Visually depicting Australia's Frontier Wars, Stephen Johnson's film “High Ground” acts as a critical expośe of Colonial and Post Colonial Australia. The film highlights the discordant contrast between the picturesque landscape and the brutal spectacle of violence that takes place upon it. In doing so, Johnson delves into the notions of guilt, justice and revenge, trust and loyalty and belonging.
Synopsis
Set in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory in 1930s Australia, the film opens with a flashback 12 years earlier introducing a young First Nations boy Gutjuk learning the traditions of his clan from his uncle, Baywarra. Meanwhile, a police operation led by Eddy and Travis, World War I veterans and current Northern Territory police officers, occurs in order to investigate accusations of stolen livestock. However, the operation quickly fails, spiralling out of control and results in the massacre of Gutjuk's clan, leaving only Gutjuk, Baywara and his grandfather Därrpra alive.
Returning back to the present, Travis is reluctantly coerced to hunt down a renegade group of Indigenous warriors - “the Wild Mob”, led by Baywara. As a result, Travis is reunited with Gutjuk as he is recruited as a tracker. The film now focuses on the relationship between the two as they initially distrust each other, keeping their motives hidden but slowly learn to trust and bond with each other. It is through their relationship in which Johnson explores the titular notion - “High Ground”, as there is constant tensions of morals and laws between the “white men” and the “black fellas”.
However, through the character of Gutjuk, the director explores the idea of identity and belonging. Due to his upbringing at the East Alligator River Mission under the care of Claire, sister of Braddock the pastor of the mission, his Aboriginal cultural cleansing is apparent in his name change to “Tommy”. Despite, attired in the same shirt, pants and hat as the white Australian men - his disposition and incongruity is crystalline. Yet, his brief reunion with his uncle Baywara as he seeks out “the Wild Mob” catalyses the beginning of his journey to assimilate with his traditions and culture.
Historical and cultural context
Set in the frontier war period of Australian history, "High Ground" emerges from a complex historical moment when European settlement violently collided with Aboriginal sovereignty. The film's 1919 setting places it within the context of post-World War I Australia, where returned soldiers brought their combat experience to frontier policing. This period saw systematic attempts to suppress Aboriginal resistance through military-style operations, often conducted under the guise of law enforcement.
The film's portrayal of the East Alligator Mission reflects the historical role of Christian missions in the colonization process. These institutions served as sites of cultural assimilation, where Aboriginal children were separated from their families and traditional practices - a policy that would later be recognized as part of the Stolen Generations. Johnson's decision to set the film in Arnhem Land carries particular significance, as this region maintained strong Aboriginal cultural practices and resistance well into the 20th century.
The film's revisionist Western approach challenges traditional Australian frontier narratives that celebrated colonial expansion. By centering Aboriginal perspectives and exposing the brutality of colonization, "High Ground" contributes to contemporary discussions about historical truth-telling and reconciliation in Australian society.
Postcolonial Australia
At its essence, Director Johnson's film aims to expose the truth of European settlement, highlighting the failed attempts to assimilate European culture into stolen land. In doing so, Johnson presents a counter-cultural narrative depicting the White settlers as savages, characterised by barbarism
As a result of European settlement, the disposition of cultures was apparent. Such a notion is clear in the setting of the Mission as the makeshift church seems out of place with the hot, barren and unforgiving land surrounding it. Furthermore, the fact that the Mission is quickly destroyed in the final scenes of the film, reinforces its displacement. Through Johnson's focus on the pristine Australian landscape, a central part of the First Nations people lifestyle and religion - it can be said that the settlements, stations and churches which require the destruction of landscape to be built, demonstrates incongruity of European culture in Indigenous land.
The bright visual tonality of the scenes highlights the inherent unity between the Indigenous people and the Country; the intrusion of the European colonists disrupts the natural order, as symbolised by the imagery of the birds hawking upon their arrival.
Additionally, it is the conflicting views between the European settlers and First Nations people which results in uneasy race relations and ultimately violence. This is exemplified in the meeting between Moran and Därrpa. Representing the Commonwealth, as in he is dressed in a military uniform and a hat with the Commonwealth crest on it, Moran is arrogant and hypocritical as he challenges Därrpa's use of “my country” and expects the First Nations people to abide to his laws rather than their own justice system. By juxtaposing their appearances, Johnson symbolises the pervasive presence of power endowed by institutions and its exploitation by the settlers. The “crown on [Moran's] badge” represents Imperialist power, and by extension, its entrenched justice system which disenfranchises the original owners of the land.
Authorial intent
Johnson's revisionist approach to the Western genre serves to challenge traditional narratives about Australian colonization. By focusing on Aboriginal perspectives and experiences, while also examining the moral complexities of characters on both sides, the director creates a nuanced exploration of frontier violence and its legacy.
The film's emphasis on visual storytelling and landscape suggests Johnson's intent to show rather than tell, allowing audiences to witness both the beauty of traditional Aboriginal life and the brutality of its disruption. Through this approach, the director encourages viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about Australian history while also considering possibilities for reconciliation and understanding.
Textual features
Genre
High Ground can be classified as an action-thriller, as it features elements of both action and suspense. The film also incorporates elements of the Western genre, as it is set in a remote, frontier-like location and features themes of justice and retribution.
High Ground is a revisionist Western, a niche genre which only emerged in the 1960s to 1970s in the US. This genre steers away from the over-romanticised depictions of frontier life. Instead, it aims to present a realist portrayal with more complex characters; the blending of light and dark in one scene eradicates binary oppositions. Characters are not seen as good or evil, but the embodiments of various values, cultural elements and conflicts. The film's protagonist [...] as the hero and antagonist as the villain. Whilst Johnson's film incorporates many stereotypical features from western films, he also subverts the usual Western tropes. Such can be seen as often the white men on horseback are seen as heroic and noble while the indigenous people are portrayed as savages and barbaric. However, Johnson juxtaposes the Europeans to be savage and menacing, while the First Nations people are calm and peaceful.
Narrative structure
Johnson constructs his narrative through juxtaposition of peaceful Indigenous life and colonial violence. The film opens with scenes of traditional hunting and community, establishing a harmonious relationship between the Yolngu people and Country. This tranquility is shattered by the massacre sequence, creating a stark before-and-after structure that emphasizes the devastating impact of colonial intrusion.
The narrative employs a dual timeline structure, connecting the initial massacre to its consequences years later. This temporal bridge allows Johnson to explore both immediate trauma and long-term impacts of colonial violence, while also examining how different characters attempt to process or suppress their memories of the event.
Visual techniques
The film's cinematography emphasises the relationship between people and landscape. Wide shots of Arnhem Land establish the vastness of Country, while more intimate framing during hunting scenes conveys the Yolngu people's deep connection to their environment. This visual approach contrasts sharply with scenes of colonial violence, where the camera becomes more unstable and claustrophobic.
Johnson's use of lighting and composition creates meaningful visual metaphors. The "high ground" of the title becomes both literal and metaphorical, representing tactical advantage but also moral authority. The director frequently positions characters at different physical heights to reflect power dynamics and shifting moral standings.
Sound design
The film's sound design plays a crucial role in establishing mood and meaning. The absence of background music in many scenes allows natural sounds to dominate, emphasizing connection to Country. During the massacre sequence, the director orchestrates a cacophony of sounds - gunshots, screams, and bird calls - to create a haunting auditory landscape that emphasizes the disruption of natural harmony.
Themes
Violence and brutality
The film portrays violence as a destructive force that creates an insurmountable barrier between white settlers and the Yolngu people. This cycle of violence repeatedly sabotages opportunities for peaceful resolution between the two cultures. The opening massacre scene exemplifies this pattern, where a simple misunderstanding—Gutjuk's fear of police weapons—triggers a chain reaction: his people rush to his defense, leading to the police taking the first shot, culminating in the graphic murders of men, women, and children. This tragic sequence demonstrates how miscommunication, inherent in the settler-indigenous relationship, combines with colonial power dynamics to produce devastating results.
The pattern of violence continues throughout the film, manifesting in multiple failed attempts at peace. The negotiation between Dharrpa and Moran could have led to resolution but is derailed by Baywarra's raid on another outpost. Even after Baywarra's death, when peace seems possible, Gutjuk's return to the mission outpost catalyzes more bloodshed, leading to multiple deaths and the destruction of Christian monuments—symbols of the very institution that raised him.
The characters' individual responses to violence reveal its pervasive impact. Eddy's aggressive behavior towards indigenous people stems from his traumatic experiences in World War I, suggesting how violence creates generational cycles of trauma. Similarly, Gulwirri and Baywarra's violent actions arise from their suffering under colonial oppression, with Baywarra transforming from a respected cultural teacher to a vengeful warrior. The film suggests that violence corrupts even initially peaceful characters like Claire, whose ultimate act of killing Eddy marks her loss of innocence and entry into the cycle of violence she previously opposed.
Trust and loyalty
Trust and loyalty emerge as complex, often conflicting forces in the narrative. Travis embodies this conflict most prominently, torn between his loyalty to colonial forces and his growing sympathy for indigenous people. His initial hesitation during the 1919 massacre, stemming from this internal conflict, results in numerous deaths and haunts him with guilt throughout the narrative. The film explores how loyalty can both motivate and constrain characters' actions, particularly in Travis's case as he struggles to reconcile his military brotherhood with his moral compass.
As the narrative progresses, Travis's journey of redemption involves actively teaching Gutjuk and eventually taking direct action against his fellow colonial officers. His ultimate sacrifice to protect Claire and Gutjuk represents his final choice between competing loyalties and his attempt to atone for his earlier moral failure.
Morality and responsibility
The film presents various responses to moral responsibility through its characters. Dharrpa represents the highest moral standard, choosing peace despite the heartless murder of his family. His patience and consciousness of what serves his people's best interests often clash with the more immediate desires for vengeance among his community members.
Gutjuk's character arc centres on navigating between different moral teachings: his grandfather's peaceful approach and Travis's tactical "high ground." This duality is reflected in the film's use of the "high ground" metaphor—both as a tactical combat advantage taught by Travis and as a moral high ground advocated by Dharrpa. Gutjuk ultimately forges his own path, fighting for his people while trying to avoid unnecessary violence.
Moran's character presents a darker perspective on moral responsibility, viewing colonial atrocities as "necessary evil" in service of civilization's progress. His pride in the King's Honor reveals how colonial values can be used to justify moral compromises. Claire's arc particularly highlights the complexity of moral responsibility in a colonial context. Her initial kindness and respect for indigenous people eventually leads her to take direct action, but this action—killing Eddy—compromises her moral innocence, suggesting the difficulty of maintaining moral purity in a violent system.
Connection to Country
The film's cinematography emphasizes the Yolngu people's deep connection to their land through careful visual composition. Early scenes frame Gutjuk and his family within nature, visualising their harmonious relationship with the natural world. These scenes present nature as warm and welcoming, allowing the Yolngu people to emerge with an intimacy that is both visually striking and emotionally evocative.
This connection is powerfully contrasted with the settlers' perspective, symbolized by Travis's sniper scope view—a metaphor for colonial distance and objectification of both the land and its people. The film's use of the hawk motif ("gutjuk" in Yolngu language) further develops this theme, with shots of the hawk soaring representing both Gutjuk's cultural heritage and his eventual liberation from colonial control and cycles of violence.
Colonial authority and resistance
Colonial authority manifests through various forms of power abuse, from outright violence to subtle forms of control. The film critiques colonial values through specific instances like Moran's pride in the King's Honor being quietly mocked by Gutjuk and Dharrpa. The treatment of Gutjuk as 'Tommy' at the mission outpost exemplifies colonial power dynamics—while Claire shows him kindness, the colonial police objectify him as merely a tool for their purposes. Eddy's brutal treatment of Gutjuk, particularly the scene where he pins him to the ground, creates a stark visual metaphor for colonialism itself.
The film's sophisticated critique of colonial power is perhaps best exemplified in the photography scene during the settlers' meeting with the Yolngu people. While the photograph shows both groups on apparently equal ground, the shot from behind the camera lens showing the image upside down reveals this equality as a colonial construct, highlighting the power imbalance inherent in who controls the narrative.
Resistance takes different forms throughout the film. While some characters like Baywarra choose violent resistance, others like Dharrpa advocate for peaceful opposition. Gutjuk's journey represents a middle path, fighting for his people while attempting to avoid unnecessary violence. Travis's character arc shows how resistance can come from within the colonial system itself, as he moves from passive disagreement to active opposition against colonial forces.
The film ultimately presents colonial authority as inherently destructive while exploring various forms of resistance, suggesting that the path to reconciliation requires acknowledging both historical trauma and the ongoing impact of colonial power structures. Through the interweaving of these themes, High Ground crafts a complex narrative about identity, power, and the possibility of breaking cycles of violence.
