Snowtown

A film about a series of murders that took place in Australia. Jamie lives with his mother and brothers in an outer suburb of Adelaide. The house is poor, the neighbourhood closed, and the boy has nobody to protect him. Then John Bunting comes into his mother's life. The man is strong, decisive and liked by everyone around. For the first time Jamie feels someone is protecting him. That bond is what the film is about. Bunting gradually builds his own moral system and makes the people around him part of it. Jamie is drawn in step by step and loses a little more of his chance to get out each time. The narrative does not stage the killings showily; violence appears in few scenes but when it does it is long and hard to bear. The film's real tension is in conversations at the kitchen table. Most of the cast are not professional actors; Lucas Pittaway, in the lead, was found in that area. Justin Kurzel's first feature. A strong example for anyone who likes crime films based on real events and hard Australian cinema. Before you watch, know this: the film shows abuse and violence directly and offers relief nowhere.