
Mad Bastards
2010

1980
Director
John Honey
Runtime
90 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetSynopsis
Through lyrical images, Manganinnie journeys across mountains towards the coast with Joanna, a white girl, in search of Manganinnie's vanished tribe. The poignancy of this film derives from the Aboriginal woman's gradual realization that her people and the tribal way of life are forever gone. It is the story of the Black Drive of 1830, the near-genocide of the Tasmanian Aborigines.
Overall Score
Good
Category Breakdown
LGBTQ+ Representation
The film lacks explicit evidence of LGBTQ+ identities or non-heteronormative relationships. The narrative focus remains centered on historical and ethnic journeys.
Gender Representation
The story utilizes a female perspective by following Joanna's journey. This framing offers a departure from traditional, male-centric colonial chronicles of historical tragedy.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
The film provides a profound critique of settler-colonialism by centering the near-genocide of the Tasmanian Aborigines. It prioritizes the indigenous experience and the grief of a vanished tribe.
Religious & Cultural Diversity
The narrative critiques Western expansionism and the destructive nature of colonial institutions. It emphasizes the loss of tribal ways of life and the impact of systemic oppression.
Disability Representation
There is no discernible information regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the film's narrative.
Strengths
Areas for Improvement
AI Analysis
Manganinnie serves as a powerful piece of historical revisionism that challenges celebratory colonial narratives. By focusing on the Black Drive of 1830, the film centers the trauma of the Tasmanian Aborigines and the erasure of their culture. The film's primary strength is its intentionality in portraying racial struggle and the psychological impact of displacement. It successfully disrupts Western-centric histories by prioritizing indigenous agency and the reality of near-genocide. However, the film's scope is narrow, leaving categories like LGBTQ+ representation and disability unaddressed. While it excels in cultural critique, it remains focused on a specific historical ethnic tragedy.

2010

2003

1965

2006

2011

1986

1989

2019

2008

2019

2000
1986
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!
Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.