The Heart Of The Matter.

Reviewer: Patrick McDonald Viewpoint

It's a fine and fragile line between where the truth hurts and what degree of pain is required to prompt a reaction or, better still, some affirmative action. Our public broadcasters led the way again when it came to tackling thorny subjects last week, performing a few social issue balancing acts with compelling degrees of frankness and fearlessness, yet maintaining a measure of sensitivity.

The ABC's Heartland is an often brutal drama, more so for its depiction of social attitudes than for the physical violence which propels its storyline. It's also part love story and part mystic mumbo-jumbo, which helps soften the blows and keeps matters entertaining.

Heartland was touted as being yet another variation on the Twin Peaks theme of outsiders entering a quirky community. This is certainly echoed in the haunting background music, and the discovery of a young woman's body acts as a catalyst for events but there the similarities really end.

More than anything, Heartland provides a warts-and-all view inside the fictitious Binbilla Aboriginal community, refusing to shy away from problems such as alcoholism and crime.

In lesser hands, such matters may have appeared racist or come across as poor caricatures of a society but executive producers Penny Chapman (Brides Of Christ, The Leaving Of Liverpool) and Bruce Best (A Country Practice, G.P.) generate a controversial realism, used as a springboard to explore the deeper social issues behind the problems.

The show does not condemn its Aboriginal characters for their shortcomings, nor does it seek to vilify the white community of adjacent Brooklyn Waters for its often misguided, ignorant and sometimes just plain racist reactions. Rather, it helps us to understand why the problems arise, the struggles faced by people torn between two radically different and incompatible cultures, and where both cultures are going wrong in addressing those problems.

The show is strongly character-driven, with engaging performances by virtually all the cast. Ernie Dingo brings a refreshing touch of his trademark smart-alec comic abilities to the character of Aboriginal Police Liaison Officer Vincent Burunga, who has moved to NSW from WA and is therefore an outsider to both communities and has to mediate.

Relative newcomer Cate Blanchett brings an equally natural air to her character of Beth Ashton, who arrives after the break-up of her marriage and the collapse of her city life to reclaim the property of her late, estranged grandfather. In being forced to confront a different culture and her initially racist attitudes, blonde, porcelain-skinned, whiter-than-white Cate is also forced to assess her own personal values and direction in life.

From the opening scenes, we know it is just going to be a matter of time before Vincent and Cate are embroiled in a controversial interracial relationship. It's surprising that this hasn't happened already, and one doubts either party can hold out much longer.

Acclaimed actor, playwright and director Bob Maza was a consultant and writer on the series, as well as appearing in the major role of tribal elder Alf Dwyer, whose age-old Dreamtime wisdom is tempered by a dry wit.

"Can't do any seein' if you aren't lookin'," Alf advises Cate on their first surprise encounter.

After burning foliage inside the house as a traditional farewell to Cate's late grandfather, Alf says they should now leave for a while.
"To leave time for his spirit to go?" inquires Cate.
"No, to leave time for the smoke to clear," coughs Alf.

Heartland continues for another nine episodes and promises an intriguing storyline which, without preaching, also prompts viewers to reassess their own attitudes.

Adelaide Advertiser TV Guide, Thursday, 31st March, 1994.

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