Australian Films - Research Paper Example

Australian Film Research Essay Order no: 227836 No. of pages: 9 Premium 6530 Australian Cinema has traveled far through the ages and portraysa very wide spectrum by assimilations and incorporations of thoughts and ideas from different spheres that made a contribution all through their journey. However, in the past Australian films have been criticized for their bias targeting male oriented stories depicting immense strength and perfect bodies, but presently ‘the marker of power in Australia is white heterosexual bourgeois masculinity’. (Meekosha, p. 61, and Fiona Campbell, 2001) According to Sophie Watson and Rosemary Pringle ‘films marginalized women in the national myths of Australia.’ (O’Regan, p. 295) Describing the output of Australia’s cinema all through the 1990’s, Ian Craven described this incorporation as a “remarkable diversity.” (Craven, p. 1) Another aspect of Australian films coming of age is the idea of including films associated with disability which slowly shifted from the concept of a perfect body. The purpose that it served was to rehabilitate a minority group that had been previously marginalized. In Australian society disability is individualized. It is treated more as a medical pathology than a social construction. One of the most significant decades in Australia’s history involving the issue of disability was the 1990’s. Australia had witnessed 26 years of anti- discrimination legislation which changed in 1992 by the passing of the ‘Federal Disability Discrimination Act. This had a great impact on Australian cinema and witnessed a surge of films using characters with different disabilities. Some such films were “To have and to Hold”, John Hillcoat, 1996), Heaven’s Burning, The Nostradamus Kid (Bob Ellis, 1993), and many others. Such representations helped to reassure able – bodied audiences of their good health and normality. On the other hand, disability was not considered to be an issue on diversity where Australian National cinema was concerned in the 1990’s, but disability was used instead to encourage discussions involving equal opportunities among other minority groups. Commenting on the Gothic tradition rooted in Australian cinema, Susan Dermody and Elizabeth Jacka state that, "characterization is born...out of deliberately pathological, rather than social or psychological, kinds of stereotype." (Susan Dermody and Elizabeth Jacka, 1998) Another major issue that contributes to the coming of age of Australian films is the Aboriginal roots that set the pace for a great change that came over Australian films because of their great influence. Earlier, Australian cinema had mythologized the nation and focused on the cultural nationalism of the 1970s Renaissance that addressed the diverse and heterogeneous. Gelder and Jacobs vividly portray the Aboriginal claims of sacredness in their eye- opening book called “Uncanny Australia”. (Gelder and Jacobs, 1998) They show how this hunt for sacredness affected both the fortunes as well as misfortunes of such a modern nation. Some of the topics discussed in their book are Uluru and the repatriation of sacred objects; promiscuous sacred sites, they also analyzed secret business in public places, about ghosts and bunyips, postcolonial racism, reconciliation and democracy and also enchantments of the New Age. The work of Gelder and Jacobs is extremely thought provoking and give us a new insight and understanding how the Aboriginal concept of the sacred, inhabits and invades the modern nation and much of which are reflected in their films. Commenting on this, Dr. Tim Rowse says, “A terrific book . . . a very original and stimulating depiction of the way Australians are coming to terms with the indigenous challenge. (Dr Tim Rowse, University of Sydney) Though the issues of Aborigines may sound and seem like a very trivial event, yet it has radically managed to disturb the nation’s image to a great extent. While the minorities have managed to strongly influence the majorities, the majorities have realized this and feel embattled. What seemed to be commonplace and familiar once seems alien and disconcertingly unfamiliar, which justifies the title “uncanny” by Gelder and Jacobs. The 1990s films display new structures, eclectic styles and engage with the questions posed by changing gender roles, ethnic and racial identities, immigration, globalization and multi-culturalism. The cultural impact of the 1992 Mabo Aboriginal Land Rights decision and the ensuing “history wars” of the 1990s was big. The Australian High Court’s judgment in Mabo and others vs. The State of Queensland was a landmark decision that effectively overturned the nation’s founding doctrine of terra nullius (i.e. an empty land belonging to no one before the arrival of British colonizers), a fiction which came to justify the European settlers’ colonization of the continent and over 200 years of dispossession and racist oppression. This event had brought to the surface the realization of national consciousness and a long, unacknowledged traumatic history, which brought about a change in society thereby, creating a paradigm shift that is obviously visible in Australia’s contemporary films. In connection with the above, the film ‘Mabo, Life of an Island man’ won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Documentary for 1997 and the New South Wales Premiers Literary Award for Best Script. This film serves as a benchmark to judge the movies made during and after the 1990’s.The movie is about the real life story of the life of Eddie Mabo, a native of the Murray Islands who fought the High Court case which found, for the first time, that native land title is valid in Australia. The judgment passed by the court tended to destabilize the way Australians related to the issues regarding land. Based on this issue, the Australian cinema in the post Mabo era played a major role in the coming of age films that took shape during the national process of understanding and reviewing the colonial past while emphasizing the fact that it was possible for other settlers and indigenous cultures to co-exist. There are scores of films depicting the coming of age films in Australia, but our discussion is going to portray this aspect in two such films. The films chosen for this discussion are two films on teens titled “Hating Alison Ashley” and “Looking for Alibrandi.” Both these films are representative of a new generation of young Australians, often from immigrant backgrounds, who express a desire to “escape history” and the social shame associated with racial or ethnic differences. (Felicity Collins and Therese Davis, 2004) Speaking on the film “Hating Alison Ashley” we could say that it is a story dealing with the coming of age of Australian films. The plot revolves around a group of teenagers who are all trying to cope up with the everyday teen problems. While striving to become the undisputed star of their class. It is a film that is a mixture of comedy as well as seriousness. Its characters include Alison who is the protagonist in the plot who always strives to be a perfectionist. The story revolves around the new student Alison Ashley who attends Barringa East Primary School and how she turns another student Erica’s world upside down. Erica always considered herself to be far superior to the others in her class. When the new student, the beautiful and self- assured Alison Ashley enters the same class, the problems start. Erica though a light – hearted soul, hates Alison from the word go. But as the story moves further, Erica realizes that she is fortunate enough to have the love and devotion of a wonderful family, but all Alison has are only material things. Erica feels sorry for Alison and goes out of her way to impress her and finally wins over Alison Ashley with her sweet addictive charm. Finally both of them become good friends. Though much of the language used in the story is Australian slang, yet American audiences can easily relate and identify with it. This film is based on the amazing book by Robin Klien which uncovers some breathtaking drama and twists. This is a challenging book that analyses how the problems of teens and their modernity impacts on other people in their society in Australia. He vividly brings out the soul searching envious jealousy with the right amount of comedy to balance the various forces. Another coming-of-age film titled Looking for Alibrandi (Kate Woods, 2000), is yet another teenage film dealing with regular conflicts that arise in adolescence in young teenagers coming from varied backgrounds. This thought provoking movie has received a lot of critical acclaim for its insights into the second- generation- migrant experience felt by the vast multitude of people living migrant lives in Australia. This is a heart- warming, intelligent and gently humorous girl - coming of age story that was based on a novel by the same name and co -authored by Melina Marchetta. This story revolves around Josie, who is the seventeen year-old daughter of Christina. Both Josie and her mother Christina share a very close and loving relationship with each other, but Josie becomes frustrated because of her mother’s strict behaviour.. Josie and her mother live in Sydney, Australia, and are part of a large extended Sicilian immigrant family. Josie great desire was to try and fit in with all her friends at school and break away from her Italian roots. She attended a fancy catholic school where she was ridiculed badly by her peers about her Italian roots. Josie gets herself into trouble when she lets her temper fly.This movie revolves around three women all having secrets but each one having the Alibrandi strength that sees them through. The coming of age movie “Looking for Alibrandi” is a classic example of this distinct genre of movies. The protagonist Josie, in this type of genre, is the typical adolescent is shown to grow up and mature as a person during the course of the movie. The transition is portrayed vividly with all its ups and downs. The film shows Josie coming to terms with all the complexities of adulthood. The movie has it all: relationships, complications, cultural issues, humor and tragedy. Not only does Josie has to deal with the return of her mother’s boyfriend , but she too has her own school romance and she is strongly attracted to two diametrically opposite kind of guys. Some of her growing up pangs are usual whereas others rather unusual. The movie has both drama as well as comedy and motherly wisdom is subtly brought out without being blatant. Adolescent girls and women could definitely relate to all the conflicts and lighter moments so deftly explored and portrayed by its filmmaker. Australian cinema has a long history dating back to the Aborigines and incorporating much of their influences over a long period of time. The Australian film industry has no doubt produced some of the most famous and internationally acclaimed actors and film makers, but yet a good part of their films belong to the category of coming of age films. David Stratton (1990) describes Australian film history as one of “boom and bust” because of its instability. The 1910’s witnessed the very first ‘boom’ in Australian film- making. In 1910 four films were released, with 51 films in 1911, 30 films in 1912 and 17 films in 1913. (Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977) Speaking of the Australian film industry today, we could say that though they continue to produce a reasonable number of films each year, yet they are no match for the films produced in the U.S which turn out to be much cheaper than their own films. Moreover, any film industry needs a certain amount of support from their government which it does not receive. To cap it all, the most prominent and successful film makers and actors are lured by Hollywood and rarely make a comeback to their own country. The present scenario in film industry today is that many producers in the U.S have shifted their productions to studios in Australia because not only have they found a sea of talented professionals but the cost of film making is not as expensive as the United States. References: Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977 revised ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-1955-0784-3 Gelder, Ken & Jane Jacobs (1998) Uncanny Australia: Sacredness & Identity in a Postcolonial Nation, MUP Felicity Collins and Therese Davis. Australian Cinema after Mabo. OCambridge University Press, 2004) pp. 204. Editorial Review by Lucy Marx, Louisville Free Public Library, Ky. Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. Meekosha, p. 61, and Fiona Campbell, “Inciting Legal Fictions: ‘Disability’s’ Date with Ontology and the Ableist Body of the Law”, Griffith Law Review, No. 10.2, 2001, p. 46 Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977 revised ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-1955-0784-3 Cinema of Australia. www.seattleluxury.com/encyclopedia/entry/Cinema_of_Australia Stratton, David. The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry. Sydney : Pan Macmillan, 1990. 465p. ISBN 0-7329-0250-9 Susan Dermody and Elizabeth Jacka, The Screening Of Australia, Volume 2, Anatomy Of A National Cinema, Currency Press, Sydney, 1988, pp 49-52 in Senses of Cinema, Walk the Talk by Jake Wilson. Movie Review: Looking for Alibrandi by Joan K. Widdifield, Psy.D for movie Magazine. http://www.shoestring.org/mmi_revs/lookingforalibr-jk-182733012.html Read More