A Review of The Film The Sapphires

A cliché storyline with a twist. The Sapphires is an enjoyable and engaging film filled with comedy, music and drama. The movie is filled with many moments of tenderness and laughter. Unlike any other typical film, The Sapphires uses characters with an Aboriginal background which makes the story different from most.

Something that I liked about the film The Sapphires is that the director Blair has not ignored issues that have had an impact on the lives of many Aboriginals, particularly women. Some of these issues include racism, black identity and the problems associated with “The Stolen Generation”. This can be seen during the scene in which Gail and Cynthia are trying to find a ride into town. This scene follows a long shot of Gail and Cynthia in their rural town of Cummeragunja. In this scene a taxi goes past the girls with them waving trying to get the drives attention and the driver ignoring. Cynthia then says, “what’s his problem.” and Gail follows her comment saying, “It’s cause we’re black stupid.” Having this scene in the movie is necessary and relevant in relation to the setting of the movie. Although the movie has its dull moments every now and again there is always an uplifting moment during or after the scene. Another issue that is addressed is violence and can be seen throughout the entirety of the film. Such as the scene where the girls are attacked while performing in Vietnam. This scene is used to make the audience more aware of the war and how it is necessary. Although The Sapphires does not focus on war, it is disappointing that the film does not explore the difficulties that surrounded the views towards the Vietnam War in Australia. The film addresses the dangers that the entertainers faced in war zone Vietnam but does not address the opposition and protest to the war that existed in Australia at the time.

In the film there is a recurring song, Ngarra Burra Ferra. The song is a Yorta Yorta adaption to an African-American spiritual song entitled Turn Black Pharaoh’s Army. This song is performed in two scenes. The opening scene of the movie when the four girls are singing the song to their family for Kay’s mum’s birthday as well as when Gail, Cynthia and Julies mum calls all four girls and asks them to sing the song. Ngarra Burra Ferra is an important song in the movie because the song celebrates freedom from oppression and victory over evil. The song has become a song of hope to all Indigenous Australians today.

There are many film techniques that have been used in effective ways that draw the audience’s attention to the characters feelings, storyline and the surrounding scenes within The Sapphires. One scene that this is done well in, is when Gail reads the letter from Dave. The techniques used in this scene are non-diegetic sound and is used by incorporating Dave’s voice as a voiceover and some music while Gail is reading the letter. The music in this scene is subtle and is played as a slow notes rather than loud chords. A camera shot that is used in this scene is a montage. The montage focuses on Gail with the other girls blurred in the background and finishes with an extreme close up of Gail on a window seal reading Dave’s letter. These camera techniques allow the audience to feel a part of the film and feel the same emotions as the characters. One criticism found in the film techniques is the use of real-life footage, which is to sparingly use and does not fit in with the film. This footage does not seem necessary as there is a good historical context in both the movie setting and storyline.

The film has everything a viewer wants it to have emotion, humour and heartbreak. The music is certainly a highlight in the film, but it is the performances and inspiring story that truly makes The Sapphires so special that it deserves a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.