Worth: $16.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Richard Bell, Gary Foley, Nicole Watson, Keith Munro, Pauline Clague, Chelsea Watego, Daniel Browning, Bronwyn Penrith, John Maynard
Intro:
... a vibrant and playful documentary that never loses sight of its intention ...
FilmInk acknowledges this review was written on Wurundjeri country, and acknowledges that sovereignty of this land has never been ceded. We honour and pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
You Can Go Now is a touching tribute to a man who has dedicated his life to art, activism, and community. Following the courageous and polemic artist Richard Bell, the documentary explores a man’s half-century fight to ensure the rights of First Nations people. It charts both the personal and professional layers of Indigenous voice – informing audiences about the complexities of colonialism’s ongoing effects – whilst also positively showing the endurance and heart of a respected people.
Director Larissa Behrendt injects an energy to this documentary that supports a welcomed playfulness. There is a love for comedy and a meaty laugh – one that is as embraced in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait community as much as their need for rights, respect and sovereignty. In the mind of Richard Bell, sometimes laughter is the best medicine, and his art is a vessel to challenge the hegemony, but also to make his people feel seen and heard. His art covers a broad spectrum, ranging from comedic skits, inspiring murals, and provocative displays.
Through a combination of interview and archive footage, the film uses historical cataloguing at times; for instance, referencing the dichotomy between the Civil Rights movement in the USA during the 1960s, and the 1967 Australian referendum. Richard Bell saw the changing way that colonial countries were dealing with oppression, and from that befriended Emery Douglas (a prominent American graphic artist and former member of the Black Panther Party). It explores how both these artists collaborated and formed a bond of unity, using the power of art to empower and embolden a group of people facing similar levels of oppression. The film does an assured job of documenting black solidarity, without slipping into broader ideas that muddle the maker’s intention.
When the interview slows down, the camera lingers with a sensitive authenticity on Bell’s face as he takes the audience on a journey of the more tumultuous parts of his life. He has endured and struggled a lot, but his quest to undo a very white centred gaze on First Nations art has propelled and invigorated his soul. He believes that his people have a right to create, and share works of art without the exploitation of Western influence, and this film helps to reinforce that notion.
Its effective 80-minute runtime breezes by as a plethora of topics are explored; the film occasionally needing a little more time to unpack the broader socio-political issues. This is a minor quibble considering how attested and genuine the entire documentary feels – it both entertains and veritably informs.
Considering the discrimination, disenfranchisement, and colonial impacts that still haunt Australia to this very day, You Can Go Now is a reminder that a documentary can focus entirely on black voices. Richard Bell has left an infectious imprint on First Nations people as he mischievously challenges the status quo, and he won’t stop until we really have: all gone now.
