# The Tracker (2002 film)

The Tracker is a 2002 Australian drama film/meat pie Western directed and written by Rolf de Heer and starring David Gulpilil, Gary Sweet and Damon Gameau. It is set in 1922 in outback Australia where a colonial policeman (Sweet) uses the tracking ability of an Indigenous Australian tracker (Gulpilil) to find the alleged murderer of a white woman.

## Plot

1922, somewhere in Australia. An Aboriginal man is accused of murdering a white woman, and three white men (The Fanatic, The Follower and The Veteran) are on a mission to capture him with the help of an experienced aboriginal man (The Tracker).
As they travel through the rugged Australian outback, each suffers under the stern hand of The Fanatic, who will stop at nothing to bring the accused to justice, even if that means sacrificing the others to reach the goal.
Meanwhile, the motives of The Tracker remain elusive, and despite their relentless pursuit the men always seem to be a half-day behind their quarry.
After the death of one of the men, and a surprise mutiny, what endgame awaits for the group, and the enigmatic Tracker to whom they have entrusted their survival?

## Cast

* David Gulpilil as The Tracker
* Gary Sweet as The Fanatic
* Damon Gameau as The Follower
* Grant Page as The Veteran
* Noel Wilton as The Fugitive

## Production

The film was shot in the semi-arid, rugged Arkaroola Sanctuary, in South Australia's Flinders Ranges. De Heer used an intentionally small film crew, saying that "It's all a much better process ...". The film is intercut with paintings by Peter Coad which portray brutal actions not shown, while the lyrics of the soundtrack (written by De Heer) form part of the narrative, and are sung by Archie Roach with music composed by Graham Tardif.

## Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film has a score of 88% based on reviews from 33 critics, with an average 7.1/10 rating. Based of 16 critics on Metacritic, the film have a score of 71 out of a 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four calling the film "haunting" and the performances "powerful". David Stratton described the film as "remarkable".
Walter Addiego of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote "See the film mainly for the quiet and powerful work of Gulpilil in the title role". Slant Magazine's Jay Antani was quoted saying "The Tracker is the first significant movie to find its way into American theaters in 2005".

### Awards and nominations

| Awards | Category | Subject | Result |
| AACTA Awards (2002 AFI Awards) | Best Film | Julie Ryan | Nominated |
| AACTA Awards (2002 AFI Awards) | Best Film | Rolf de Heer | Nominated |
| AACTA Awards (2002 AFI Awards) | Best Direction | Rolf de Heer | Nominated |
| AACTA Awards (2002 AFI Awards) | Best Original Screenplay | Rolf de Heer | Nominated |
| AACTA Awards (2002 AFI Awards) | Best Actor | David Gulpilil | Won |
| AACTA Awards (2002 AFI Awards) | Best Editing | Tania Nehme | Nominated |
| AACTA Awards (2002 AFI Awards) | Best Cinematography | Ian Jones | Nominated |
| ARIA Award | Best Original Soundtrack Album | Graham Tardif | Nominated |
| ASSG Award | Best Sound | Best Sound | Won |
| AWGIE Award | Best Film - Original Screenplay | Rolf de Heer | Won |
| Cinemanila International Film Festival | Best Actor | David Gulpilil | Won |
| FCCA Awards | Best Film | Julie Ryan | Won |
| FCCA Awards | Best Film | Rolf de Heer | Won |
| FCCA Awards | Best Director | Rolf de Heer | Nominated |
| FCCA Awards | Best Screenplay | Rolf de Heer | Nominated |
| FCCA Awards | Best Actor | David Gulpilil | Won |
| FCCA Awards | Best Editing | Tania Nehme | Nominated |
| FCCA Awards | Best Cinematography | Ian Jones | Won |
| FCCA Awards | Best Music Score | Graham Tardif | Won |
| Ghent International Film Festival | Grand Prix Award | Rolf de Heer | Nominated |
| Ghent International Film Festival | Best Screenplay | Rolf de Heer | Won |
| Inside Film Awards | Best Feature Film | Julie Ryan | Won |
| Inside Film Awards | Best Feature Film | Rolf de Heer | Won |
| Inside Film Awards | Best Direction | Rolf de Heer | Nominated |
| Inside Film Awards | Best Script | Rolf de Heer | Nominated |
| Inside Film Awards | Best Actor | David Gulpilil | Won |
| Inside Film Awards | Best Music | Graham Tardif | Won |
| Inside Film Awards | Best Cinematography | Ian Jones | Nominated |
| Inside Film Awards | Best Sound | Best Sound | Nominated |
| Paris Film Festival | Press Award | Rolf de Heer | Won |
| Screen Music Award | Best Original Song | Graham Tardif | Won |
| Valladolid International Film Festival | Jury Special Prize | Rolf de Heer | Won |
| Valladolid International Film Festival | Golden Spike Award | Rolf de Heer | Nominated |
| Venice Film Festival | SIGNIS Award - Honorable Mention | Rolf de Heer | Won |
| Venice Film Festival | Golden Lion | Rolf de Heer | Nominated |

## Soundtrack

A Soundtrack was released in August 2002. The album is credited to Australian musician Archie Roach. The soundtrack won best soundtrack at the 2002 Film Critics Circle of Australia.
At the ARIA Music Awards of 2002, the album was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album

### Track listing

* "Wide Open Spaces" (instrumental) - 1:20
* "Far Away Home" - 3:41
* "Trouble Coming" - 2:22
* "Approaching" (instrumental) - 0:29
* "My People" - 3:49
* "After the Valley of Sorrow" (instrumental) - 0:29
* "All Men Choose the Path They Follow" - 5:16
* "Walk to Destiny" (instrumental) - 1:45
* "The Chain" - 2:18
* "A Spear" (instrumental) - 1:05
* "Contradiction" - 2:02
* "Life Matters" - 0:44
* "Friction" (instrumental) - 1:15
* "Gungalaria" - 3:16
* "Hanging Tree" (instrumental) - 0:40
* "My History" - 3:45
* "Drowning" (instrumental) - 2:02
* "Hope Always" - 4:27

### Charts

Chart performance for The Tracker :
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 171 |

### Release history

| Country | Date | Format | Label | Catalogue |
| Australia | August 2002 | Compact Disc | Mushroom Records | 334932 |