Is High Ground woke?
High Ground (2020)
Movie
Released: January 1, 2020
Wokeness Score
7/10
Strongly Ideological
Woke messaging is very prominent and often feels forced or shoehorned in. Characters and plot are primarily shaped to serve the ideology. Many viewers feel the agenda overshadows the entertainment.
Key Summary Points
- Portrays 1919 police massacre of Yolngu as emblematic of colonial racism and dispossession.
- Elevates Indigenous perspective through cultural consultation, language, and casting to counter 'terra nullius' myth.
- Frames story around reconciliation needs and critiques of white settler violence and institutional cover-ups.
Wokeness Analysis
High Ground (2020) centers on a fictionalized retelling of frontier violence in 1919-1930s Arnhem Land, Australia, where a police massacre of Yolngu people drives the plot. The story explicitly frames white settlers and police as agents of colonial dispossession, racism, and cover-ups, while portraying Indigenous characters as victims seeking justice or revenge. Extensive consultation with Yolngu communities and use of Yolngu language and culture are highlighted to lend authenticity, but the narrative prioritizes themes of colonial guilt, the myth of terra nullius, and the need for reconciliation (makarrata). Reviews note its 'timely anti-racist message,' 'sobering commentary on colonialism,' and focus on 'white privilege and Aboriginal dispossession,' with Indigenous representation elevated through casting and cultural details. While it includes complex white characters like Travis and avoids simplistic white savior tropes in some analyses, the plot and dialogue serve to indict historical Australian institutions and attitudes, making the ideological lens prominent. Entertainment elements like action and landscapes exist but are frequently described as secondary to the historical and social commentary on ongoing cultural division and violence begetting violence. This aligns with heavily ideological messaging where characters and events illustrate progressive critiques of colonialism rather than pure escapism or balanced storytelling.
Plot
Set in 1919 Arnhem Land, the film opens with a police operation led by WWI veteran Travis (Simon Baker) that results in the massacre of a Yolngu community, from which young Gutjuk and his uncle Baywara survive. Twelve years later, Gutjuk (Jacob Junior Nayinggul), now raised at a mission, joins Travis to track the vengeful Baywara amid attacks on settlers. As past truths emerge, loyalties fracture in this frontier thriller blending action with explorations of trust, betrayal, and cultural clash across stunning Northern Territory landscapes.