In a remote Aboriginal community in Central Australia – with miles of hot, dusty red earth stretching as far as the eye can see – we meet fifteen-year-old Samson (Rowan McNamara), a handsome, impish petrol sniffer. His neighbour Delilah (Marissa Gibson), sixteen, is quiet yet determined, spending most of her time caring for her artist grandmother (Mitjili Gibson). Even within their small community, these two are marginalized: Samson for his addiction and Delilah for her dedication to her nana. It's tough for them both, because it's lonely and boring. (Perhaps that's why Samson spends so much of his time inventing ways to get Delilah's attention, like popping wheelies on an abandoned wheelchair.)
Nana dies suddenly, and Delilah is unjustly blamed. The community shuns her, and the pair head for the city, which is as hostile to two homeless teenagers as you would expect. But their story does not end there, nor even when they find a way back to their hometown. There is one further journey for these remarkable teens, one that imparts a message of hope that goes against the conventional wisdom that when wounded, we must go home to heal. We learn what Samson and Delilah instinctively know: that true love comes from trust, and trust is hard won.
Samson & Delilah is Warwick Thornton's first narrative feature, though he has worked extensively as a cinematographer and has made numerous award-winning short films. He shoots hand-held, as close to his actors as possible. These young talents, chosen locally, are unselfconscious and elegant before the camera, their performances all the more impressive for the film's scarcity of dialogue. With so few words spoken, the sounds of their environment take on an extraordinary resonance. A squeaky hinge on a door seems to underscore the remoteness of the community, in contrast to the blaring, almost metallic din of the city. By making us watch and listen just that little bit harder, Thornton draws us even deeper into the tempo and texture of the story.
Riveting in its authenticity and power, Samson & Delilah captures hearts from its first frame to its elegiac ending – and never lets them go.
Jane Schoettle
Warwick Thornton was born in Alice Springs, Australia, and studied cinematography at the Australian Film Television and Radio School. As a cinematographer, he has shot numerous films and documentaries. He has directed the short films
Payback (96),
Mimi (02),
Green Bush (05) and
Nana (08), which won several festival awards, including the Crystal Bear for best short film at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Samson & Delilah (09) is his feature-directing debut.