A One Mann’s Movies review of “Sugarcane” (2024).
This was the final film in this season’s Oscar set of films that I was able to watch. (The only one I missed this year was “Flow”… which then went and won “Animated Feature”, dammit!) “Sugarcane” is a dark and depressing trawl through historical Catholic church abuses and how the long shadows of those events echo across the generations.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
“Sugarcane” Summary:
The St. Joseph’s Mission was a Catholic mission school for indigenous children near Williams Lake in British Columbia. In a story that is frighteningly familiar, tales of sexual abuse, pregnancies and infanticide abound and have left a horrible scar on the individuals, now elderly, who experienced them.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Child sexual and physical abuse theme, distressing scenes, strong language”.)
Talent:
Directed by: Emily Kassie & Julian Brave NoiseCat.
Running Time: 1h 47m.
“Sugarcane” Summary:
Positives:
- Moving scenes of past students reliving their horrible experiences.
- Sensitively handled.
- Atmospheric shots of the return to the scene of the crimes.
Negatives:
- Dark and depressing, this one was impressive work without exciting me greatly.
Review of “Sugarcane”:
So many variants of this story.
It’s easy to think that all Catholic schools were riddled with perverts and paedophiles. This of course was not the case and there were a lot of good, kindly and Godly teachers in place. But there were clearly far too many bad apples and enough people who knew or suspected of wrongdoing but who turned a blind eye. This has been the subject of many different works of fiction: for example, “Philomena“; “Spotlight“; and most recently “Small Things Like These” and “Nickel Boys“. But here is the real thing in documentary form.
It makes for a sombre watch, as one estranged father, Ed Archie Noisecat, the father of the co-director who was a baby born into the mission, can barely bring himself to be in the same area any more, such is his level of lifelong trauma. The film delicately paints how the events have not only affected the victim but how the damage trickles down through multiple generations, affecting even his grandchildren.
Vatican trip.
In another strand of the film, we follow Rick Gilbert as he goes on a trip to the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis. The Pope, although apologising for the evil inflicted on them by members of the church, suggests no further action. He also seems to get the tone of his address very wrong… signing off with flippancy when a sombre retreat would have seemed more appropriate. It’s an interesting scene.
Bleak but effective cinematography.
Many of the Canadian shots look quite bleak and wintry, which suits the tone of the film. Particularly striking are the shots of a barn-like structure where visitors discover forlorn messages carved into the wooden beams.
But, I’m afraid this one didn’t really grab me.
The documentary is ‘fine’. But I can’t say that this one really excited me much. Yes, it examines the emotions and the feelings of the individuals and at the film’s heart is the emotional healing of the relationship between the father and the son. It also reflects a very tragic moment that occurs, illustrating that not all of the ‘survivors’ are surviving with their emotions. It’s just a very sad and depressing tale.
Triggers
Dealing as it does with childhood physical and sexual abuse, there are obvious triggers in here for some viewers. There is also a suicide theme explored.
Summary Thoughts on “Sugarcane”
Not one of my favourites of the nominated documentaries, but a worthy and worthwhile look at the ongoing suffering of ‘survivors’ of abuse.
It’s currently available to stream on Disney+.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Sugarcane”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CisI_WFPDOk .
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