THE SAPPHIRES
WAYNE BLAIR (2012)
2.5 STARS
Theatre has been a huge part of the cinematic age since its dawn. Al Johnson first blessed our ears with the sound of cinema in The Jazz Singer. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John informed us of ‘Summer Loving’. Now the adaptation of Tony Briggs’ stage play ‘The Sapphires’ has come to feature through director Wayne Blair. Family, love and racism are the key themes explored in the film of the same name. This tale of three aboriginal sisters, and their cousin, is based on true life events. Briggs has captured the struggles of a musical tour through 1960s Vietnam, and so he should considering it is based on the ventures of his mother and her family. The feel-good musical goes down well, aided by the dry humour of Chris O’Dowd and the raw vocal ability of Jessica Mauboy, playing the youngest and most talented of the troupe.
Within ten minutes of screen time Dave, played by O’Dowd, an out-of-luck musical entertainments manager and a self-proclaimed Irish alcoholic, has met the sisters and swears to do anything he can to look after them. This is just one of a handful of nonsensical moments in the film, at this point it is better to just accept these moments and go with the narrative rather than to ponder and attempt to justify what may seem slightly absurd.
Producer Kylie du Fresne stated that casting caused an issue as the criteria for the lead roles were very specific. Requiring three aboriginal women who could sing and act, the film was left wanting for top acting ability. This leads to some hard-to-believe scenes, the awkward introduction of Kay on her doorstep with the two older sisters for example. However, Chris O’Dowd manages to carry the narrative through to the inevitably happy ending. His performance brings the film up in standard and allows for some of the less believable moments caused by other actors to pass, relatively, unnoticed.
The soundtrack to the film is stand-out, songs are expertly chosen to synchronise with events in the film. Linda Lyndell’s ‘What a Man’ is belted out by the troupe as Kay (Sharri Sebens) falls for an American soldier and Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Heard it Through the Grapevine’ is performed as word of the Sapphires spreads throughout the military bases of Vietnam. The move from the original genre of country and western music to soul, suggested by the band’s now manager Dave, gives the film more depth and allows the characters to express their personalities to the audience through their performances. Kay shows her empathy when singing Wilson Pickett’s ‘If You Need Me’ to a room full of wounded soldiers. The more promiscuous Cynthia drinks and dances with soldiers during one particularly important performance.
Racism is full frontally handled throughout the film, such as when the eldest of the sisters, Gail, describes her cousin as a coconut. The film reaches its climax as the girls are performing and the venue is attacked, turning in to a war zone. The racial issues of the time are brought to the forefront of the film as an injured American soldier asks Kay, the white skinned aboriginal, to make sure the ‘nigger’, her lover, keeps his ‘black dog’ hands off of him. This is soon followed by a broadcast announcement of the assassination of Martin Luther King. It is not hard to make the connections between the racial issues of the U.S.A and those of Australia; the film even begins by informing the viewer that the native Aboriginal people of Australia were not classified as human beings by the Australian government. A particularly moving moment comes when a clip of Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech plays on a television as the Sapphires harmonise an Aboriginal song in the background.
For an unscrupulous viewer this film may push the boundaries of their suspension of disbelief. In a critical scene where the group are performing and a battle breaks out around them I found myself wondering how realistic it could be that there were so close to the frontline. However, taking this handful of moments with a pinch of salt allows for comfortable viewing and a great cinematic experience. Focusing on the soulful emotion and heavily thought provoking themes of the film as a whole concludes in a positive outcome. The knowledge that this film is based on true events results in a genuine respect for the characters on screen and I was personally moved by the story itself.