8.8 /10 1 Votes
100% Rotten Tomatoes Author Language English Publication date 1972 Director Fred Schepisi | 7.4/10 IMDb 3.5/4 Roger Ebert Country Australia Genre Fiction Initial release 21 June 1978 (Australia) Budget 1.28 million AUD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Publisher Angus and Robertson, Australia Box office 1.021 million AUD (Australia) Awards AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score Cast Tom E Lewis, Jack Thompson, Angela Punch McGregor, Ray Barrett, Fredy Reynolds Similar Directed by Fred Schepisi, Movies about racism, Other similar movies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith is a 1972 Booker Prize-nominated novel by Thomas Keneally, and a 1978 Australian film of the same name directed by Fred Schepisi. The novel is based on the life of bushranger Jimmy Governor, the subject of an earlier book by Frank Clune.
Contents
The chant of jimmie blacksmith trailer
Story outline
The story is written through the eyes of an exploited Aborigine who explodes with rage. It is based on an actual incident. Keneally has said he would not now presume to write in the voice of an Aborigine, but would have written the story as seen by a European.
Awards
The novel was nominated for the Booker Prize in 1972, losing to John Berger's G..
The film won the Best Original Music Score (Bruce Smeaton), Best Actress in a Lead Role (Angela Punch McGregor) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Ray Barrett) and was nominated for 9 more awards at the Australian Film Institute (AFI) for 1978. It was also nominated for the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) at the 1978 Cannes Film Festival.
Other
'The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith' by Australian Roots-Rock band The Groovesmiths is also based on the story.
