Burned Bridge aka Heartland

Heartland was an Australian television drama series that ran on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1994. It ran for thirteen episodes and starred Cate Blanchett and Ernie Dingo. The show was also known as Burned Bridge in some countries. Plot summary Heartland deals with the mystery surrounding the death of an Aboriginal girl and the doubts concerning the guilt of her boyfriend, who is arrested for her murder. It is also a love story between two of the people convinced of his innocence. Their growing relationship must survive hostility from both the white and black communities and the obstacles of their different backgrounds, attitudes and cultures. Set in a small coastal town against the turmoils of murder, mystery and romance, Heartland follows the people from this seaside community and their battle to restructure their own way of life. Their struggle to restore their self-esteem towards a positive future, despite the obstacles in their path. Other plot elements revolve around the character of Elizabeth Ashton a writer arriving in a small coastal community. A degree of suspicion exists towards the newcomer who is ignorant of any underlying racial tensions. This naivety allows her to more easily befriend local Aborigine Vincent Burunga. Into this mix is the local police officer Phil McCarthy who seeks Ashton's affections whilst being hostile to her friendship with Burunga, not just as a rival suitor, but because of racial prejudice.

STARS: Ernie Dingo, Cate Blanchett, Wesley Patten

50 min | Drama | 1994 | Color

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First Rate TV
Although I have only seen the first 5 episodes of this series I can tell you it's very much worth watching. I haven't seen a lot of okker TV, but this sure beats almost any series I have ever seen on American TV, (which in most cases isn't saying much).
The cinematography really stands out among a lot of elements that also stand out. Though shot on video in 1994 DP Geoffrey Manias used motion picture lenses and achieved lots of frames that would be at home in a mainstream film feature. I don't think I have ever watched a show shot on pre High-Def video that used depth of field and many of wonderful angles to such great affect.
The native Austrailians really shine here. The young man accused of killing his girlfriend (Ricky?) delivers a performance every bit bit as good as Blanchett's. His downfall is convincing and puts a face on the plight of Native peoples overrun by whites all over the planet. His family and the family of the dead girl also do great jobs and make the story live.
Cate Blanchett shows the talent that has made her the star she is today. I find her a joy to watch no matter what she does. Her character is compleat and complicated and unpredictable.
Ernie Dingo did a great job of writing the scripts that highlight the problems that still face the Aboriiginal people today. I am sad to see he has not written more shows that got on TV or made into movies.