Ten Canoes (2007)
88%RT Audience Score: 78%
Awards & Nominations: 17 wins & 9 nominations
Ten Canoes is a cinematic masterpiece that seamlessly blends anthropology and entertainment, resulting in a film that is both intellectually stimulating and visually stunning. The raw power of the story, filled with myth, magic, and misadventure, is perfectly balanced with an earthy, universally appealing sense of humor. The film’s engrossing and witty cultural document is a testament to the filmmakers’ ability to capture indigenous Australia with warmth and humor. With a cast led by the canny, subtle, and funny narrator Gulpilil, Ten Canoes is a must-see for anyone who appreciates a well-told story, spear fights, and a celebration of community and ritual.
Ten Canoes is a movie that’s both educational and entertaining. It’s like watching a National Geographic documentary, but with a sense of humor. The film tells the story of an indigenous Australian tribe and their way of life, but it’s not all serious. There are moments of levity and even some spear fights. The narrator, Gulpilil, is a delight to listen to and his wit adds to the charm of the movie. Overall, Ten Canoes is a unique and enjoyable experience that’s worth checking out.
Production Company(ies)
Nouvelles Éditions de Films,
Distributor
Palm Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Arafura Swamp, Northern Territory, Australia
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
Year of Release
2006
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 31m
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Language(s):Aboriginal, English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 25, 2007 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 25, 2007
Genre(s)
Adventure
Keyword(s)
Ten Canoes, Adventure, Aboriginal, Folk Tale, Rolf de Heer, Peter Djigirr, Julie Ryan, David Gulpilil, Jamie Gulpilil, Peter Minygululu, Crusoe Kurddal, Box Office, Limited Release, Dolby Digital, Scope, Palm Pictures, Anthropology, Comedy, Mythmaking, Ethnographic Document, Humor, Indigenous Australia, Yolngu, Arafura Swamp, Ramingining, Arnhamland, Nonlinear Timeline, Ian Jones, Cinematography, Black and White, Vibrant Color, Patience, Honor, Bravery, Goose-Egg Hunt, Lust, Conflict, Dire Consequences, Universal Humanity, Metaphoric, Unprecedented, Philosophical, Wise, Methuselah, Adventure-Comedy-Anthropology, Aboriginal Languages, Narrator, Critic Reviews, Audience Reviews, Top Critics, Fresh, Rotten, Tomatometer, Audience Score, Streaming, Theaters, MPAA Rating, Produced by, Directed by, Written by, Reviewed by
Worldwide gross: $3,360,030
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $4,954,892
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,179
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 540,337
US/Canada gross: $283,654
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $418,292
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,367
US/Canada opening weekend: $14,076
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $20,757
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,502
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): A$2,200,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Jamie Gulpilil – Dayindi
Peter Minygululu – Minygululu
Crusoe Kurddal – Ridjimiraril
Rolf de Heer – Director
Peter Djigirr – Director
Director(s)
Rolf de Heer, Peter Djigirr
Writer(s)
Rolf de Heer
Producer(s)
Rolf de Heer, Julie Ryan
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
17 wins & 9 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (66) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (65) | Rotten (1)
Both ethnographic document and high-spirited flight of whimsy: a curious mixture of entertainment and anthropology.
January 2, 2016
Luke Buckmaster
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Ben Walters
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Ben Kenigsberg
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Sometimes all it takes to bridge the chasm of eons is a little humor.
October 27, 2007
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
A new and different kind of cinematic mythmaking.
August 4, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Josh Rosenblatt
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Gulpilil is the canny, subtle and funny narrator of 10 Canoes, a film of unutterable beauty, hypnotic fascination and universal humanity.
August 2, 2007 | Rating: 4.5/5
Richard Nilsen
Arizona Republic
TOP CRITIC
The raw power of the story – rife with myth, magic and misadventure – blends brilliantly with an earthy, universally appealing sense of humour.
November 17, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
A beautifully told story, which captures indigenous Australia with warmth and humour.
September 15, 2017
Keeva Stratton
Rescu (Australia)
A unique and entertaining blend of anthropology and cinema.
July 24, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
Mike Scott
Times-Picayune
The fable is a fascinating ethnographic document that satisfies just like any well told story.
June 22, 2009 | Rating: A-
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
Really a fairly amazing achievement: an engrossing, witty cultural document that doesn’t feel staid in the least. All this, plus spear fights.
October 31, 2007
Andrew Wright
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
A study of community and ritual, Ten Canoes celebrates as it contemplates, emphasizing the fact that this collection of stories, Gulpilil’s story in its many layers, is seen.
September 15, 2007
Cynthia Fuchs
Nitrate Online…
Plot
A story within a story. In Australia’s Northern Territory, a man tells us one of the stories of his people and his land. It’s a story of an older man, Minygululu, who has three wives and realizes that his younger brother Dayindi may try to steal away the youngest wife. So, over a few days and several trips to hunt and gather, Minygululu tells Dayindi a story set in the time of their ancestors when a stranger came to the village and disrupted the lives of a serious man named Ridjimiraril, his three wives, and his younger brother Yeeralparil who had no wife and liked to visit his youngest sister-in-law. Through stories, can values be taught and balance achieved?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features David Gulpilil, one of Australia’s most renowned actors.
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