Her husband, daughter, land and innocence ripped from her, she embarks on a brutal journey of retribution and revenge.
Written and directed by Victoria Wharfe McIntyre, The Flood is her debut feature film. The movie takes place during WWII. McIntyre brings a flavor of the Wild West throughout the movie. “The Flood is an action-packed, dramatic western-styled adventure that uses our nation’s history as a framework to support an uncompromising, exacting and romantic and delicate female-driven story that acts as a parable for race relations in our country.”
“It is a world of juxtapositions and grave injustice as we move through the lives of black, white and women of color, young and old, rich and poor, contrasting their grief, love, loss and rage against a ruthless rural patriarchy in WWII Australia.”
The story starts when Jarah’s Irish drover father and South Sea Islander mother die during a flood. She’s sent to live on Pastor Gerald Mackay’s mission, played by Peter McAllum.
Here, she meets Waru, an Aboriginal boy who becomes the love of her life and future husband. Jarah, played by Alexis Lane, and Waru, played by Shaka Cook, grow up together and have a daughter Binda, played by Simone Landers.
When WWII is in full swing, Waru and the mission men receive citizenship for military service. Waru goes to war against Jarah’s wishes.
While he was gone, the Aboriginal Welfare Board removed the children from the mission and subsumed their land. Jarah finds herself an enslaved person on a wealthy landholder’s estate and loses contact with Binda, who is working on the now-retired Gerald Mackay’s cattle farm.
Waru returns from the war with his mate Minto, played by Aaron Jeffery, a white soldier who owes his life to Waru on the battlefield. When Waru discovers what has happened to Binda and Jarah, he sets out to recover his family. Waru unwittingly kills Gerald’s son Kelly and flees with Binda to find Jarah.
Gerald sends for Kelly’s brother Shamus, played by Dean Kyrwood, and his brutal black tracking gang. Shamus arrives in town to find the local men incarcerated. Jarah is determined to use her to lure Waru back from the bush. Shamus and his gang violate Jarah, igniting a rage in her that stokes the fires of brutal and bloody revenge. Jarah forms an unlikely alliance with Pam, a mature white woman, played by Karen Garnsey, who has experienced her torment and is ready to act against the men and their atrocities.
Jarah plans, and with Pam’s help, she escapes her cell and travels with Minto to find Waru and Binda, who Shamus has captured.
Shamus kills Binda and drags Waru and Jarah back to town. Binda’s death transforms Jarah into something altogether new, something even she does not understand. She plunges into the unchartered territory of her darkness.
Jarah escapes once more and demands Waru’s help to destroy the town.
Through his own profound wartime experience, Waru understands that revenge will not ease Jarah’s pain, but he supports her.
With Waru’s help, Jarah wipes out the town and discovers Waru is correct. Her agony has not eased, but she is not ready to give up this approach. Jarah, Waru and Waru’s sister Maggie, played by Dalara Williams, flee, taking Shamus.
Jarah tortures Shamus, and eventually, he breaks. To Jarah’s consternation, Maggie determines to help Shamus connect once more to the goodness deep within. Through Maggie’s kindness, Shamus embarks on his inner journey of memory and feeling and can see he is a product of generations and generations of unending brutality. A seed of healing and hope births within him.
Jarah and Waru confront their rage and sorrow at the loss of Binda and the schism within their relationship.
Eventually, their love carries them through the darkness. Maggie is a pillar of compassion, understanding and spirit and is a catalyst for healing between them all.
Minto finds the near-dead Binda and brings her to Pam, a nurse in WWI. Together, they save her life. Gerald finds and takes them, with the police, to find Waru and Jarah and bring them to justice.
In a classic western show-down and shoot-out, Shamus willingly sacrifices himself for Maggie. Binda returns from the dead to her parents. Gerald goes the way of the dinosaurs, and Jarah touches on the prospect of forgiveness.
They find a fresh path of reconciliation and redemption between those who remain.
I am so glad that not everyone died. Justice is not as it appears, workable based on the circumstances of trying to survive.
The Flood garnered some awards at the Sydney Women’s International Film Festival: Best Director, Best Australian Film, and Best Actress for Alexis Lane.