High Ground (2021)

We've entered a time when Westerns are beginning to tell a different story than the sort they focused on traditionally. For decades they created a narrative of justifying American manifest destiny and the wiping out of generations of people who were in the way of expansionism. Today there are many examples of great Westerns which begin to look at things from a different point of view. Also Westerns are beginning to be set in areas beyond just the American west. 

It is remarkable how similar colonialism manifested in different parts of the world. High Ground, the compelling and beautifully shot story of colonial violence in Australia is both uniquely an Aussie story and a familiar tale to those who've experienced these stories around the world. This tale of a man recruited to stop a rebellious Aboriginal Australian in the early 20th century gets us to understand a more complicated view of the history it is set in. High Ground sides with the "natives" no longer the force to be overcome, to prove manhood and entitlement, but the people who are fighting for their survival. Unfortunately in this the film still centres a white man, one who sides with right over white, but this is still the sort of device films like this need to get buy in from the audience. It avoids going full white saviour but still this weakness makes the film a little safer than it could have been. 

Director Johnson captures the natural beauty of the outback masterfully but also fills his story with an energy which makes it feel alive and contemporary. His action sequences are kinetic, jumping from points of view to gives a chaotic feel that is intensely exciting. And his more contemplative moments carry through this energy, making the film's world feel vivid. The film is engaging from start to finish and beautiful to watch. But it is the way it deconstructs the traditional Western narrative that makes it the most interesting. 

Part of a new wave of Westerns that evolve the genre in fascinating ways, like The Nightingale and First Cow, High Ground is a solid watch even with a few minor missteps. 

High Ground

Starring: Jacob Junior Nayinggul, Simon Baker, Callan Mulvey, Jack Thompson, Caren Pistorius, Ryan Corr

Director: Stephen Maxwell Johnson

Writer: Chris Anastassiades