Jindabyne, directed by Ray Lawrence and based on the short story by Raymond Carver, is a noir film about a tragic death of a twenty-seven-year-old aboriginal woman in the southeastern part of New South Wales, Australia, as well as the aftermath in a community of fewer than two thousand persons divided by race. In the beginning of the film, an older white man, driving a truck, wants to pass a woman in a coupe; when she yields to his tailgating bullying, he stops ahead of her, gets out of the truck, walks to her car, and filmviewers are deprived of what happens next but doubtless conclude that she is senselessly killed. Next, the movie focuses on the white people of the town. After four men decide to go fishing one weekend, Stewart Kaine (played by Gabriel Byrne) finds the dead body of the woman in the stream where they are fishing. Fearing that the body will be washed down the rapids and destroyed, Kaine tethers her. The next day, after they enjoy a fine day of fishing, the men report the body, but the police are unimpressed that they did not do so immediately and upset over the mutilation due to the tethering of the body. The press plays up their conduct as cruel. Kaine’s spouse Claire (played by Laura Linney) then is upset with her husband with whom she has previous issues. Some of the young aboriginals retaliate, painting on Kaine’s business and throwing a rock through the mobile home of Billy (played by Simon Stone), another of the four, who soon decides to leave town with his wife. Claire, who tries to make amends but is rebuffed by the aboriginals, faults her husband to the point that they fight. When she finds out where the memorial service is to be held, Claire encourages the remaining three fishing pals to attend. The film ends with some resolution of the foul mood, but joylessly. MH
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