Rams

Set in the vast rural bush of Australia, Rams opens with a curious series of manoeuvres that sees various gates open and close to let Colin Grimurson (Sam Neil) drive out without a word to another person Les (Michael Caton). It transpires that they are brothers who haven’t spoken for some forty years. Both are sheep farmers with adjoining farms.

As expected, they are highly competitive as becomes obvious during a local show where the prized rams are presented and prizes awarded. It’s a small close-knit community where everyone knows their business and the bar is the place to talk shop and banter. The rams are judged by new vet Kat (Miranda Richardson) with the prize awarded to Les. It doesn’t go down well with Colin, naturally.
Inspecting the winning ram Colin discovers that the animal could have Ovine Johne’s Disease (OJD) a notifiable disease that would have massive repercussions for the community. It has to be reported.

Naturally this does nothing for the relationship between the brothers and causes a rift within the community, though in truth there is very little anyone can do about it. The government arrive to take over which means slaughtering the flocks, decontaminate or pull down the buildings and arrange compensation.

Pushed to the extreme Colin takes matters into his own hands and slaughters his own animals contrary to the law. It’s a time of reckoning for the community as their livelihoods are torn apart. As the buildings start to be decontaminated or demolished and we go through the four seasons we see there is method in Colin’s madness.

Rams is a remake of Hrútar a 2015 Icelandic film by Grimur Hákonarson that I haven’t seen. Jeremy Sims’s film is by and large a gentle (If long) blend of comedy and drama that floats a number of ideas that writer Jules Duncan has threaded through regarding the difficulties of rural communities in Australia as well as the feuding brothers.

The younger generation are starting to lose interest in farming, find their own ways and moving away. Their families after years of toil with little return are also looking away from the sector; perversely the OJD and the compensation could give them that opportunity.
All this is neatly worked around the kernel of the film that is the relationship between Colin and Les. For the likes of Colin and Les there’s nothing else either through age, convenience or a love for the rural life.

After 40 years no one is going to tell them anything – their run ins with government officials make that clear – and neither is going to make the first move towards reconciliation or forget why they are feuding. As such there isn’t much in the way of character development as the viewer get all they need to know within the first 15 minutes. The delight is in watching Neil and Caton playing two stubborn, cantankerous men dealing with their differences as best they can.

Rams will be on digital platforms from 5 February.