Samson and Delilah

Anyone who cares about Australian cinema should see this film. I’d go further and suggest that anyone who cares about Australia should see it. Samson and Delilah is, quite simply, one of the finest films ever made in this country.

This lovely, aching film opts for romance in the face of modern ruin.

This sterling 2009 debut by Warwick Thornton is harrowing and tragic but has a stoic, stately realism that elevates the material way above victim politics.

Samson & Delilah demands of us patience, attention and empathy - not just for the characters but also broadly into the world. The fearlessness in existing 'as is' as opposed to what 'should be' reflects an 'Australia' that feels possible and essential.