Produced by and starring Cate Blanchett, The New Boy has had a long journey to the screen. Apparently, writer-director Warwick Thornton began writing the first draft of the film more than two decades ago. It’s a story that holds a great deal of personal significance for him, as he was also raised by monks at a Christian boarding school; however, he set the story much earlier, in 1940s Australia.

The story takes place at a remote convent with a mission for Aboriginal children run by Sister Irene (Blanchett), who doesn’t exactly live by the rules. She runs the convent following the death of the head priest, but as the film progresses, we learn that she doesn’t report it as women weren’t allowed to be in charge. We’re introduced to the nine-year-old Aboriginal boy (Aswan Reid) in a rather violent fashion, in a vast desert landscape. He’s then delivered in the dead of night and treated like an animal by the police on patrol. Soon, we discover he has special abilities where sparks of fire come out when he rubs his fingers together. While his powers are indeed extraordinary, I think the spark is a coping mechanism as well as companionship for the forlorn boy.

At first, I thought the main conflict would be that his special powers would get exploited once people find that out. But Thornton is more interested in exploring the clash of faith between the boy’s Indigenous spirituality and the Catholic religion that he’s forced to adopt. Reid’s intriguing sense of wonder and childlike innocence is fascinating to watch, an incredible debut performance as he mostly communicates with his eyes and gestures. I think his powers are symbolic of his uniqueness as an Indigenous individual, which in a colonized society is something to be suppressed.

What’s interesting is that the boy is very casual and matter-of-fact about his special powers, which include the gift of healing. George (Wayne Blair), a loyal Aboriginal staff member, witnesses the boy healing a fellow student who gets injured during their work duties. Soon, everyone is aware of it, not that it give the boy preferential treatment. He’s still treated as the ‘other’ or the strange one, though the warm-hearted Sister Mum (the orphans call her that as they have no mother of their own) shows compassion to him.

There is a poignant moment where Sister Mum, wonderfully portrayed by Deborah Mailman, clutches an old photo of her mother and sister, whom she’s been separated from years ago. She too suffers from the assimilation policy done by the white Australians in order to erase their identity and cultural attachment.

Things get even more interesting with the arrival of a life-size carving of Christ. The boy doesn’t really understand who the Savior is, so he perceives Christ in a way that no one else does. Thornton uses magic realism to illustrate the statue’s subtle movements and the blood droplets falling to the ground below. At one moment, the boy actually ‘liberates’ the Christ figure from the cross and dresses him, almost as if he’s attempting to save and comfort him.

The boy experiences stigmata, viewed by Catholics as a miracle, but it can be interpreted as a symbol of the boy’s deepening spiritual connection to the crucified Christ. As he gets baptized, the spark he possesses is gone. It’s another powerful insights into the enduring sting of colonialism and enforced Aboriginal assimilation.

Blanchett is one of the main draws to see this, and she never fails to impress. Sister Eileen is a layered and conflicted character, grappling with the rigid expectations placed on women. It’s great that Blanchett and her husband, Andrew Upton (who has a brief cameo here), are producing this film that brings Indigenous narratives to the forefront.

Some might think there’s not much happening in this movie, but it’s actually packed with plenty to ruminate on. The cinematography is quite stunning, Thornton himself works as the DP in capturing the beauty and harshness of the landscape, filmed in the historic mining town of Burra in South Australia. He relies on natural light and keeps the dialogue to a minimum to keep an atmospheric vibe. The evocative music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is appropriately moody and haunting.

The New Boy might not be a feel-good Summer movie, but there are moments of levity that I didn’t expect. The slow pace can be challenging, and the story certainly challenges our perspectives about themes that are difficult to reconcile with. It’s certainly one of the most thought-provoking films I’ve seen this year.

What are your thoughts on The New Boy?