After an extensive search, I eventually located a version of this movie on YouTube that filled me with immense happiness. The entire film was accessible, complete with subtitles. While I cannot remember if it was shown during one of my classes before, I am appreciative to have stumbled upon and watched it at present. My profound interest in different cultures has consistently been robust, although occasionally I fret about oversimplifying and idealizing the portrayal of certain cultures.
Even though I don’t face racism, hatred, stereotypes, or judgments regularly, I generally maintain a positive and hopeful outlook. At first, Rabbit Proof Fence was difficult to watch because of its language. Nevertheless, I persisted because I understood the significance and desired to learn from it. While I diligently took notes for the initial 25 minutes, eventually I felt compelled to fully engage in the film’s narrative and absorb its underlying message.
During the first 25 minutes, I observed that despite the fence being called a rabbit proof fence, I never spotted a single rabbit. This leads me to question if rabbits were truly a threat. It appears that Australia was being divided into two sides – one for half-caste children and the other believed to be free of them. Although this theory was never confirmed or denied, I still hold my suspicions.
These children were innocent, simply being kids. They were unaware of Mr. Neville’s motives to separate them as half-caste children. The reasoning behind this decision was not explained to them. However, Molly, a clever child, seemed to comprehend the negative perception white people had towards half-castes. She understood that they were viewed as tainted and unwanted. It appeared Molly also recognized that Moore River served as a concentration camp, with the intention of imposing white Protestant values and eradicating Aboriginal culture. She was aware that the situation was not as straightforward as it seemed.
Even though the white people at Moore River appeared friendly, they were actually the enemy as they were simply feigning kindness, reflecting how they wanted the children to behave. While many children complied due to fear, just like there are rebellious children today, there were also rebels during that time. The individuals behind the establishment of Moore River may have viewed it as a utopia due to the impoverished backgrounds of these children, but in reality, they were fostering animosity, resentment, and eradicating their true identities through indoctrination.
The keepers of Moore River embodied a form of hatred that was disguised in sweetness. Mr. Neville, who was often referred to as Mr. Devil, fully believed in his own ideologies. He genuinely thought that by forcibly separating children from their families, indoctrinating them with Christianity, English language, and conformity, and providing them with meager resources for sleep, they would transform into obedient white children similar to those found in Stepford. This film both enlightened and infuriated me because I believe that culture, strong sense of self, and individualism should be embraced and celebrated rather than fought against, despised, feared, or forcefully stripped away from a child’s soul.
Despite not being explicitly stated, Molly comprehended all of these aspects and I could discern her understanding of the situation. I was astonished that a youthful individual, an adolescent who typically has little concern aside from the usual challenges of maturing and navigating through emotional and physical transformations, and discovering one’s place within their own culture, was so resolute in her sense of self that she managed to flee Moore River and journey back to Jijalong on two separate occasions.
She walked the over 800 miles twice, carrying her sister, then her baby daughter a lot of the journey. When considering what I would do for my children and family, I never envision potentially having to undertake such a task due to my privileges, living in a different era, and being of a different racial background. The film was both enlightening and emotionally resonant, evoking deep feelings of sorrow and queasiness. However, it is a film that will remain etched in my memory forever, as the sheer strength displayed by Molly, Gracie, and Daisy leaves me amazed.
