Between Two Worlds, First Nations Icon David Gulpilil
By GL Harris, Blogger-in-Residence
The films of David Gulpilil reveal a life that is unimaginable to most Western audiences. The actor seemed to embody a timelessness in his roles yet his presence was deeply memorable. Watching him was like being taken to a place that felt familiar yet was completely unknown before. The Pulitzer-prize film critic Roger Ebert called his performance in The Tracker “complex” and the film “haunting.” Born in Maningrida, Northern Territory, Australia, David was one of the Yolungu people raised in the traditions of the First Nations or Aboriginal people of Australia.
He was a ceremonial dancer, tracker and storyteller, a youth of 16 years when he was cast in the Nicolas Roeg’s 1971 film Walkabout. Following the film’s premiere, the young actor traveled to the United Kingdom and was presented to the Queen. He met many artists of the era including Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix.
“It is important for the humanity of all kinds of people to be featured on the big screen to dispel myths and bring people closer together,” said Diarah N’Daw-Spech, co-founder and co-director of the New York African Diaspora International Film Festival.
“David was keenly aware of his being a “Black Fellow” and how people saw him. He played with that a lot. He had a great sense of humor,” N’Daw-Spech said.
His emergence as an actor coincided with filmmakers who sought to address Australia’s complex culture and its open spaces in a film movement called Australian New Wave.
The renaissance ended in the mid-1980s, and film work slowed for the popular actor who had become internationally recognized for his performances.
It was the 2002 film by Rolf de Heer, The Tracker, that seemed to reignite his career. The film is disturbing in its treatment of the Aboriginal tracker played by Gulpilil. There are four men who are working together to find the Aboriginal man who is accused of murdering a white woman. The men are named The Fanatic, The Follower and The Veteran. They require the skills of The Tracker to find the murderer. The landscape is bleak, stark and unforgiving. One of the men dies and the outcome seems uncertain. The film is gritty and has a certain reminiscence of the Spaghetti Western, of an earlier film era and shows how the white colonial people needed the Aboriginal people to survive the harsh environment. Yet, in their pursuit of a vigilante justice, the men did not respect the First Nations people they encountered.
“(David) was a great talent and a kind man. We knew him personally. He attended ADIFF when we premiered The Tracker in 2003,” N’Daw-Spech said.
David won best actor for his performance from the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards. He was a Member of the Order of Australia and received many awards and nominations for his film, theatre, performance and art work throughout his career.
The same year saw him in Rabbit-Proof Fence, a film about the official child removal policy that existed in Australia for more than sixty years, until 1967. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe award for best original score and David was nominated for best supporting actor by the Australian Film Institute.
The documentary Gulpilil: One Red Blood is a documentary that explores the actor’s unimaginable life. He has been incredibly important to understanding of Indigenous peoples, and Australian society and culture. The viewer is invited into David’s domestic world where he still fishes with a spear. We see daily struggles to start a car that seem to be held together by WD-40 and faith, literally. We see the archival footage of his celebrity and his travels around the world.
Gulpilil expresses his philosophy and beliefs about “one red blood”.
“David Gulpilil was very talented. He brought integrity and realism to all the roles he played and opened a window on a culture we know very little about,” said N’Daw-Spech.
He speaks directly, colorfully and eloquently about his life, his wins and his losses. The film is definitely worth viewing for the sheer humanity, vulnerability and beauty it offers. Gulpilil’s struggles have been documented. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2017. He passed away November 29, 2021. He was 68 years old.
The Tracker: Directed by Rolf de Heer, 2002, 98 minutes, Australia, Drama, English, Maori (with English subtitles)
Gulpilil: One Red Blood: Directed by Darlene Johnson, 2002, 52 minutes, Australia, documentary, English