Parvati Magazine December 2014/January 2015: Consequence/Beginnings | Page 35
FILM
Based on the 1977 true
story of Robyn Davidson
(Mia Wasikowska), Tracks
is a cinematic film that
beautifully and powerfully
recounts one 27-year-old
woman’s
courageous
1,700-mile journey by foot
across the unforgiving
Australian desert with four
camels and a black dog
named Diggity. Director
John Curran (We Don’t
Live Here Anymore, The
Painted Veil) works with
Marion Nelson’s focused
script of minimal dialogue
to capture the intensity of
Robyn’s sense of isolation,
her mistrust of people, the
profound relationship she
has with her environment,
and the intensity of a psychologically transformative journey.
Seemingly unaware of
the true motivation for
her journey other than the
desire to be alone, Robyn
works for years learning to
train the feral camels that
will be her tie to survival
amidst an inhospitable
yet sacred landscape.
Thanks to Curran’s fine directorial work, the viewer
is intimately aware that
she seeks to start anew
and somehow be born
again through the grueling walkabout, so that
she can eventually feel
unencumbered by the
weight of her traumatic
past. The journey is one of
a grieving soul, seeking to
return to wholeness and
find her place in the world
anew.
Her journey is almost entirely solitary, but she is
occasionally accompanied by an aboriginal elder, Mr. Eddy (Rolley Mintuma), who walks with her
through sacred aboriginal
land. Every six weeks, her
sponsor’s American photographer, Rick Smolan
(Adam Driver) from the
National Geographic, visits her and takes pictures.
Sporadic tourists also seek
to take pictures of the elusive and misunderstood
“Camel Lady”.
I watched the movie
with my jaw dropped at
the totality of the experience. The masterful editing moved rhythmically,
almost hypnotically, from
one scene to the next.
The poetic visual pacing
was beautifully mirrored
by the outstanding addition of Garth Stevenson’s
soundtrack. His choice
of subtle, moody and
emotional
instrumentation adds a perfect balance of anticipation and
suspense, and a sense
of expansive reverie, to
the lush visuals. You can
sense Stevenson’s innate
appreciation for nature,
nourished in the green
landscapes of his native
British Columbia.
Audiences are left mesmerized by the vast
landscape,
stunning
cinematography
and
the intimate, gritty and
graceful
performance
by Wasikowska (Alice in
Wonderland, Jane Eyre,
Stoker).
This movie is for anyone
who loves nature, believes
in the transformation of
the soul, and delights in
the human spirit – or for
anyone who simply loves
an outstanding cinematic
experience.
Parvati Devi is the editor-in-chief of Parvati Magazine. In addition
to being an internationally acclaimed Canadian singer, songwriter,
producer and performer, she is a yoga teacher and holistic educator.
Having studied yoga and meditation since 1987, Parvati developed
her own yoga teaching style called YEMTM Yoga as Energy Medicine.
Her current shows, “YIN: Yoga In the Nightclub” and “Natamba”
bring forward a conscious energy into the pop mainstream. Her book
“Confessions of a Former Yoga Junkie” is a road map to a revolutionary
life makeover for sincere spiritual seekers.
For more information on Parvati, please visit www.parvati.tv.