This lovely, aching film opts for romance in the face of modern ruin.
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Samson and Delilah
Overview
Samson, a cheeky 15-year-old boy, and Delilah, live in an isolated Aboriginal community in the Central Australian desert. The two teenagers soon discover that life outside the community can be cruel. Lost, unwanted and alone they discover that life isn’t always fair, but love never judges.
Director and cast
- Warwick Thornton Director
- Rowan McNamara as Samson
- Marissa Gibson as Delilah
- Mitjili Napanangka Gibson as Nana
- Scott Thornton as Gonzo
- Matthew Gibson as Samson's Brother / Verandah Band
- Peter Bartlett as Store Manager
- Noreen Robertson Nampijinpa as Community Lady
- Kenrick Martin as Wheelchair Boy
- Audrey Martin as Payback Auntie
- Fiona Gibson as Payback Aunty
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
This sterling 2009 debut by Warwick Thornton is harrowing and tragic but has a stoic, stately realism that elevates the material way above victim politics.
The film may be hard as hell to watch, but it's even harder to look away from.
How do you know you're looking at a pretty good piece of filmmaking? When the director and actors can make you care about the central characters even though they exchange almost no dialogue.
Pitched somewhere between City Of God and the Dardenne brothers, Samson And Delilah is unsparing in its brutal vision of the world.
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