Wolfram’ Review: Warwick Thornton Deftly Reframes Painful Indigenous Australian Experience Through the Lens of Classic Western Archetypes

Warwick Thornton, who began his career as a cinematographer, has a deep connection to the Central Australian desert and the rugged MacDonnell Ranges. His films have an epic yet personal feel, shaped by the landscape around Alice Springs, where he grew up. This connection gives his movies a soulful beauty. "Wolfram" is no different. It's a four-part story about escaping, being chased, and surviving, and while it's brutal, it's more about enduring than about sadness for stolen land and stolen children.

This film is a sequel to Thornton's 2017 movie "Sweet Country," and it's again written by Steven McGregor and David Tranter.

 It takes place a few years later in the same fictional Northern Territory town of Henry, though most of the main characters are new. The two films feel like parts of a bigger story, with some shared elements and separate paths.

The main character is Pansy, played by Deborah Mailman.

 She's shown holding her newborn and cutting off her hair with a rusty knife. Pansy and her new partner, Zhang, travel by horse and cart to Queensland in search of her lost children. She marks her path by tying strands of hair with seeds and hanging them on shrubs, like a trail of breadcrumbs.

Meanwhile, two Indigenous children, Max and Kid, work in a mine shaft, removing chunks of ore used to make tungsten.

 Their boss is a mean man named Billy. At the same time, a couple of criminals, Casey and Frank, arrive in town, looking to find gold. They ignore the advice of a local storekeeper to avoid the backcountry where they might meet Indigenous people. When they find Max alone, they steal him and take him with them.

When Kid finds out his brother is missing, he steals a donkey from the mine and chases after him, helped by a snake bite that slows Casey and Frank down.

 Far away on a run-down cattle station, a man named Kennedy uses his son Philomac as a slave. Philomac is a character carried over from "Sweet Country."

Casey and Frank take over the station, claiming they found Max alone.

 Kennedy listens to them and lets them mistreat Philomac, who suspects they're not who they seem. Casey and Frank become more ruthless, treating Indigenous people like animals. Their cruel actions towards a thief named Archie shock Philomac and lead to a chase sequence with violent scenes.

The story draws from oral history passed down to Tranter by his great-grandfather.

 Tranter's Indigenous and Chinese heritage is important to the story. The plot sometimes feels a bit loose, and the twists aren't always surprising. However, the film is still engaging because of the strong cast.

Deborah Mailman gives a touching performance as Pansy, showing strength and grace.

 Pedrea Jackson stands out as Philomac, showing his anger and longing to be with his people. Shand's Casey is chilling, treating Indigenous people with contempt. The young actors who play Max and Kid are also excellent. Two Chinese gold miners later join the story, showing solidarity among people who have been mistreated. Their presence brings a powerful ending to the film.

Thornton also acts as the director of photography, using the rich colors of the landscape to create a vivid look.

 The film doesn't have an original score, but it uses Charlie Barker's saw playing to create a unique atmosphere. While it doesn't surpass his debut film "Samson & Delilah," "Wolfram" is a solid film in Thornton's career, showing a return to form after his more uneven recent work, "The New Boy."