Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1201983
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 JANUARY 2020 13 FILM ENVIRONMENT league is never in any doubt, and Claire is only one rung up in that ranking, albeit a significant one. But just like Claire is frustrated by Hawkins' arbitrary refusal to grant her freedom, so Hawkins is made to languish in a backwa- ter outpost by his superiors, two years beyond an agreed-upon pro- motion elsewhere. Exactly none of this justifies his horrendous actions throughout the film, of course, but such a detail hammers home just how careful Kent is to move away from reliable stereo- types and generic oversimplifica- tions. The horror is built into the system, and no amount of moral hand-wringing and wishful-think- ing revenge fantasies will make any of it go away. And while there is an unfor- giving lack of obfuscation in the way poor Claire's story pans out, the otherwise beautifully crafted film does offer some visual res- pite from time to time, with deft camerawork from cinematogra- pher Radek Ladczuk allowing us to soak in the sublime pleasures of the natural landscape of a re-cre- ated 19th century Tasmania, with Kent, however, keen to remind us of its treacherousness at every turn. And while the PTSD night- mares Claire is afflicted with do recall similar psychological haunt- ings in The Babadook, the film al- so allows itself to bend established reality to lend some credence to Aboriginal belief systems, pepper- ing Claire and Billy's picaresque journey with avian helpers that evoke both the titular animal and Billy's own talismanic blackbird. Where the film falters slightly is where Kent's ego appears to gain the better hand – there is a fine line between brutally honest and just plain brutal, one that she does overstep from time to time, and in an apparent desire to craft her own take on the rambling, 'epic' Western she does allow the run- ning time to run amok and deflate some steam off its third act in the process. But The Nightingale remains an undeniably powerful piece of contemporary cinema: thrilling, urgent and sadly ever-relevant. THE NIGHTINGALE THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS THE NIGHT WATCH NIGHTTIME NIGHTMARE ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ When biology students study adaptations, bird beaks often come up, and for a good reason. A beak is the bird's hand, tool, weapon and cutlery. The beak (or bill) is so well adapted to a particular food that from its shape you can often guess what the bird eats. A duck uses its flat beak to browse and pull up underwater vegetation from shallow lake habitat, and the most bizarre beak of the duck family is surely the shoveler's. That extra-large, extra-flat beak may look a bit grotesque but it serves its purpose well, and adds to the fascination of this hand- some bird. The shoveler (M. palettuna) is one of our scarcer ducks, showing up – often singly or in pairs – in wetlands like Għadira, Sali- na or Is-Simar nature reserves throughout winter. Text and photo Victor Falzon 695. SHOVELER Claire got her gun: Irish-Italian actress Aisling Franciosi is a woefully wronged woman on a mission of vengeance in Jennifer Kent's radically brutal exploration of her native Australia's colonial history Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 593 Find out more: www.foemalta.org/goodfood The verdict Shockingly harrowing but never exploitative, Jennifer Kent's sophomore feature is an unflinching look at the atroci- ties of the British colonial proj- ect in Australia, and its layered and unflinching script and con- siderably sensitive directorial approach is what snatches it safe from the jaws of titillation and exploitation. The Nightingale will be screen- ing at Spazju Kreattiv Cine- ma, Valletta on January 25 (8.30pm), January 30 (7.30pm) and February 2 (8.30pm) ★ ★ ★ ★ THE NIGHTINGALE (18) Our choices make a difference! Change your habits, not the climate! Every day our decisions have an impact on our health, on the environment and on the climate. Reducing the consumption of meat and increasing the consumption of vegetables is a good habit for our health, for animal welfare and for the health of the planet. Large industrial farms pollute water, soil, and air because of the products they use. Always check the origin of meat and avoid imported products, local is better! Support local farmers