Sweet Country (2018)

1
What you fuckin' doing?
Standing around?
Oi!
That's it, walk away.
Fuckin' idiot.
Black bastard.
Why don't you listen to me, eh?
- What'd I get?
- Listen to me, ya fuckin' black bastard!
Stop fuckin' lying!
Fuckin' white bastard of a thing!
You wanna go, hey?
You too, eh?
Knock him out!
Smash him, fuckin' idiot!
Mr Kelly?
Do you understand?
Gidday, mate.
Gidday.
I'm Harry march.
Just taken over north creek station.
I'm Fred Smith.
It's a good set-up you've got here.
Yeah.
Where'd you, ah
where'd you get your black stock from?
My what?
Your black stock.
Your blackfellas.
Oh no mate, we're
we're all equal here.
All equal in the eyes of the lord.
Well I was three years on the
western front, fighting the bosh.
There's not much sign of the lord there.
Not that I saw.
I've come to ask a favour.
I need to need to fix up my trap yard.
I was wondering if you could help me.
I can... I can offer you rum and tobacco...
No no no, mate, we don't...
We don't drink here at blackhill,
we don't smoke either.
I'd be happy to go give you a hand but...
I'm heading into town in a...
In a day or two.
Well what about him?
Sam?
No, I can't I can't spare him.
I need someone here to keep
an eye on the place.
I mean, it'd only be for a day.
Two at most.
You know, it'd be the
Christian thing to do.
Say-n!
This is Harry march.
He's taken over north creek station.
Could you
could you go and give him
a hand for a couple of days?
Could you do that? You and your wife?
Yeah, I'm happy to return the favour.
- No no no.
- Just ask.
I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?
Philomac!
Philomac!
Arch?
Boss!
You pick one of them melons?
Go get that fuckin' philomac.
Tell him to cut me a melon.
Give me your belt.
Come here.
You pick good one?
Yeah, boss.
Good one, eh?
- Yeah, boss.
- Yeah?
You steal one of my melons, eh?
No, boss.
Come here.
Get there.
Little fuckin' thief!
Huh? Little fuckin' shit!
That'll teach ya!
That'll teach ya to Nick
my fuckin' melons! Now fuck off.
Go fuck off back to your mob.
Whoa.
What is man,
that thou art mindful of him?
Thou madest him to have dominion
over the works of thy hands,
and has put all things unto his feet.
O lord our lord
how excellent is thy name
in all the world.
Let us give thanks.
I want you to go camp over there.
By that rock.
Righto, Harry.
Good boy. Good boy.
One, two
your daughter.
How old's she?
She not my daughter.
She my niece.
Right.
So how old is she?
Hey, that's enough. Get that.
You marry em young around here, hey?
What the fuck are you doing?
Here, you do that.
Hey, what about the wiring?
No, I'll do that.
Hey um
there's some cattle
in the paddock over there.
Want you to get your horse.
Drive 'em up so I can brand 'em tomorrow.
You've done a good job.
This is a good job.
I wanted the other one...
But you'll do.
Hold still.
Hold still.
Hold fuckin' still!
If you tell your husband about this...
I'll skin him.
And then I'll skin you.
And then I'll take that young one.
Okay?
Now get out of my bed.
Clean them sheets of your stink.
Whoa.
Good job, Sam.
Those girls done a good job.
You know, house clean
clothes washed, sheets fresh.
Have you got any kids, Sam?
Alright.
Well, we're done here,
so I want you to take your lubras
and get the fuck off my property.
I know you're not deaf so you
must be dumb. Go on, fuck off.
Fuck off.
Yeah.
I don't need bullock balls.
Hey that bloke, Harry.
Him proper really mad one.
Alright?
He been tell us to get.
He been give us nothing, no supper.
Sun been go down
and we been walk all night.
Oh, sorry Sam.
That bloody dog.
That's the last fuckin' time,
I'm tellin' you.
Sorry lord, for swearing.
It's alright boss, you can take
Lucy with you to town?
Because that Harry fella,
he was looking at her funny way.
Yeah, 'course.
Take 'em back to mother.
Her mother can look
after her for little while.
Yeah, alright Sam.
Listen, ah
I'll be away two or three weeks.
Got important business in town.
You and Lizzie camp
in the big house, alright?
You look after the place.
Get up! Come on.
Something wrong?
Whitefella, boss.
Shut your mouth, philomac.
- Right there?
- Gidday.
I'm Harry march.
Just taken over north creek station.
Oh, right. Have you?
Just come to say hello.
Yeah, Archie. Urn
gidday then.
Brought my calling card.
Oh, good on you mate.
Mick Kennedy.
Urn, philomac!
Go inside, get us a couple
of pannikins, will you?
Grab a seat, Harry.
You ah
you got anyone else there with you?
No no, just me and my dog.
Yeah, fair bit of work for one bloke.
Yeah.
I had Fred Smith's blackfella
give me a day's work.
- Did you?
- Yeah.
- Sam?
- Yeah.
No, he did a half-arsed job, too.
Yeah, well
he's a bit of a fuckin'
myall breed, that one.
Hmm?
We had him out here not that long ago.
- He came at me.
- Mm.
Bastard. Nearly fuckin' killed me.
Had to kick him off.
Caused a fair bit of trouble.
Archie over here gave him a good
bloody hiding, didn't ya arch?
Give him a good one? Yeah, got him.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Who's that blackfella?
Keep your own business
to yourself philomac. Shut up.
Don't talk when men are talking.
You too, Archie. Shut up. Stop laughing.
You grab my saddle bag, boy.
You sleep over there.
You piss and shit over there.
Come here.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! No, no, no, no!
No, no, no, no, no, no!
- No, no!
- Shut up!
- Hey, hey, hey!
- Come on.
- Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!
- Come on!
- No.No!
- Come on!
Come on. Up!
- No, no. Hey, hey, hey!
- You little bastard!
Your boss told me about you. Come here.
- Shut up!
- No, no, no!
You touch my watch,
I'll cut your fuckin' hands off.
You run away, I'll shoot you for desertion.
- Amen.
- Amen.
Boss!
Boss!
I don't understand you. What?
Get the horses.
- I know you're in there!
- Boss!
Fred Smith, you harbouring a prisoner?
Shut up. I'm in charge of this regiment.
Fred?!
He's my prisoner!
Come on! I know you're in there!
Fred Smith? You harbouring a prisoner?
- Boss!
- Shut up!
Fred!
No-one here boss.
You let him out,
or I'm gonna come in and get him!
Fred!
Town! He gone town!
- Where's Fred?
- He's gone town!
Ah here he is. The myall breed.
Now you give me that boy you're hiding!
There's no one here but us, Harry!
No black bastard calls me Harry!
[Gunshofl
you give me that boy!
Give me that boy!
You give me my prisoner!
Where's my prisoner?
You give me that prisoner or you too
will be charged by the crown!
Give me that prisoner!
Cheeky whitefella.
What the hell are you talking about?
- Sam
- what are you talking about?
Speak English, Archie.
Sam, he shot Harry.
He shot Harry? Where's Fred?
Harry march shot him?
- Yeah!
- Ls he dead?
What did you do? You fuckin' leave
him there for the dingoes to eat him?
Barney!
Saddle up your horse, mate.
Go get into town.
You need to tell the coppers that
bloke Harry march has been shot.
And get a doctor to go out to black hill
station. Tell him I'll meet him there.
What the fuck are you doin', Archie?
Get the fuck outta here, arch!
Go put a cover over the body! Go now!
Go and get in there and get some bread
and some damper. Get out of my way.
Wait! Where's that philomac?
Where the fuck is philomac?
Eyes back in your head, mate.
She's gonna be busy tonight.
You can buy me a drink before you go.
What are you looking at?
Sergeant!
Sergeant!
What?
I have a message for you!
Message?
Better be from his royal bloody highness.
Constable minty.
Sorry sir, there's been a shooting.
Get up! Fuck off.
Doc already gone?
Yeah, this morning.
Saddle up the horses, eh?
Yes, sarge.
Uncle.
Where the fuck have you been, philomac?
Where the fuck have you been?
Don't look at him. Look here!
Where have you been?
He tied me up.
What?
You mean he chained you up?
What'd you do?
Nothing.
You see what happened?
No, boss.
Philomac, Harry march is dead.
He was shot.
Shot in the head.
Did you see it?
No.
That blackfella Sam killed him.
You see it happen?
You didn't see it happen?
No.
Today we honour Harry march...
A man I did not have
the pleasure of meeting.
A man who, like myself, was a soldier.
Fought for king and country.
Put his life on the line.
They shall not grow old
as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them or the...
Years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
and in the morning,
we will remember them.
So why are you here, Smith?
I want to see him come
back alive, sergeant.
What are you doing?
No, you're not.
You're over with the horses.
Go on, get.
That was a bit harsh, wasn't it sergeant?
Crown wants him to look after
the horses, not just track.
Look at you mob of miserable bastards.
Can't one of you sing?
Didn't anyone bring a harmonica?
Yeah, we got that.
We gonna catch this murderer?
You sure?
Yes boss.
When?
I didn't steal from him. He was dead.
Hey-
Kennedy?
That half-caste kid at the station.
Ls he your son?
What's his name?
Philomac.
Philomac, yeah.
You make sure you look
after him, won't you?
Otherwise I'm going to
have to take him away.
Fuck.
Who owns this land?
- Boss!
- What?
- Boss?
- Ha! Go on!
Jesus Christ.
Go! Go on!
Halt!
[Gunshofl
- Halt!
- Sweet Jesus.
What the fuck was that, Archie?
Huh?
Where's minty?
- He's dead, mate.
- What happened to minty?
- We need to go back for him.
- He's dead.
We gotta go!
Listen, we need to go back for him now!
You bastard!
You set us up, didn't ya?
You led us straight into an ambush!
That's enough! Get off him!
You gonna leave, alright, well leave.
We're not leavin'!
We're not leavin'.
Not until that murdering bastard
is swinging by his neck!
We'll set up camp a couple of miles back,
and start out again tomorrow.
And you...
You try to run...
And I will shoot you in the back.
Do you understand?
Won't do any good, sergeant.
Sam's way smarter than we are.
All these days.
All these days we never come
within two miles of him.
He's probably sitting out there now,
looking at ya.
Laughin'.
Do you wanna do that again?
'Cause I'll turn the other cheek.
Well do ya?
I think I'm done here, Kennedy.
I'm going home.
You're not right, Fletcher.
You're not right in the head.
Fuckin'
what is it?
Pretty bad one, mate.
Won't kill ya but it's gonna
make ya bloody crook.
I know what that is.
Oh, Jesus.
Jeez!
We'll get you back to town, mate.
I'm not goin' back.
I know he's here somewhere.
I'm gonna get him. Sam!
Sam, I know you're here.
And you can hear me!
I'm comin' for ya.
And it won't be long!
It won't be long, Sam!
How far to water out there, arch?
Oh, we're gonna die out there.
That's what he wants us to think.
Nuh.
Been out two weeks. Got a station to run.
Fuck off, then.
Go on, fuck off!
Giving you my water.
Fuck off, go on.
I gave you my water.
Go home.
Come on, Archie.
Go on.
Go on.
Shut up, philomac.
Sorry, boss.
What are you grinning about?
Couldn't get him eh, boss?
Oh, they're gonna get him.
You like 'em?
Pick em up.
You're gonna be a man,
a man needs a pair of boots.
You gonna be head stockman?
What about Archie?
Archie's an idiot.
You're smarter than him.
You move into the bunkhouse tonight.
Put those on. You gotta get away
from all that blackfella shit.
Yes, boss.
Whoa.
This my country.
Hey!
Fred he's a good man.
Maybe that god... looking after us.
Yeah.
Ladies and gentlemen,
introducing the story of... the Kelly gang!
Get your bloody hands off her!
Get him!
Get him!
- Oh, come on!
- Hey!
- Hey!
- Hey!
Bloody amazing.
The Kelly gang escapes
the long arm of the law.
I couldn't fuckin' get him.
I couldn't get him.
I'm tired, Nell.
Some sweet country out there.
Cattle country.
You don't want your daughter
working here, in a bar.
You know...
We could find something.
Together.
I lost a good man out there!
And you're cheering this rubbish?
Go home!
All of you.
Just get.
I owe you that.
And that's for minty.
Archie!
Come over here, pack up the cart.
We're going into town.
Been called as a witness.
A witness.
I don't know.
A witness
Archie, you fuckin' dolt.
Witness means that you answer
questions when the judge asks 'em.
Yes, boss!
And you answer him properly.
None of your fuckin' bullshit.
Philomac.
You see?
Told you they'd catch him.
Want some?
- Yes.
- How much?
Who's your friend?
We was just talkin'.
And now you're talkin' to me.
No I'm not.
Fuckin' what, then?
Brandy, thanks.
What the fuck's Campbell doing?
He's releasing her, as instructed.
Whose instructions would they be?
They would be mine.
And who are you?
Judge Taylor.
I've been assigned to oversee the
committal hearing for Sam Kelly.
You're a judge, eh?
You look like a boy.
You have no authority here.
The crown has vested me
with the authority, sergeant.
Now come have a drink with me.
Get to know each other,
before things get underway.
You buying?
If you like.
Drink for the sergeant.
I notice there's no court house in town.
Where will the, ah,
proceedings be taking place?
Sitting in it.
Right here.
Well I'm not going to have
my courtroom in a pub.
Is there a...
A church?
Not in this town, judge.
Well...
Boy?
Hear that hammering?
Gonna hang you high, boy.
You think the law's gonna protect you?
I am the law.
Could you all be upstanding
for judge Taylor.
Take your seat.
Hang the black!
Order!
Yeah, and hang the judge, too.
I said order!
Hey!
Sam, you'll be right, mate.
Sam Kelly.
You have been brought before this court to
determine if you have a case to answer to,
in the death of Harry march.
There seems to be no doubt that
you shot and killed mr march,
but what we are here to determine,
are the circumstances that led
to you pulling the trigger.
Sam Kelly, do you understand?
Mr Kelly.
Do you understand?
I call the first witness
doctor shields.
I was informed of the death of Harry march
and was asked to go to black hill station.
What'd you find when you got there?
I found the body of Harry march
laid out where he died.
He was there, that blackfella.
He'd put a canvas over the body and
he was trying to keep the flies off it.
Order!
I examined the deceased, Harry march.
He'd been there for a good day and a half.
A gunshot wound to the neck
had severed the carotid artery.
He would have died almost immediately.
Were there any other wounds?
No, there was the smell of rum,
which was very strong.
A few yards away there was a
rifle with a bayonet attached.
And there was another rifle, a little way
off which I presume was the murder weapon.
A murder is yet to be determined, doctor.
Please stick to the facts and keep
your presumptions to yourself.
Yes, your honour.
Please remove your hat.
You're in a court of law.
Archie.
Do you have a second name?
I want you to tell me what
happened at black hill.
We'll get to that.
I want to know what happened
before he was killed.
That isn't my question.
Order.
Why did you go to black hill station?
Philomac?
The boy who accompanied you
to Harry march's property?
Why were you looking for him at black hill?
His chains?
Yeah.
Why did he chain him up?
Why did he chain him up?
I call to the stand
the defendant's wife, Lizzie.
Lizzie.
Lizzie!
Mr Smith, is there a problem?
There's no problem, your honour.
Lizzie, come on for Sam.
Come on.
The lord will watch over you.
Come on.
There you are.
You'll be alright.
I understand you're nervous.
I only have a few questions.
When you and your husband returned from
Harry march's property
to black hill station,
Sam Kelly asked mr Fred Smith to take
your niece Lucy back into town.
Why?
Lizzie, you do understand you have
to answer these questions.
Lizzie, did Harry march...
Physically assault your niece, Lucy?
You must reply.
I remind you you are compelled
to answer my questions.
This is getting nowhere.
You may step down.
I call to the stand,
the defendant, Sam Kelly.
Well what's he got to say?
Any last words?
Mr Kelly, please remove your hat.
We was doing work on his property.
Woman's doing housework.
And that Harry...
Mr march...
He been lookin' at Lucy funny way.
He been askin' about me.
Is she promise?
Promise?
Yeah, like promise husband for Lucy.
What did you say?
Didn't like that.
He been tell us.
He been kick us off
from his property.
Told us to get.
No Tucker.
Nothing.
What was the reason he gave for
kicking you off his property?
I think
I think shame job for him.
I must say, mr Kelly, I don't understand
why Harry march would have been ashamed.
Why do you think he was ashamed, mr Kelly?
Mr Kelly, I'm asking you a question.
What he done to my wife.
What did he do to your wife, mr Kelly?
Did Harry march force
himself onto your wife?
Is that why you shot him?
Because he forced himself onto your wife?
No, he was gonna kill me.
Did you see Harry march
force himself onto your wife?
Mr Kelly, did you see Harry march
force himself onto your wife?
You must answer me.
My wife family way now.
That's why we stop running.
We been keep up.
Whitefella never catch me.
I ask you again.
Did you see Harry march
force himself onto your wife?
Mi" Kelly!
I'm asking you a question.
This finish now.
Sam Kelly, you listen to me.
This is a court of law,
and if you do not answer my questions,
you are in contempt,
and I will place you in jail
until you decide to answer.
More than that, I will place your
wife in jail for contempt, too.
About three weeks ago...
Harry march come looking
for that little boy...
Philomac.
He was shouting.
He started shooting.
He come to the front door.
Even point the gun at me.
I been grab Fred's gun
and I been shoot him right there.
Finish.
Why did you run, mr Kelly?
I shot a whitefella.
And you say you only gave yourself
up because your wife is with child?
How long has your wife been with child?
Since Harry march.
How do you know the child's not yours?
Can't have kids.
Can't have family.
Sam Kelly, you may step down.
Fuckin' chook is ready!
Two weeks off.
Two weeks, no fuckin' work.
- Archie's a fuckin'...
- Hey, old man.
Old man!
Got a nice lubra to keep
you warm tonight, eh?
If I was twenty years younger, mate...
Take it easy, Fred.
Just havin' a laugh, mate.
Go say goodbye to your black.
He's gonna be hangin' tomorrow!
He that is unjust
let him be unjust still.
And he which is filthy,
let him be filthy still.
And he that is righteous
let him be righteous still.
And he that is holy,
let him be holy still and behold,
my reward is with me.
For give me every man,
according as his work shall be.
For I am Alpha and omega
the beginning and the end,
the first and the last.
Blessed are they that do his commandments.
You're fuckin' joking.
They that have the
right to the tree of life...
Philomac!
Into the gates and
into the city of god.
Where the fuck have you been?
Nowhere, boss.
Shut up.
Go with dickhead over here,
load up the sulky.
We're getting out of here as
soon as this shit's finished.
Go on, Archie. Fuck off.
Could you all stand for judge Taylor.
Have faith, Sam. God is with you.
Take your seats.
Come on, ya black bastard!
- Yeah!
- Hey, ya prick.
Go away.
- Fuckin' swing him.
- Bring him out.
Hey?
Harry march went to black hill station
in search of a boy by the name of philomac.
It's clear he was not sober at the time
and was in an agitated state.
He made the presumption,
that Sam Kelly and his wife,
were sheltering the boy.
Now Harry march could have
simply knocked at the door,
but this was not the case.
In his state of mind,
he made an aggressive approach,
which resulted in him kicking at the door
and firing a gun into the house.
Order!
Order!
Now when Harry march woke Sam Kelly
and his wife in this aggressive manner,
did Sam Kelly fire the first shot?
No.
Did he fire the second shot?
No.
The third?
No.
Harry march, through his own actions,
caused a situation that ended in his death.
Sam Kelly's actions were
the natural response,
to a violent, unprovoked attack.
I find that this is a case of self-defence
and the defendant has no case to answer.
Sam Kelly...
You are free to go.
Order!
This is a court of law!
Take him back to the bush!
You wanna challenge the judge's verdict?
Sergeant Fletcher...
Please release the prisoner...
And escort him safely out of town.
Mongrel!
Mongrel!
I'll ride with you to the edge of town.
- Fuckin' let him go.
- Sam?
Yep, a free man.
Bloody bastard.
Should be right from now on.
You right, Sam?
Yes, boss.
Sam, don't call me boss.
Yes, Fred.
Oh, Sam, shit!
Shit!
Oh, Sam.
Fuck, Sam.
Oh shit.
Sam?
You cowards!
Bloody cowards!
Oh, shit.
What chance have we got?
What chance has this country got?