Arguably one of the best and most controversial films to come out of Australia, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith is based on a real-life case that took place in the early part of the twentieth century when things were a little less enlightened than they are now. Although there are still many things that will hit home for people as discrimination and oppression appear to be on the rise once more.
Jimmie Blacksmith (Lewis) is mixed-race, intelligent, hardworking and has been brought up by missionaries in the outback. He dreams of a better life, but having a black father has put paid to that. At every turn, he’s cheated out of earnings, humiliated, and generally pushed too far.
When he marries a pregnant maid thinking he’s put her in the club, he thinks things are settling down. His boss even gets the shopping in for the pair. The child turns out to be someone else’s though, and he becomes a laughing stock and the shopping stops when members of his family come to visit. It’s the final straw, and he takes an axe and promises to teach them all a lesson…
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith is an incredibly powerful film, and has quite rightly been lauded over the years – except in the UK when at the height of the ‘video nasties’ panic, it was placed on the ‘Section 3 list’, which meant while it wasn’t deemed obscene, it could still be confiscated from shops. It’s probably this notoriety that gave it a bigger reputation as a cause célèbre than it really deserves. It’s actually a worthy and important movie that deserves to be seen properly.
With the Federation of the Australian States brewing in the background of the story (and acting as a parallel to Blacksmith’s rebellion and anger), there’s a real sense of unrest, not just in the Aboriginal community, but among the obnoxious colonial ‘superiors’.
As one would expect, there are a few famous Aussie faces among the cast, including a young Bryan Brown, Paul Meagher (Alf Stewart from err… Home and Away), and even Wolf Creek’s John Jarratt. But Tommy Lewis is the star of the piece, literally. He’s a commanding screen presence who sends us through an emotional wringer. That’s not to say we completely side with his character. He goes too far in his rage and vengeance and clearly loses sight of right and wrong. Even early on, while working for the police, he hides information about the killing of a white man and takes an active part in a horrendous search of his friends and family’s camp.
Hollywood magpie Quentin Tarantino is a well-known fan of Ozploitation (he even appears on the documentary on the subject) and it’s obvious The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith had some influence on Django Unchained (although it’s worth pointing out that this film has a much lower ‘n-word’ count than any of QT’s films). Director Fred Schepisi has quite rightly gone on to become an award-winner outside of his home country, helming popular films like Roxanne (1987), Plenty (1985), and Six Degrees of Separation (1993).
Not so much a horror film or thriller, the film is a gripping study of the psychological breakdown of a human being struggling just to be accepted.
The Blu-ray release, in Australia only from Umbrella Entertainment, has a healthy chunk of extras that are worth delving into as well. These include conversations with the director, cinematographer Ian Baker (who makes the most of the lush scenery), and start Lewis. There’s well over two hours’ worth to get through, without including the informative director’s commentary.
THE CHANT OF JIMMIE BLACKSMITH (1978) / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: FRED SCHEPISI / STARRING: TOMMY LEWIS, FREDDY REYNOLDS, RAY BARRETT, JACK THOMPSON, ANGELA PUNCH MCGREGOR / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW (AUSTRALIA), TBC (UK)
