The Thousands

Warwick Thornton’s first feature isn’t just another worthy indigenous-themed movie. This teenage love story is tender, provocative and gorgeous to watch. Samson (Rowan MacNamara) and Delilah (Marissa Gibson) live in a remote indigenous community – the kind we’re constantly told is a hotbed of violence and abuse – where Samson sniffs petrol and tries to jam with his brother’s verandah band, and Delilah looks after her Nana (Mitjili Gibson), a traditional dot painter.

Nana encourages Samson in his massive crush on her granddaughter, but Delilah mainly finds Samson annoying – until she and Samson find themselves exiled from their community and living rough in Alice Springs, where they’re befriended by the larrikinish Gonzo (Scott Thornton, the director’s older brother). There are some unbelievably grim points at which you wonder how this story can possibly end happily. Believe me, it does.**Samson & Delilah unfolds almost without dialogue, as a succession of lyrical ‘moments’ at which the camera gazes unflinchingly. The actors, mainly newcomers, give performances filled with both pathos and humour. Thornton’s cinematography, too, is wonderful; he makes unusual use of long shots and ambient light effects to create something powerful in its simplicity.