[ Budjerah and Matt Corby: ♪ The Way ]
♪ Just one
♪ Drop from
♪ The sky like the
♪ Teardrop
♪ That forms in my eyes
♪ It brings
♪ New strength
♪ To take its claim
♪ Regeneration
♪ To heal our pain
♪ Ride into the wind
♪ Until you're home again
♪ Feel it in the rain
♪ Can you find the way?
♪ Feel it in the rain
♪ Can you find the way?
♪ It's time we start to relay
♪ The wonders of our history
♪ Our breath defies
♪ The story's page
♪ The songs created
♪ The path we made
♪ Ride into the wind
♪ Until you're home again
♪ Feel it in the rain Feel it in the rain
♪ Can you find the way?
♪ The way, yeah, yeah, yeah
♪ Feel it in the rain The rain
♪ Can you find the way?
♪ The way, yeah, yeah, yeah
♪ Feel it in the rain. ♪
[ ♪ poignant music ]
- There's a room.
- Thank you.
FATHER BENEDICT: (OVER RADIO) Mission Island to HQ.
Visibility good.
All clear. Over and out.
[ children singing ♪ Over the Rainbow in Language ]
[ playing ♪ Over the Rainbow ]
[ whistling ♪ Over the Rainbow ]
- Leave it off.
- What? No whistling?
- Just not that tune.
- Know what I heard on the bush telegraph?
That Missus Boss gone Darwin.
Yeah. Reckon she got a job at that Army HQ, eh?
You must be properly hurtin' for that Missus Boss.
- Shut ya damper hole, will ya?
- Well, I can see why Missus Boss gave you the boot.
- Wanna know why she gave me the boot?
- Yeah.
- 'Cause I wouldn't stop Nullah from going walkabout.
- He went walkabout?
- Yeah. I tried to explain to her what that means, but--
- See him go?
- Nah.
- So he's gone?
- Yeah. Like I told her, he went walkabout.
- But you don't know?
- Eh?
- That little fella,
he could've walked into a big hole or got eaten by a croc,
or...or what if the cops have got him?
- Don't you bloody start. He's an Aboriginal boy.
- Hey, you just hiding behind that blackfella business
so you don't get hurt.
This isn't about walkabout, is it?
Is it?
You're runnin'.
- I'm not runnin', mate. - Yes, you are, brother.
You're scared of getting your heart hurt like before,
when my sister died.
But knowing you, you probably never told Missus Boss
that you loved her, eh?
This is about that bloody barbed wire fence you've got.
The one around the garden of your heart.
You gotta have some hurt in your heart for someone
or you don't love.
You don't love.
You're not alive, brother.
You're nothing.
No dreaming. No story.
Nothing.
Hey, big mob of army fellas.
[ ♪ uneasy music ]
Must be diggers, eh?
DROVER: They're not Aussies, mate. They're Yanks.
They're headed to Darwin.
[ ♪ tense music ]
[ Nullah grunts ]
[ children chattering, laughing ]
- Once you've signed the contract,
I'll get one of the brothers
to take you out to the mission on the sloop.
You can be happily reunited with your little creamy.
No loss of pride, Lady Ashley.
[ telephone receiver clicks ]
[ ♪ unsettling music ]
- Good morning, Ivan!
[ Ivan speaks Russian ]
- You look happy. - I am.
I get my little boy today.
Oh, and, Ivan, we're leaving the Territory tomorrow.
- Good. I need the room.
- I'll miss you too, Ivan!
[ ♪ ominous music ]
[ planes roaring overhead ]
CATH: Army Headquarters. How can I connect you?
MAN: Morning.
[ telephones ringing, chattering ]
- Cath, I'm sorry I'm late. - Quick changeover, girls.
- Did you speak to Neil? - Yes.
I'm seeing him about Nullah after my shift.
- Look, I was just thinking--
- What?
- About Nullah. SARAH: Mm?
What?
You have an idea? - I do.
[ ♪ ominous music ]
[ artillery fire, children screaming ]
[ artillery fire continues ]
FATHER BENEDICT: Mission Island to HQ--
- I'm getting a signal from Mission Island.
- An unusually large air formation
bearing down on us. Visibility not--
[ explosion ]
[ ♪ ominous music builds ]
[ bird chirping ]
- If you can't understand the ordinance,
how can you understand the order?
- What's happening?
[ ♪ ominous music escalates ]
[ frantic screaming ]
[ artillery fire ]
- Hurry up!
[ artillery fire continues ]
MAN: Come on! Move, move, move!
- Bombs away! Free the prisoners!
- Go! [ ♪ anguished music ]
[ ♪ anguished music builds ]
[ ♪ anguished music escalates ]
[ ♪ soft eerie music ]
GOOLAJ: Drover! Hey! Drover!
[ speaks in Language ]
- Goolaj, where's Missus Boss?
- She at that Army HQ, old Carney place!
- OK. Yah! Yah!
- Drover, I'll see you Faraway Downs!
- Drover!
- Callahan? MAGARRI: Drover!
- Is she in there? Sarah Ashley!
- It's too late. - She's in there!
DROVER: Out of the way! [ clamouring, men shouting ]
Let me in there! Sarah!
Sarah! Let me in there!
[ Drover protesting ] [ men struggling ]
Let me in there!
- She's a part of dreaming now! - Get out of my way!
- Go on, hit me! - Get out of my--
Go on! Hit me! It's not gonna bring her back!
- She's in there! Sarah!
[ ♪ sombre song in Language ]
[ man groans ]
[ frantic chatter and clamouring ]
[ man sobbing ]
[ ♪ haunting song in Language ]
[ ♪ dark music ]
[ ♪ distant harmonica melody ]
[ faint strains of ♪ Waltzing Matilda ]
[ ♪ Waltzing Matilda playing on piano, soft chattering ]
- Hey, no boongs in here.
[ music, chattering stops ]
- You didn't say that, did you?
- That's how it is.
- Just because it is...
doesn't...doesn't mean it should be.
Serve him a fuckin' drink.
- Ah, what does it matter?
I've got total bloody ruin.
I'm evacuating south like everybody else.
- You're short one glass.
One...more...glass.
- Leave this place for the looters and the Japs.
Why not the boongs?
I saw her this morning,
before she went to the work.
She was so happy.
She was gonna get that...
little boy and go south.
- What about the children on Mission Island?
IVAN: The creamies? They left all there.
- They left them out there?
- Safe in the hands of God.
- They left them--
IVAN: They say the island was hit first.
They say no-one would have survived.
- [ softly ] They say a lot of things.
IVAN: Brother Frank
has been trying to get back to the island,
but the Army won't give him back their sloop.
- I need help to get to the island!
BULL: Half the Jap Navy's out there, ya stupid bastard!
- I have the Lord on my side.
- I don't give a damn who's on your side!
- God works in mysterious ways, brother. Go, go, go!
Magarri, secure the boat.
FRANK: Thank you, Lord. Thank you--
DROVER: Thank you, Bull.
[ ♪ dramatic music ]
- Comin' through! Get out of the way, fellas.
Clear the corridor! Come on!
- Nobody past this point
unless you're at death's door or already through it!
You got a name?
- Ashley. Sarah Ashley.
MAN: If you can't find a doctor, get a vet! Anyone with medical--
- What did you say?
SOLDIER: It's the operator from Army HQ.
DUTTON: No, there's been some mistake.
That's Cath Fletcher.
- Oh, God, it's Cath! [ gasps ]
[ wails ] Oh, God, no! SERGEANT: Sort her out.
- Oh, my God--
- Sarah...I'm sorry.
[ sobs ] Oh, my God.
- I've got to get to Nullah. - Sarah--
- No--
- The Japs hit the mission first.
- No, I don't believe you!
- Sarah...Sarah...Sarah, look at me.
No-one can get out there.
No-one.
[ ♪ tense music ]
DROVER: Let's go!
- Ivan.
Check the second dormitory.
- OK.
[ faint strains of children singing ]
- Nullah.
[ moans softly ]
[ faint rustling ]
MAGARRI: Come on out, it's alright.
[ shushing ]
- Where are the other-- Are there other boys?
- I don't know.
DROVER: Are there other boys? BOY: I don't know.
- OK.
NULLAH: Drover?
- [ softly ] Nullah.
- Drover!
Drover!
[ ♪ uplifting music ]
- Oh!
Hey, little fella!
We, uh...we can't say her name anymore, little mate.
Alright. Hey. Now, you listen to me.
I need your help.
Now, I'm gonna get these fellas off the island.
Now, you're gonna have to be strong. Can you do that?
- Mm-hm. - Good boy.
Alright. Go get your little mates down there, alright?
DROVER: Now, listen,
we're gonna get you all off this island, alright? Alright.
Boys, we're gonna have to swim.
[whispering ] We have to be quiet, like a turtle. OK?
Now, I'm gonna take you home on a ship.
It's over there. You see it?
[ ♪ menacing music ]
[ soldiers speaking in Japanese ]
[ whispering ] Let's go! Let's go! Quick, quick, quick!
Ivan!
Ivan, swim the big boys down to the sloop.
Use the current and drift it down
to the end of the wharf. Go!
[ ♪ tense music builds ]
- Drover! I can't swim 'em!
- Get on my back. I got ya. Get on my back.
Mate, it's OK, it's OK. Don't be scared.
That's it.
Quick, quick, quick, quick, quick! That's it.
Good boy. BOY 2: Take me too?
BOY 3: Hey, Drover!
BOY 4: Wait for me!
How many of you fellas can't actually swim?
- Oh, crikey.
[ soldiers speaking in Japanese ]
- Hey.
- I take this mob walkabout. - You'll never make it.
Well, you gotta make it. You got family now.
You gotta drove this mob home, Drover.
- Good luck, brother.
[ ♪ tense music ]
[ soldiers speaking in Japanese ]
[ ♪ tense music builds ]
[ soldier shouts in Japanese ]
[ gunfire ]
- Magarri.
[ rifle clicks ] [ Magarri grunts ]
Come on.
[ ♪ tense music escalates ]
[ gunshot ] [ Magarri groans ]
[ soldiers speaking in Japanese ]
[ soldier speaks in Japanese ]
[ gun clicks ] [ soldier speaks in Japanese ]
- Drove 'em home, Drover.
[ gunshot rings out ]
[ ♪ forlorn music ]
- Sergeant! Get the men on the trucks.
We're evacuating within 15 minutes.
We rendezvous with the main convoy
at 0800 hours in Adelaide River.
Start the trucks, Sergeant Lappin.
If anyone is lagging behind,
you use whatever force is necessary.
Every single man, Lappin, and don't take no for an answer.
- You won't have to wait for us, Captain. Move!
Come on! Move!
CALLAHAN: Thanks for coming down, Mr Fletcher.
It's my awful duty to inform you
that your wife, Catherine--
- My wife is dead?
It's a funny old world, innit?
Generous to a fault.
Yeah, you know that Lady Ashley
insisted that my wife work her shift.
So that she could see some...
half-caste kid on the mission.
Now my wife's dead...
and I've lost everything.
- Oh.
I can't leave.
- Sarah, you must listen to me.
If Nullah is alive, then we will find him.
But we can't do that from inside a Japanese prison camp.
We must go south.
We will come back for him, I promise you.
I'll get you through this,
but you've got to be strong.
[ ♪ poignant music ]
SERGEANT: Fasten those boxes.
[ overlapping chatter ]
SERGEANT: Come on, boys!
They'll be flyin' in here and blowing us up any minute!
Get on the bloody trucks!
Righto, you got the boys on those trucks,
so let's get outta here!
Come on! Get on the trucks!
- I never really belonged here.
[ exhales heavily ]
[ ♪ singing in Language ]
[ speaks in Language ]
[ playing ♪ Over the Rainbow ]
Come on, love. Don't muck about.
[ ♪ Over the Rainbow continues ]
- Can you hear that?
The music. Can you hear it?
- Come on, boys. There's no need to be afraid.
[ playing ♪ Over the Rainbow ]
That's it.
[ ♪ children singing in Language ]
DUTTON: Sarah, please-- - Can't you hear it?
[ harmonica playing ]
[ children singing ♪ Over the Rainbow in Language ]
It's children singing.
[ ♪ ♪ ]
[ ♪ singing in Language ]
DUTTON: Sarah!
- What's goin' on? - Just give her another minute.
[ ♪ ♪ ]
[ ♪ children singing continues ]
- Missus Boss!
Missus Boss! Missus Boss!
[ ♪ stirring music ]
- Nullah!
- Oh, Missus Boss! - Oh!
Oh!
- What did you say?
What?
- Drover.
[ ♪ stirring music swells ]
DROVER: You're alive!
[ ♪ sweet music ]
[ horn honks ]
- Sarah, what's going on?
I can't hold the Sergeant any longer.
FRANK: Come on! [ children chattering ]
- Oh, my God, it's the children from the mission.
The last convoy leaves Darwin in a matter of minutes.
- Come on. Come on, boys.
[ overlapping chatter ]
Follow Brother Frank. Follow Brother Frank. That's it.
Come on, boys. Come on, boys, let's go.
[ chatter continues ]
DUTTON: Back to the end of the wharf
and then straight on the truck.
- Sarah. [ gasps ]
- Ivan!
Thank you!
Thank you.
- I shall prepare your bill.
[ children chattering, laughing ]
SERGEANT: Where'd you come from?
- The good Lord has delivered us,
but we could do with a ride, Sergeant.
- Oh, I'm not Jesus Christ, but I'll give it my best shot.
Come on, kids, move it. Come on! On the trucks.
I want a third at the front and a third at the back.
- You know, when I said that no-one could get out there,
I'd forgotten about you, Drover.
DUTTON: Yes, he's right, you know.
With the water up, it's the safest place in the north.
These are, after all--
- Extraordinary circumstances.
- Thank you, Emmett.
DUTTON: I'll see you mob in Faraway Downs!
[ overlapping chatter ]
FRANK: Come, come, Captain.
- SERGEANT: Righto, that's it, they're all on.
Let's get outta here. Come on, let's go!
[ ♪ Over the Rainbow plays ]
[ ♪ sinister music ]
- You've cursed me, you little creamy.
[ ♪ unsettling music ]
BULL: Mr Fletcher!
Mr Fletcher.
Neil.
We gotta go.
- Go and tell Callahan there's looters everywhere.
Go and tell Callahan!
[ ♪ menacing music builds ]
- I'll grab the keys to the car. - Righto.
- Nullah!
[ ♪ menacing music escalates ]
- Nullah!
- Nullah! No!
[ Fletcher shouts ]
SARAH: No!
[ groaning ]
[ screams ]
[ grunts ]
[ moans ]
- Nullah!
- Nullah, you alright, little mate?
Nullah, please, please.
Come on.
That's it.
[ groans softly ] - [ distorted ] No!
Ivan! He's hurt!
You're bleeding.
Ivan, help! Get the ambulance, hurry!
Ivan, he's hurt!
He's hurt.
- [ groans ] It's bloody wrong-sided business,
eh, Nullah...
that gets us all in the end.
- Nullah.
- Yes?
- From now on, you're gonna be station manager, alright?
Missus Boss is gonna need you.
You can do it, alright?
[ Nullah sobbing ] That's my boy.
[ groaning ]
You know, I thought I'd lost you forever.
The truth is, I can't even bloody die without you.
- Nobody's dying, Drover. Nobody's dying.
I won't have it.
And we're going to grow old together.
You stay with me.
You're going to be alright.
- Yes. Yes.
I'm gonna be alright.
And so are you.
I've lived my story.
[ groans ]
Yours isn't over.
So make it a good one, huh?
SARAH: Drover.
You stay with me. I need you.
- Sarah...
do me a favour.
- Anything. Anything, yes.
S-say my name.
[ weakly] Jack.
It's Jack.
J-Jack Clancy.
- Jack.
That's your name?
Jack. Jack.
[ weeps ]
- I don't recall if I ever mentioned...
that...
that I love you.
I love you.
- Oh, Jack.
My Jack.
- I love you.
[ Nullah weeping ]
- Come back, Jack, Jack, Jack...
[ ♪ mournful string music ]
[ ♪ ♪ ]
[ ♪ pensive music ]
[ kisses ]
[ ♪ wistful song in Language ]
[ ♪ ♪ ]
- Here.
[ ♪ ♪ ]
[ speaking in Language ]
- And I will hear you.
[ Miiesha: ♪ By the Boab Tree ]
[ Writers: Luhrmann, Meagher, Little, Monsted, Weiss ]
♪ Sing and I will hear you
♪ No matter where you are
♪ A song to light the darkest night
♪ And guide me from afar
♪ And I will never be alone
♪ Now I know you're somewhere
♪ You're everywhere
♪ To me
♪ You're the colour
♪ In the sky
♪ A reason to believe
♪ And when the rain falls down
♪ You tell a story
♪ And I will hear you
♪ Always near you
♪ By the boab tree
♪ Lay your arms around me
♪ Like the falling rain
♪ Let the feeling drown me
♪ And life begins again
♪ And I
♪ Will never be afraid
♪ Now I know you're somewhere
♪ You're everywhere to me
♪ The warming of the sun
♪ Upon
♪ The earth beneath my feet
♪ And when
♪ The rain falls down
♪ You tell a story
♪ And I will hear you
♪ Always near you
♪ By the boab tree
♪ Hey-ey-ey
♪ Ah-ah, ahhh. ♪