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Great Film overall

Admirable film.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Interesting story, with one great performance by Gulpilil, let down a bit by Gary Sweet's character. He's such a thorough bastard, that ordinary racism can't explain it - why is he such a monster, is he racist or simply a psychopath, and how did a fellow like that end up in the position of heading this little troupe in the first place? The movie doesn't seem to care about these issues in the slightest, and I think that's a pretty big failing for a film dealing with the big issues it seems to be wanting to grapple. Or maybe the problem is that Sweet appears to be play-acting at being evil, rather than really embodying it. And the dialogue & accents aren't always convincing if this is meant to be 1922. Not sure whether to blame the script, the direction, or the actors (excluding Gulpilil). But I liked where the story went in the end, and David Gulpilil, as usual, was wonderful - he makes everyone else look like amateurs. Worth seeing for his character alone. He's the centre of the film, complex and completely compelling and believable. So the film works as a portrait of his experience, and for that alone I'd recommend seeing it. It's just a pity that the white characters, who are secondary but none the less are there throughout the whole film, don't come across as equally believable people.

This is an excellent movie that has much empathy & convictions with the plight of indigenous peoples. It justly portrays the struggles of such victims of popular opinion & authority, without merit or broader justice, in remote locations. Skin colour different! Customs different! But how similar in truer circumstance of imprisonment to some kind of authority, however unjust. But mostly, unquestioned! To me, it brings to mind the less well-known abstract mystery of underlying "Dreamtime" world in "The Last Wave" & the more violent but more critically acclaimed "The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith". They were both fine Australian movies of the 1970s, in my opinion. Likewise, the American cinematic masterpieces "Eagle's Wings" & "A Man Named Horse" which I also was very much impressed by.The voices of victims virtually cry & echo out from the desolate landscapes mostly impressively presented in each of these classic movies! But the messages here in this movie "The Tracker", that I have now viewed twice, are especially moving, as yet another native in his land of inheritance is abused & abused & abused, under authorities far from just or caring, or familiar or comfortable to himself & his kindred spirits! But still, this is a sensitive & sympathetic film!When 'The Tracker' was shackled in a vast outback, it was an ironic portrayal we are viewing, & indicative of the prison inflicted on his peoples across time & place, after 40,000 years in Australia! Vastness was no comfort in this massive prison. The victims merely did not put up barbed wire or electified fences to promote themselves, as whitemen duly did so many times, in reality! When 'The Tracker' is whipped time & again by his "boss", he reminds me personally of Jesus, "King of Kings" & "The Greatest Story Ever Told"! And these people have their kingdoms DUE respect as surely as what was being presented in "King of Kings" or "Ben Hur" or countless other portrayals of outstanding individuals expressing JUST defiance from "Gandhi" to "Cry Freedom"!Our prayer should always be for such victims!!!

This movie was excellent.I stumbled upon this one at the video store and since I have one of those subscriptions, I figured why not, it wont cost me anything to rent this, so I did, and it was superb, well worth the watch.Well casted, the actors played their parts very well.Though the movie had little action, the music brought it to lifeThe soundtrack was superb, it was a major part that brought the film to life, it somehow brought each character to life and told who they were, though the characters had no names, they were developed throughout the film well.

As far as Western films go, the Tracker is nothing groundbreaking or particularly accomplished. I'd compare it to Anthony Mann's Naked Spur, another beautiful looking wilderness bounty-hunter film with a primary interest in psychological tension between morally ambiguous characters. Like Naked Spur, there is a trickster figure, an innocent, a veteran trailblazer, and a sadistic military figure. There is plenty of intrigue between characters as new situations arise, but The Tracker lacks the complexity of the screenplay thanks to the director's political heavy-handedness. Gary Sweet's character is not convincing or particularly well developed, as his simplistically evil nature makes him highly predictable and almost comedic. While I enjoyed the music on its own merits, I agree with another commenter that it leaves little room for the viewer to come to his own conclusions about the characters.On the other hand, there are some great moments, such as the Tracker's improvised trial of the Fanatic, which causes one question how capital punishment becomes perceived as legitimate. The Tracker's adoption of white traditions and religious rites causes us to view him differently than we would otherwise. The circumstances of the Fanatic's dependence upon the Tracker and the Tracker's dependence upon the mercy of the Fanatic create an intrigue that is again reminiscent of the Naked Spur. Aided by the beautiful scenery of the outback, the cinematography is very nice, and the editing is distinctive as the film maintains a slower pace with spacious musical and visual interludes that are sometimes kitschy but occasionally effective. Overall, this was I film that I thoroughly enjoyed, even if the screenplay wasn't as powerful as I had hoped.