Review of Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) by Fergus S — 22 Apr 2011

Rabbit-Proof Fence is a story of the Aborigines people of Australia in the early 1900's. Children that are born to Aborigines mother and a white father are considered to be half caste. The government believes that these half caste children need to be taken from their families, and incorporated into a family line that will allow their descendants to be "lighter" over generations. During this process, the children are ripped away from their families, determined if they can be educated by their tone of their skin, and eventually become servants. Mr. Neville holds the position of the "Chief Protector of the Aborigines" of this government policy.

At Mr. Neville's orders, three young girls, sisters Molly, 14, and Daisy, 8, and their cousin Grace, 10, are taken from their moms and sent to the Moore River facility. Not long after they arrive, the three young girls determine they are going home, and they leave the facility. They face many trials in their effort to return home: the distance of over 1500 miles, food and water, the cold region, the desert region, all the while having to stay one step ahead of the authorities searching for them.

As they travel across the rough terrain, Molly's skills at knowing the land and understanding the relationship of the environment to them is their key to survival. Prior to being taken, Molly had demonstrated her kinship with the natural world around and proved herself to be a good hunter. Molly's mom had shared with Molly how the eagle could see everything from above and would always be with her. Molly is adept at her awareness of how the rain and the river can cover their tracks, she uses the sun to guide their direction, and she recognizes the land variations. As these girls travel, their only hope is Molly's connection with knowing the world around them.

The end of this movie shares more of how the Aborigines peoples were robbed of their families, and heritage. While Molly and Daisy's grit and determination helps them to arrive back home, they are taken from again later in life by the same laws and regulations. This is a beautiful story of their resilience and their love for their family and their home village of Jigalong.