Documentary on an Aussie beach “tribe” called the Bra Boys. My brother mentioned it to me ages ago, only just got around to seeing it, not sure if he has yet (??).
Anyway, going into it I wasn’t sure what to expect, perhaps another look at this strange Aussie habit of carving hero’s out of those who are not always the most law abiding of citizens (Aussies love Chopper, I certainly loved the movie). In the end it felt a lot like a movie about surfing, which it seems, is pretty much all the Bra Boys do all day.
It was interesting to me to get a perspective on some of the things that have happened at home while I have been away. The 2005 Beach Race Riots in Cronulla for example, and even the Bra Boys themselves, who I had never heard of. The documentary (complete with Russell Crowe voice over)however came across a bit too much like marketing for the group, lots of “we’re just misunderstood” type undertones.
With that said, it seemed to me that the “leader” of the boys did have their “communities” interests at heart, even if they considered getting into running battles near their beach “protecting” their community. If the documentary is to be believed they also offered some of the local boys, in what is a very poor urban area, a sense of family, one in which drugs and smoking is forbidden in favour of surfing. It felt a little bit like what playing basketball is to young black men in “the ghetto”, with the guys who lead the Bra Boys actually being professional surfers.
I will always be very nervous of any glorification of this type of group, I cant help but wonder what it must be like to be in their community and somehow find yourself on the wrong side of one of the boys.
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