Review of Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) by Gary G — 06 Sep 2008

Rabbit Proof Fence.

By Gary Gray.

This was a very interesting movie. It gives you another example of how wrongly people have been treated over the years. I enjoyed telling my wife how you'd never get kids now a day's to do what these three did. From the beginning of the story, we got to know a little bit about the Stolen Generation of Australia pre 1970's.

The story was focused on an Aborigines woman, and her three "half casted" daughters(half Aborigines, half white). The Australian government had started a program that would, over several generations of offspring with whites, breed out the Aborigines blood. A.O. Neville was responsible for carrying out the policies of the Australian government to find these children, and send them to a camp where they'd be taught to act, speak, and worship like traditional Australian people. Eventually, he would send for Molly(main character) and her two sisters, Daisy and Gracie.

After a very emotional split from their mother and tribe, they arrived at camp. They were expected to act like civilized Australians, and were to only speak English, never in their native language. They were taught Christianity. Here is where they first met Mr. Neville.

Even after seeing another girl get punished for trying to escape from the camp, Molly decides to take her sisters, and walk home. She knew that they would send the tracker after them, but she wanted to go home.

They met several interesting characters on their journey that ended up being over one thousand miles. Some helped them by feeding them and giving them clothes. Others alerted the authorities of their whereabouts, since Mr. Neville had the police department helping in their recovery. One particular instance, Molly and her sisters were given food from a woman, who had mentioned to her to stay clear of the "fence". That there would be people hunting there. She remembered being told about the fence, and asked the woman where it was. Later, she'd learn from another person that there was more than one fence.

Eventually, after loosing her middle sister Gracie to Mr. Neville, and having to carry her younger sister Daisy across the desert, she'd arrive home to a very warm welcome. She and Daisy would live there the rest of their lives. This type of persecution would continue until the 1970's.