The Tracker Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Tracker Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 24, 2018

Rolf de Heer's "The Tracker" (2002) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new video interview with actor David Gulpilil; vintage featurette with artist Peter Coad; archival festival footage; and more. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

We'll get him!

I re-discovered David Gulpilil in 2003, after a delayed viewing of Phillip Noyce’s film Rabbit-Proof Fence. Some years earlier I had seen Nic Roeg’s Walkabout and I knew very well his character, but I did not immediately recognize him in Rabbit-Proof Fence where he played a veteran tracker who was hired to follow three little girls crossing the Outback alone. This terrific film inspired me to research Gulpilil’s work and this is how I discovered The Tracker. I ended up importing an Australian DVD release of it through the defunct online vendor Xploited Cinema.

Rolf de Heer’s film is set in the early 1920s and apparently recreates a true story. Gulpilil once again plays a tracker and he is leading The Fanatic (Gary Sweet), The Follower (Damon Gameau), and The Veteran (Grant Page) deep into rural Australia to arrest a local man (Noel Wilton) who has been accused of raping a white woman. The fugitive is a day, possibly two ahead of them.

At first the group quickly moves forward and The Tracker assures the other men that it is only a matter of time before they capture their target. But as the terrain becomes rougher and the heat a lot more difficult to endure, The Fanatic concludes that The Tracker isn’t doing his best to cut the distance between them and the fugitive, and then in a moment of frustration openly suggests that he might have a plan to derail their mission. When The Veteran is struck by a javelin, The Fanatic declares that he was right and chains The Tracker.

Unable to control his anger The Fanatic then executes a group of local tribesmen, but instead of changing The Tracker’s mind he turns The Follower against him, and soon after becomes his prisoner. The joinery through the Outback resumes, but the closer the group gets to the fugitive, the more The Follower begins to question their mission.

The Tracker and Rabbit-Proof Fence were completed at approximately the same time and they capture the raw beauty of the Outback in a similar fashion. There are endless panoramic shots of impossibly beautiful locations that basically provide these films with a distinct poetic quality. However, the The Tracker goes a step further and incorporates multiple drawings which make it look like a live vintage play. Like Rabbit-Proof Fence, this film also has a hugely atmospheric soundtrack with a diverse selection of songs performed by aboriginal country singer Archie Roach.

The stylization is what makes and breaks the film. There are people that like its enhanced poetic quality and are perfectly fine with the fact that as its story goes through different phases it also gradually begins to lose its authenticity. But there is another group of people that see the stylization more as a distract6ion than a necessary quality that strengthens its story. I tend to side with the second group for a single reason: early in the second half, after the attack on The Veteran, the film slowly begins producing all of the important contrasts that ought to help its messages -- all of which are legit -- but the emphasis on beauty and atmosphere essentially convert them into bland exotic rituals. Needless to say, neither the violence nor the crucial character transformations look authentic.

The Tracker Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.38:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Rolf de Heer's The Tracker arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an incredibly beautiful 4K remaster. I have only one minor complaint. During a couple of nighttime sequences some very small density fluctuations sneak in that slightly overexpose grain, so some careful encoding optimizations could have been performed to minimize the effect. However, this is a very small issue, and the rest of the film looks absolutely sensational in high-definition. Delineation, depth, and fluidity are fantastic. The color grading is also very convincing -- there are very solid healthy primaries and absolutely superb nuances. Image stability is excellent. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

The Tracker Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

The film has a very atmospheric soundtrack that quickly becomes a key piece of its narrative. The lossless track handles it very well -- depth, clarity, and balance are terrific. Since the film was recently remastered in 4K, my guess is that the audio was remastered at the same time as well.

The Tracker Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• David Gulpilil: I Remember - in this new featurette, actor David Gulpilil discusses his career and the making of The Tracker. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Interviews with Rolf de Heer and David Stratton - presented here are archival interviews with director Rolf de Heer and actor David Stratton that focus on the original story that inspired The Tracker. The interview were conducted for The Movie Show. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Outtakes - a collection of outtakes for The Tracker with comments from director Rolf de Heer. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Interviews on Location - a large collection of vintage cast and crew interviews with plenty of information about the shooting of the film and the story that inspired it. In English, not subtitled. (37 min).

• Peter Coad Featurette - Peter Coad is the artist that created the drawings that are used in The Tracker. In this featurette, he discusses how they evolved as production began. In English, not subtitled. (17 min).

• Festival Footage - Venice 2002 - presented here is archival footage from the screening of The Tracker at the Venice International Film Festival in 2002. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Festival Footage - Adelaide 2002 - presented here is archival footage from the screening of The Tracker at the Adelaide Festival of Arts in 2002. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Festival Footage - Melbourne 2002 - presented here is archival footage from the screening of The Tracker at the Melbourne International Festival of Arts in 2002. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• IF Awards 2002 - presented here is archival footage from the IF Awards where The Tracker won Best Actor Award (David Gulpilil), Best Music Award (Graham Tardif), and Best Feature Film Award. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• AFI Awards 2002 - presented here is archival footage from the AFI Awards where The Tracker won Best Actor Award (David Gulpilil). In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Music Video - presented here is a music video Archie Road's Alien Invasion. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

The Tracker Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Umbrella Entertainment's recent release of Rolf de Heer's The Tracker is sourced from a very beautiful new 4K remaster that makes the film sparkle in high-definition. I think that it is a fine film, but I much prefer the other film with David Gulpilil that was released in 2002, Phillip Noyce's Rabbit-Proof Fence. Fortunately, 20th Century Fox has already announced an upcoming release, so now I am just hoping that it will look as stunning as The Tracker. RECOMMENDED.