Film Review - High Ground (2021)

High Ground is a new Australian film that stars Simon Baker as Travis a policeman stationed up in Northern Australia who is sent along with a local Indigenous boy named Gutjuk (Jacbo Junior Nayinggul) to find a group of Indigenous people who have been burning down station posts up in Arnhem Land but the divide between the Indigenous Australians and the descendants of European Settlement will not be easy to bridge.

 

High Ground is an interesting film that I didn’t love so much but more admire the more I think about it, firstly the scenery is gorgeous filmed in Kakadu National Park and in Arnhem Land itself in the Northern Territory there are many many shots of the landscape here and none of it is boring to see and there were numerous times I said to myself in the cinema “Wow that looks beautiful.”

 

Secondly the performances here are very good, Simon Baker is great here as Travis the policeman who doesn’t seek to confront the Indigenous but sit down with them and reach out with a hand of friendship so that we can share this nation together as one people comprised of two unique cultures even if those around him don’t see it that way, Jacob Nayinggul is fantastic here and has the makings of a future star with his charisma, his wide eyed looking at the world and his ability to stand toe to toe with some real legends of Australian films I hope I see more of him in the future.

 

And lastly the film grapples with the real divisions that are in both Indigenous and Descendant Australia with some on both sides who preach for peace and sharing of the land while there are those who want the fight, the conflict and to come out on top one person says in the movie “We can’t share a country” and I said to myself “Bullshit, we can and we must” and while it has only been in the last 30 years since the Mabo decision in the High Court that we have tried to bridge the gap this movie reminded me that we have to keep trying.

 

And so that was High Ground and it is a very admirable film with a lot on its mind though it will be a tough watch for some, 3 out of 5.