de Heer
Produced by	Rolf de Heer Julie Ryan
Written by	Rolf de Heer
Starring	Gary Sweet David Gulpilil Damon Gameau
Music by	Graham Tardif
Cinematography	Ian Jones
Edited by	Tania Nehme
Distributed by	Umbrella Entertainment
Release dates	2002 (2002)
Running time	98 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English
Box office	A$818,388 (Australia)

The Tracker is a 2002 Australian drama film/meat pie Western directed and written by Rolf de Heer and starring David Gulpilil, Gary Sweet and Damon Gameau. It is set in 1922 in outback Australia where a colonial policeman (Sweet) uses the tracking ability of an Indigenous Australian tracker (Gulpilil) to find the alleged murderer of a white woman.

Plot

1922, somewhere in Australia. An Aboriginal man is accused of murdering a white woman, and three white men (The Fanatic, The Follower and The Veteran) are on a mission to capture him with the help of an experienced indigenous man (The Tracker).

As they travel through the rugged Australian outback, each suffers under the stern hand of The Fanatic, who will stop at nothing to bring the accused to justice, even if that means sacrificing the others to reach the goal.

Meanwhile, the motives of The Tracker remain elusive, and despite their relentless pursuit the men always seem to be a half-day behind their quarry.

After the death of one of the men, and a surprise mutiny, what endgame awaits for the group, and the enigmatic Tracker to whom they have entrusted their survival.

Cast

• David Gulpilil as The Tracker
• Gary Sweet as The Fanatic
• Damon Gameau as The Follower
• Grant Page as The Veteran
• Noel Wilton as The Fugitive

Production

The film was shot in the semi-arid, rugged Arkaroola Sanctuary, in South Australia's Flinders Ranges. De Heer used an intentionally small film crew, saying that "It's all a much better process ...". The film is intercut with paintings by Peter Coad which portray brutal actions not shown, while the lyrics of the soundtrack (written by De Heer) form part of the narrative, and are sung by Archie Roach with music composed by Graham Tardif.

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film has a score of based on reviews from critics, with an average rating. Based of 16 critics on Metacritic, the film have a score of 71 out of a 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four calling the film "haunting" and the performances "powerful". David Stratton described the film as "remarkable".

Walter Addiego of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote "See the film mainly for the quiet and powerful work of Gulpilil in the title role". Slant Magazine's Jay Antani was quoted saying "The Tracker is the first significant movie to find its way into American theaters in 2005".

Awards and nominations

Awards	Category	Subject	Result
AACTA Awards (2002 AFI Awards)	Best Film	Julie Ryan	Nominated
		Rolf de Heer	Nominated
	Best Direction		Nominated
	Best Original Screenplay		Nominated
	Best Actor	David Gulpilil	Won
	Best Editing	Tania Nehme	Nominated
	Best Cinematography	Ian Jones	Nominated
ARIA Award	Best Original Soundtrack Album	Graham Tardif	Nominated
ASSG Award	Best Sound		Won
AWGIE Award	Best Film - Original Screenplay	Rolf de Heer	Won
Cinemanila International Film Festival	Best Actor	David Gulpilil	Won
FCCA Awards	Best Film	Julie Ryan	Won
		Rolf de Heer	Won
	Best Director		Nominated
	Best Screenplay		Nominated
	Best Actor	David Gulpilil	Won
	Best Editing	Tania Nehme	Nominated
	Best Cinematography	Ian Jones	Won
	Best Music Score	Graham Tardif	Won
Ghent International Film Festival	Grand Prix Award	Rolf de Heer	Nominated
	Best Screenplay		Won
Inside Film Awards	Best Feature Film	Julie Ryan	Won
		Rolf de Heer	Won
	Best Direction		Nominated
	Best Script		Nominated
	Best Actor	David Gulpilil	Won
	Best Music	Graham Tardif	Won
	Best Cinematography	Ian Jones	Nominated
	Best Sound		Nominated
Paris Film Festival	Press Award	Rolf de Heer	Won
Screen Music Award	Best Original Song	Graham Tardif	Won
Valladolid International Film Festival	Jury Special Prize	Rolf de Heer	Won
	Golden Spike Award		Nominated
Venice Film Festival	SIGNIS Award - Honorable Mention		Won
	Golden Lion		Nominated

Soundtrack

The Tracker
Soundtrack album by Archie Roach
Released	August 2002
Genre	World, folk
Label	Mana Music, Mushroom Records
Archie Roach chronology
Sensual Being (2002) The Tracker (2002) The Definitive Collection (2004)

A Soundtrack was released in August 2002. The album is credited to Australian musician Archie Roach. The soundtrack won best soundtrack at the 2002 Film Critics Circle of Australia.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2002, the album was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album

Track listing

1. "Wide Open Spaces" (instrumental) - 1:20
2. "Far Away Home" - 3:41
3. "Trouble Coming" - 2:22
4. "Approaching" (instrumental) - 0:29
5. "My People" - 3:49
6. "After the Valley of Sorrow" (instrumental) - 0:29
7. "All Men Choose the Path They Follow" - 5:16
8. "Walk to Destiny" (instrumental) - 1:45
9. "The Chain" - 2:18
10. "A Spear" (instrumental) - 1:05
11. "Contradiction" - 2:02
12. "Life Matters" - 0:44
13. "Friction" (instrumental) - 1:15
14. "Gungalaria" - 3:16
15. "Hanging Tree" (instrumental) - 0:40
16. "My History" - 3:45
17. "Drowning" (instrumental) - 2:02
18. "Hope Always" - 4:27

Release history

Country	Date	Format	Label	Catalogue
Australia	August 2002	Compact Disc	Mushroom Records	334932

See also

• Cinema of Australia
• South Australian Film Corporation
• List of Australian films

External links

• The Tracker at IMDb
• The Tracker at the National Film and Sound Archive
• The Tracker at Vertigo Productions
• The Tracker at Oz Movies