DeniDoes Australian National Cinema have schizophrenia?
March 15th 2009 07:48
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Hi! I'm doing a new subject at uni that's all about Australian Cinema and Television, and every week we must, on fear of death, or worse, expulsion, write 'concept notes', or around 300 words on something that particularly interested us about that week's topic. So, I shall share with you my weekly words of wisdom, in the hope that it may entertain, and hopefully provoke thought about the nature and condition of Australian cinema...
Australian national cinema could be called schizophrenic. It has within it two apparently warring entities- that of the traditional post-colonial national cinema, and the Aboriginal or indigenous based, both of which produce their own special brand of films.
However, although these two branches of Australian cinema appear divisive, there are consistent themes which can be seen as belonging two both groups, thereby, in a way, unifying them almost despite themselves.
Firstly, both kinds of cinema regularly present the land, or ‘outback’ as an irreplaceable way to understand their cultural identity. For example, the quintessentially Australian Mick Dundee in ‘Crocodile Dundee’ (Peter Faiman, 1986) is, while slightly exaggerated, a direct result of his outback existence. His Aussie traits of bravery, loyalty and ingenuity are clearly emphasised as being derivative of the land. These same concepts can also be noticed in such indigenous-based films as ‘Ten Canoes’ (Rolf de Heer, 2006) where the resourceful and community focussed lives of the Ramingining tribe are determined by the way in which they live, side by the side with the land.
Moreover, both traditional Australian and indigenous films tend to explore the thematic character of a living Australian landscape. This is usually done through photography- that is, sweeping, extremely wide shots of the aforementioned in films from such commercial Australian directors as Baz Luhrman (Australia, 2008) through to the more indigenous focussed Rolf de Heer (Ten Canoes, 2006)
Lastly, anti-colonialism is perhaps one of the more ironic thematic similarities between Australian national cinema and indigenous. Episode One of ‘Women of the Sun’ (James Ricketson,1981) dwells heavily upon the differences between the stranded British convicts and the Aboriginal tribe that takes them in, to disastrous consequences, while ‘Gallipoli’ (Peter Weir,1981) dwells on the lax attitude of the British commanders, in contrast to the gallantry of the Australian soldiers. Thus, it may be said that both schools of cinema are unified in placing thematic focus on conflict between the colonised and coloniser, perhaps in order to creatively address an historically entrenched imbalance.
Australian national cinema could be called schizophrenic. It has within it two apparently warring entities- that of the traditional post-colonial national cinema, and the Aboriginal or indigenous based, both of which produce their own special brand of films.
However, although these two branches of Australian cinema appear divisive, there are consistent themes which can be seen as belonging two both groups, thereby, in a way, unifying them almost despite themselves.
Firstly, both kinds of cinema regularly present the land, or ‘outback’ as an irreplaceable way to understand their cultural identity. For example, the quintessentially Australian Mick Dundee in ‘Crocodile Dundee’ (Peter Faiman, 1986) is, while slightly exaggerated, a direct result of his outback existence. His Aussie traits of bravery, loyalty and ingenuity are clearly emphasised as being derivative of the land. These same concepts can also be noticed in such indigenous-based films as ‘Ten Canoes’ (Rolf de Heer, 2006) where the resourceful and community focussed lives of the Ramingining tribe are determined by the way in which they live, side by the side with the land.
Moreover, both traditional Australian and indigenous films tend to explore the thematic character of a living Australian landscape. This is usually done through photography- that is, sweeping, extremely wide shots of the aforementioned in films from such commercial Australian directors as Baz Luhrman (Australia, 2008) through to the more indigenous focussed Rolf de Heer (Ten Canoes, 2006)
Lastly, anti-colonialism is perhaps one of the more ironic thematic similarities between Australian national cinema and indigenous. Episode One of ‘Women of the Sun’ (James Ricketson,1981) dwells heavily upon the differences between the stranded British convicts and the Aboriginal tribe that takes them in, to disastrous consequences, while ‘Gallipoli’ (Peter Weir,1981) dwells on the lax attitude of the British commanders, in contrast to the gallantry of the Australian soldiers. Thus, it may be said that both schools of cinema are unified in placing thematic focus on conflict between the colonised and coloniser, perhaps in order to creatively address an historically entrenched imbalance.
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