Aboriginality refers to the state of being the first occupant of a particular place characterized by natural simplicity (Collins English Dictionary, 2014). One film highlighting aboriginality is the Warwick Thornton’s (Director) ‘Samson and Delilah.’ The film is a drama set in Australia and produced in the year 2009. It features two Aboriginal Australian actors whose life path depicts that of a typical Aboriginal Australian. Delilah and Samson are both 14-year olds who inhabit an indigenous community near the Alice Springs. Owing to the challenges Samson faces in life, he sniffs petrol each morning while co-habiting a run-down shelter with a reggae band belonging to his brother. On the other hand, Delilah lives with her grandmother. Samson is interested in Delilah, who, at first, lacks interest in him. Delilah’s grandmother finally dies, and the community points to her neglect as the cause of the death. The ensuing spate of violence sends both Delilah and Samson to exile in the Alice Springs. Just like their previous community, Alice Springs offers neither better shelter nor security. Samson and Delilah end up living under a river bridge where Samson’s sniffing problem worsens (Daniel, 2010). In the course of their homelessness, destitute, desolation and desperation, they fall in love. The following essay seeks to analyze the representation of aboriginality in Samson and Delilah (2009). Focusing on the themes, activities, and symbols in the film, I argue that Aboriginality is characterized by poverty, and social vices, and highlight the neglect by the government on the aboriginal communities.
Albeit not openly, the director is trying to introduce the audience to the theme of aboriginality through ‘the phone.’ The audience is introduced to a phone incessantly ringing for a better part of the next eight minutes of the film. The jarring ring in the predominantly ambient scape of the sound contradicts the outback’s bush sounds. However, the image of the phone is the typical indicator of Aboriginality. The surrounding scape comprises a dusty red landscape dotted with parched brown trees among bedraggled homes. However, the phone is silver polished, thus, looks alien and does not match its surroundings. Essentially, the phone represents the intrusion of civilization in a traditional aboriginal land. Besides, it embodies the reluctance of the locals to accept acknowledge and change. While Samson and Delilah are cognizant of the ringing of the phone, they choose to ignore it. On Samson’s face is a wary look that gives an impression of someone experiencing disturbance. On one hand, this exhibits the imperviousness to change that characterizes the existence of many aboriginal communities around the world. Most aboriginal communities all over the world are so comfortable in their traditional outfits that they view any impending form of change as a disturbance. They hold their traditional beliefs and practices in high regard to the extent of not wanting to dissociate from them. While the phone is intended to serve the community in equal measure, the indigenous town remains largely unresponsive to its existence as well as the possible impacts. On the other hand, this scene reveals the lack of education and the primitive nature of the Aboriginal community. Since they are neglected by the government and a majority of the population, the aboriginal community lacks basic education and is ignorant of such fundamental equipment as a phone. Thus, Samson and Delilah may have been ignoring the phone out of the lack of knowledge of its use.