Renowned Australian filmmaker and Kaytetie man, Warwick Thornton returned to the Cannes Film Festival this year with his first film in 6 years (after a stint in television), and his first Cannes appearance since winning Best First Feature in 2009 for the incredible Samson and Delilah.
Thornton’s latest, The New Boy, is the tale of a 9 year-old, nameless, Aboriginal orphan (Aswan Reid in his first feature film) who is caught by police and literally dragged in a sack to a remote monastery in rural South Australia. The brutality of his treatment by the police is quickly swapped for compassion and kindness from Sister Eileen (Cate Blanchett), a renegade nun who takes it upon herself to run the monastery and provide shelter, food and care for a young group of orphaned boys before they are old enough to either go off to work, or off to war.
Unable to get a name from the newcomer, Sister Eilieen, her counterpart, Sister Mum (Deborah Mailman, and groundskeeper, George (Wayne Blair), decide upon calling him ‘New Boy’. And a liking is taken to the inquisitive “New Boy” by all, as he wanders around the monastery, discovering a whole new world he’s never encountered before with such innocent intrigue.
Sister Eileen, however, still wants order to remain in her monastery, and the only way she feels that order is kept is through raising good, Christian men who value faith, religion and respect. Something that “New Boy’s” inquisitive nature constantly conflicts with.
The New Boy at its core is a coming-of-age film, but one that more so explores the idea of how someone can lose their identity if they’re led astray, even by well-intentioned, albeit colonialistic based people. Warwick Thorton’s screenplay takes the foundations of a young boy going through a journey of self-discovery, but puts his unique spin on it. Firstly, by being the story of an Aboriginal boy. And secondly, using religion based allegories (some of which are best left as surprises for the film) to examine what it’s like to be conflicted about who you are at such a young age.
The journey of self discovery that “New Boy” goes on throughout the film lends to some heartwarming, and funny moments. The humour usually comes at the cost of “New Boy” rebutting against Sister Eileen’s rules, and her subsequent (over)reactions. Aswan Reid feels like a natural in front of the camera, always feeling authentic to the character on screen and harnessing that childlike nature of innocence and inquisitiveness with ease.
However, outside of the hope and triumph that Thornton has included in The New Boy, there’s also tragedy and heartbreak. The idea of religion in this film is used as a device to create the inner conflict for “New Boy”. Despite being an indigenous child of the Australian land, the kindness and care shown by Sister Eileen and her cohort almost create an obligation for “New Boy” to start exploring aspects of religion in his own way. There is a light sense of duress in the way Sister Eileen reacts to “New Boy” when he begins analysing the statue of Jesus, giving positive reinforcement to those behaviours, as opposed to the scolding he gets for being his true self. There is an interesting duality within Thornton’s story that holds the film together, and is anchored down further by the performances of Reid and Blanchett.
There are more than a few moments in which the story can feel repetitive, especially during the middle in which the majority of “New Boy’s” inquisitions are played out. Even with the odd touch of levity, it feels like going back to those moments constantly doesn’t add anymore layers of substance to the narrative. Also, the allegorical elements of the film are presented in a way that makes sense to be seen through the eyes of the child, but it does also go in directions that can feel a little too larger than life compared to the more grounded nature of the setting.
On a stylistic level, The New Boy is a stunning visual feast, accompanied by a different, but still outstanding score from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. The opening scene of the film is undoubtedly the highlight, and the way Thorton directs the action with such vibrancy, along with a sweeping orchestral tune from Cave and Ellis, sets a strong foundation of the aesthetic that then follows on for the next 110 minutes. There is beauty in the way Thornton captures Australia’s landscapes, there is care in the way he captures humanity, but there is also dread and despair in the way he captures pain and loss.
The New Boy is a uniquely told take on the traditional coming-of-age story, and those elements are the moments in which the film thrives. It’s a visual feast, with a sweeping score and standout performances from newcomer Aswan Reid and the eternally fantastic Cate Blanchett. Even though the film feels longer than it needs to by the end, and doesn’t necessarily land all its allegories, it’s still a great piece of filmmaking that tells an important story about identity, especially those who are our First Nations people.
