At the beginning of the 20th century, a young aborigine is brought up in a mission by a family who hopes to civilise him. When he goes looking for work, he is exploited, robbed, sullied and driven to commit murder. His time spent on the run reveals the deep rift between the Australian settlers and the indigenous people.
A major film of the Australian New Wave, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith remains a gripping work, both for the radical message it delivers and for its striking images.