Tracker

Four nameless men-credited as The Tracker, The Fanatic, The Follower, and The Veteran-traverse the Australian outback in search of a black fugitive accused of killing a white woman. Set in 1922, Rolf de Heer's THE TRACKER explores the complexities of race relations still poignant today. The Fanatic, a ruthless mounted officer, relies on the expert skills of the Tracker, a mysterious aborigine with ambiguous motives, to lead this expedition into uncharted aborigine territory. Hunting for blood, the Fanatic will stop at nothing to fulfill his duty. Yet, as these searchers begin to gain on the fugitive, the threat of the unknown escalates and tension peaks among the four searchers. De Heer cultivates the emotional impact of THE TRACKER with several powerful dirges (by Graham Tardiv and de Heer) and subverts the possibly violent scenes with graphic paintings (by Peter Coad). The action of THE TRACKER is subtle, but De Heer's unique narrative strategies invigorate this compelling film. – E.J.B.