Australian Rules (2002)

an excellent australian film - sometimes a bt close to the bone...

Enjoyed the movie, but was disappointed as not close to the original book.

Great movie, opens your eyes to what it was like to be indigenous playing a white man's sport. Sad, endearing and very moving story.

Australian was only worth one star

A real, down to earth Aussie movie centered around football in the country where not much else matters. Things become difficult when the indigenous boys join the team and proof to be better at it. The film portrais the narrow minded attitude of the un-educated white population.

A very good movie especially since it was done on such a low budget Excellent acting especially by Celia Ireland and Simon Westaway. How come Simon hasn't made it big in Hollywood?

Excellent Australian film. I borrowed it as its required viewing for a university course I'm doing on contemporary Australian children's literature. It's not readily available in many video shops as it's regarded as "old" but Australian films of this calibre shouldn't be so easily disregarded. This is a gritty film about growing up amongst with violence and racism and to me it seemed very real.

Possibly the best Australian movie I've seen. Simply wonderful depiction of small town Australia and the tensions which exist there. This isn't High Art, and thank god. Watch it.

Loved it. A movie that explores a lot of small town problems in such an open and balanced way that it didn't detract from the entertainment value. A mix of harsh reality, humour, the awesome landscape and just a touch of romance.

a must see australian movie

Do not be fooled by the title - this is not a story about an Australian football game. This is the story of growing up in modern (or almost modern) Australia, complete with racial tension and crime. Based on the book 'Deadly, Unna?' and its sequel, 'Nukkin' Ya' (both by Phillip Gwynne - the film's title was changed to appeal to a 'wider' (read 'whiter') audience) this film tackles the issues facing contemporary society, especially in terms of relations between Indigenous and white Australia. Some people may complain that it is too hard-hitting, some may complain that it is racist (one way or another), both of those sorts of people need to wake up to the realities in Australia here and now, and what should be done to avoid further advances into an apartheid culture. Watch this for the sheer 'familiarity' of characters, settings and situations.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and felt that it was told honestly and not without humour. I had read the book (Deadly, Unna) some years ago and my recollection is that the story was followed quite well. I understand the controversy surrounding the release of the film, but believe that on this occasion the anger/hurt of the local community was misplaced. The film clearly indicates that this is the story from one white kid's point of view.

Exceptional, though controversial, adaptation of Gwynne?s award-winning semi-autobiographical novel "Deadly, Unna". Westaway, in one of his first major Australian productions since "Janus" after numerous roles in cable telemovies, exudes a terrifying persona based on the ignorance of his character, which was loosely based on Gwynne?s own father. Gwynne also admits that the fictional ?town in the book [Prospect Bay] was my town?, and that the ?Aboriginal kid ? the [footy] side?s best player ? was a mate of mine as well?. The controversy is that Gwynne, in his novel, writes about an incident that occurred in his home town of Port Victoria in South Australia years after he had left: the original incident did involve two Aboriginal boys and a white publican, but neither of the boys was the real-life ?Dumby Red? character (who is apparently alive and well), and the publican was not Gwynne?s own father, as depicted in the film. The family of one of the murdered youths was vehemently against the film ever being made. Both Kelrick Martin (a documentary writing/directing student at AFTRS and former producer of ABC?s Message Stick) and David Wilson (then co-ordinator of the South Australian Indigenous Screen Culture Organisation) attack the lack of collaboration between Goldman and Gwynne and the Port Victoria Aboriginal community. Martin links the effects of this lack of collaboration to equally well-intentioned portrayals of Aboriginal Australians as ?noble savages? in films from the 1950s and 60s, including "Journey Out of Darkness". According to Martin, Wilson was undertaking legal inquiries to prevent the film appearing on SBS, despite its worldwide tour of festivals and cinemas. Australians should see the film, but they should do so with the knowledge of the stories behind it.

A bit sordid but well done, realistic.

More than just a footy pic it tackles the akward subject of small town racism and does so without sentiment. A good Aussie film, that would have got if a couple of Oscar nominations if it had been made and based in the US rather than Australia.

This is a fine movie with characters you care about. it is easy to watch and well-acted. A portrayal of racial prejudice and a friendship which tries to transcend it.