''Dingo'' is a 1991 Australian film directed by

Rolf de Heer Rolf de Heer (born 4 May 1951) is a Dutch Australian film director. De Heer was born in Heemskerk in the Netherlands but migrated to Sydney when he was eight years old.

and written by Marc Rosenberg. It is notable for marking

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

' first and only speaking role in a narrative feature film.

Synopsis

The story traces the pilgrimage of John Anderson, an average guy with a passion for

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, from his home in outback Western Australia to the jazz clubs of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, to meet his idol, jazz trumpeter Billy Cross. In the film's opening sequence, Cross and his band unexpectedly land on a remote airstrip for repairs in the

Australian outback The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a n ...

and proceed to perform for the stunned locals.

Cast

Colin Friels Colin Friels (born 25 September 1952) is a Scottish-born Australian actor of theatre, TV and film and presenter Early life Friels was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland.Interview with Colin Friels, ''George Negus Tonight'' (ABC Television ...

- John Anderson *

- Billy Cross *

Helen Buday Helen Buday (born 1962) is an Australian actress and singer. She is known for her role as Savannah Nix in the film ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome''. She was awarded Best Actress at the 48th Valladolid International Film Festival in 2003 for her r ...

- Jane Anderson * Joe Petruzzi - Peter *

Brigitte Catillon Brigitte Catillon (born 20 July 1951) is a French actress and screenwriter. She was nominated for the César Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1993 for ''A Heart in Winter'' directed by Claude Sautet. She was also nominated for the Molière ...

- Beatrice Boulain *

Bernard Fresson Bernard Fresson (27 May 1931 – 20 October 2002) was a French actor who primarily worked in film. Born in Reims, France, to a French baker, Fresson attended the Lycée privé Sainte-Geneviève, majoring in law. He studied in Tania Balachova's ...

- Jacques Boulain *

Bernadette Lafont Bernadette Lafont (28 October 1938 – 25 July 2013) was a French actress who appeared in more than 120 feature films. She has been considered "the face of French New Wave". In 1999 she told ''The New York Times'' her work was "the motor of my e ...

- Angie Cross * Helen Doig - Ruth

Production

The movie was filmed in Meekatharra,

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, and

Sandstone, Western Australia Sandstone is a small town in the Mid West region of Western Australia east of Mount Magnet and north of the state capital, Perth. At the , Sandstone and the surrounding Shire of Sandstone had a population of 89 people, including 19 families ...

, as well as

Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. Christian Faure was the assistant director of the movie.

Music

Davis, who plays the role of Cross, provided the film's soundtrack in cooperation with

Michel Legrand Michel Jean Legrand (; 24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz pianist. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to many son ...

Box office

''Dingo'' grossed $132,500 at the box office in Australia.

Reception

According to Ozmovies:

Despite the presence of Miles Davis, the film also didn’t travel well internationally and struggled for attention, though his presence also has ensured the film’s ongoing status as a cult item, offsetting the unfulfilled award, critical and commercial hopes...
... the film was at the time criticised for being an unrealistic and unlikely romantic fairy tale, but jazz enthusiasts defensively rushed to dig out stories of Australia’s best jazz saxophonist, Bernie McGann, who, while working as a postman, went out into the bush to practise.'Dingo'
a
Ozmovies
accessed 26 October 2017.

Home media

''Dingo'' was released on DVD by Umbrella Entertainment in July 2005. The DVD is compatible with all region codes and includes special features such as a new 5.1 channel soundtrack, trailers, and an image gallery.

References

External links

* *
Dingo at the National Film and Sound ArchiveDingo
a
Ozmovies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dingo (Film) 1991 films 1990s musical drama films Australian musical drama films French musical drama films Films directed by Rolf de Heer Films scored by Michel Legrand Films scored by Miles Davis Films shot in Australia Miles Davis 1991 drama films 1990s English-language films 1990s French films