Last Cab to The Long Grass

By Bede Prince

life in order. Polly contrasts this, however

Directed by Jeremy Sims, the 2015
Australian film Last Cab to Darwin, tells
the story of Rex (Michael Caton), a taxi
driver who is told he has only three
months to live. On hearing this news, he
embarks on an epic journey across
Australia to the Northern Territory where a
Euthanasia Bill has been passed.
Throughout the film Rex rediscovers his
love for his indigenous neighbour/ partner,
Polly (Ningali Lawford) and meets a lost,
travelling indigenous character by the
name of Tilly (Mark Coles Smith) who he
eventually develops a close bond with. In
the film, these indigenous characters face
many challenges. Although spoken of and
treated negatively, Indigenous Australian
characters in Last Cab to Darwin challenge
the cultural and social stereotypes
associated with Aboriginal people and in
doing so, further enforces the capability of
Indigenous Australians to be successful
and to belong.
Last Cab to Darwin contains many
aboriginal characters who challenge
stereotypes, including Polly, the neighbour
of Rex. One of the very first scenes in the
film begins with Rex being shouted at
from across the road by his neighbour
Polly for putting rubbish in her bin. A few
moments later they are sitting on Rex’s
porch drinking tea and holding hands
together. Soon, however, the racist
attitudes Australia shows towards
Indigenous people are introduced as a
neighbour of Rex’s walks outside and
greets him while completely ignoring
Polly. This one small act in the opening
scenes of the film, clearly shows the
Rex and Polly on Rex’s front porch holding hands.
as she has a nice, well-kept house, a job
with the council and does not a have a
messy family life. She lives by herself, as
the film suggests she does not want the
chaos that having a family brings. But as
the film continues and her cousin and his
family stay at her house, Polly comes to
realise that although there is chaos and
disorder in family life, she does in fact
want this.
Tilly is a young, joking, story-telling,
trickster who is another Aboriginal
character in the film who also, like Polly,
challenges the stereotypes. He has a wife
and children and is a very talented AFL
player. He was drafted for Essendon but
claims to not have gone to play because his
family did not want him to leave. In
reality, he was scared of the unknown. As
an Aboriginal, Tilly faces many
challenges. For example, in Alice Springs,
he is not allowed to be served at the pub on
certain days because it was ‘Thirsty
Thursday’ and “black fella don’t get
served on Thirsty Thursday”. He is a
hardworking man who will finish anything
he sets his mind to.

feelings and attitudes towards Indigenous

Australians. These stereotypes are that
people like Polly are unsuccessful,
drunken and generally do not have their

Tilly, the joking, hardworking, lovable character.
Although Tilly tests the associated
stereotypes, he does succumb to them at
certain point in the movie. When he is left
alone in Darwin to train after making the
football team, he disappears the week
before his first game. When asked about
Tilly’s whereabouts, the coach says, “try
the long grass, they usually end up there”.
This line shows the viewer the attitudes
towards Indigenous people very clearly.
The statement that “they usually end up
there” suggests that it is expected of
aboriginals, by the white population, that
they all at some point, end up drunken and
homeless. The fact that Tilly is found in
‘the long grass’ shows that he is still on his
own personal journey to a successful and
stable life, whereas Polly has completed
that journey.
In Last Cab to Darwin, Rex has an open
and accepting view of Indigenous people
in Australia. He is in a relationship with
Polly and becomes very close to Tilly. As
well as Rex, Julie (Emma Hamilton),
accepts this. The film suggests that this
could be because she did not grow up in
Australia where these negative attitudes
are prevalent so she has no previous
preconceptions about Aboriginal people.
This is clearly shown when she willingly
takes photos of the Aboriginal men on the
benches and is romantic towards Tilly,
something a white woman would never do
in the film. In Last Cab to Darwin, director
Jeremy Sims uses filmic techniques like
music to help convey messages and
emotions. The music in the film is
predominantly a single voice and guitar.
This couples with Rex travelling by
himself and trying to figure out what to do
with the last months of his life. Another
filmic technique used frequently is the use
of camera angles.
Dr. Nicole Farmer when she first meets Rex (Tilly and Julie in the
background).
Camera angles provide illusions to the
viewers, for example, in certain scenes D.
Nicole Farmer (Jacki Weaver) is filmed
from a low angle to portray her to be more
powerful. Similarly, the Aboriginal group
in Alice Springs are filmed from a high
angle, perceiving them as weak and
powerless. In contrast to this, some scenes
portray Aboriginal characters as powerful
and strong by filming them from lower
angles.
In Last Cab to Darwin, director Jeremy
Sims takes the reader on Rex’s journey to
find his purpose in life but not only does
the film follow Rex, it follows the
development of Tilly and Polly. Although
spoken of and treated negatively,
Indigenous Australian characters in Last
Cab to Darwin challenge the cultural and
social stereotypes associated with
Aboriginal people and in doing so, further
enforces the capability of Indigenous
Australians to be successful and to belong.
This can be seen by following the journeys
of Tilly and Polly and their relationships
with Rex, Julie and the rest of society.
“Here’s to us and f*** the rest”.