The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978) – Film Review

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The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Film Review main

Director: Fred Schepisi
Cast: Tommy Lewis, Freddy Reynolds, Angela Punch McGregor
Certificate: 18

By Sarah Morgan

Movies in the 1960s to the early 1980s were pretty incredible, with boundaries being pushed and ground being broken all over the place.

Hollywood spawned the likes of Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, while in the UK the kitchen sink ruled supreme. But Down Under, arguably a more seismic change was happening. Before then homegrown talent such as Peter Finch, Rod Taylor and Errol Flynn had to leave to become stars, but new initiatives introduced in 1968 allowed Australia’s film industry to bloom.

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Film Review coverSuddenly acclaimed films such as Wake In Fright and Picnic At Hanging Rock were made. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith deserves to be regarded alongside them.

It’s based on a book by Thomas Keneally, who would later find greater fame for penning Schindler’s Ark, the Booker Prize-winning novel eventually screened as Schindler’s List by the aforementioned Spielberg.

“Moment of madness”

Jimmie Blacksmith was based on a real-life story from the turn-of-the-20th century. Jimmie is mixed race – his father was white, his mother Aboriginal – and was raised by a vicar and his wife, who gave him an education before sending him out into the world to make his fortune.

Despite working hard, Jimmie finds that his background means the local white settlers are always against him, exploiting his labour and, even after settling down with a wife and baby, constantly trying to ruin his life.

In a moment of madness after being tipped over the edge by the attitudes of the white family he’s been working for, Jimmie kills several of their womenfolk, then goes on the run with his brother Mort.

The film then charts their efforts to escape justice before focusing on what fate has in store.

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Film Review bluray

“Enthralling”

Although it sometimes feels as if director Fred Schepisi (who would later make such diverse films as Roxanne and A Cry in the Dark) is battering viewers over the head to make sure they realise just how badly treated Aborigines were at the time, it’s an enthralling tale.

The disc is packed with special features, including an in-depth interview with Schepisi and another with Tommy Lewis, who was plucked from obscurity to play Jimmie; sadly, he passed away last year.

But perhaps the most fascinating documentary was made during filming and charts the efforts to transform Lewis and Freddy Reynolds, who plays Mort, from self-conscious young men into accomplished actors. Those involved did a very fine job indeed.

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Performances8
Direction8
Screenplay7
Cinematography8.5
Editing7
Originality8.5
Additional features:
  • The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith – Australian Version [122 mins] – presented in 1080p on Blu-ray (with a progressive encode on the DVD), from a restoration completed by Umbrella Entertainment
  • The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith – International Version [117 mins] – from a brand new restoration completed in 2019 from the original film elements (Blu-ray only)
  • Uncompressed monaural soundtrack (on Blu-ray)
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
  • Brand new and exclusive audio commentary by film critic and writer Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (Australian Version)
  • Audio commentary by director Fred Schepisi (Australian version)
  • Interview with Fred Schepisi [39 mins]
  • Celluloid Gypsies: Making “The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith” [36 mins]
  • A conversation with director Fred Schepisi and cinematographer Ian Baker [64 mins]
  • The Chant of Tom Lewis – interview with Tom E. Lewis [26 mins]
  • Q&A session with Fred Schepisi and Geoffrey Rush, from the 2008 Melbourne International Film Festival [34 mins]
  • Making us Blacksmiths – Documentary on the casting of Aboriginal lead actors Tom E. Lewis and Freddy Reynolds
  • Stills Gallery
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Reversible sleeve
  • A collector’s booklet featuring a reprint of Pauline Kael’s original review of the film
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith is released on dual format by Eureka
7.8
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