Dignity InRed Dog, And The Aussie Identity

In the 2011 Australian film ‘Red Dog’ directed by Kriv Stenders many issues relating to Australian identity are addressed including the stereotypical Australian values such as conflict with authority and mateship. Stenders uses skilful camera and visual techniques to portray a realistic 1970’s context throughout the movie. Throughout the movie it is evident that Stenders portrays his values and attitudes such as rebellion against authority that abuses power and independence.

Australian people and culture are often stereotyped in the media in different forms, one of them being film. The two films being examined, ‘Red dog’ (2011) and the ‘Sapphires’ (2012), are an example of the Australian identity but from different points of view. ‘Red dog’ shows the kind and positive side which exemplifies mateship and loyalty. The film ‘Sapphires’ ,which takes place in the 1950’s through to the 1960’s, shows a negative and racist view towards the indigenous people. Both the films show different aspects of the Australian identity, not all insights of the films accurately represent contemporary Australian identity as the Australian identity has changed by the evolution of people and their lifestyle.

The movie Red dog was able to express all types of themes. The Australian culture are full of comedy, romance, tragedy and mateship, and all these themes are evident in the film Red dog. Comedy was a huge part of this film, nearly even scene showed comedy and would give you a laugh. Half way through the movie the character Peeto was to babysit/look after Red dog for John while he took Nancy out on their first date. Peeto was secretly doing his knitting but Red Dog showed the mates Vanno, Jocko and Jack and embarrassed him. This demonstrates that there is always a good laugh as an Australian. Romance is another key theme in the movie Red dog. John has never stayed in the same place for more than two years but this time he stays in Dampier for one particular reason. He was in love with Nancy. Love, relationships and romance are all very common in Australia. People make sacrifices to be with the people they love. There is also sadness and tragedy in Australia. Whether it be a loss of a friend, family member or dog. There are many sad and heart touching scenes in this film, starting from the loss of your wife and child (Jocko), the loss of your recent new partner (Nancy) or the loss of the famous wanderer dog (Red dog). With loss and tragedy also comes powerful memories and stories to reflect

Australia is filled with many different aspects in which makes it the country it is today. I believe it is important to study texts that explore aspects of Australia by studying texts such as ‘The Club’, by David Williamson, a play written in 1977 about an Australian football club and movies such as “The Castle”, directed by Rob Stitch in 1997, about the daily life of an Australian family when their happiness is threatened when developers attempt to buy their house to expand the neighboring airport. Both these texts show us what Australian life was like in the past. By us looking at themes such as language, tradition and the mateship shown we are able to explore different aspects of Australia that make it what it is today.

Given the diversity of Australia and the increase in multiculturalism, the definition of the true Australian identity has changed over time. However, I believe the two main characteristics

Mateship. Adventurous. Loyal. Free. Proud. These are the typical words Australians use to describe themselves, to identify themselves as different from the rest of the world. But who is an Australian? Someone that was born in Australia? Only people we choose to call Australian? People with great achievements that we choose to take credit for? Only people that love sport and vegemite? Or maybe only people with ‘Aussie’ accents? The Australian population is a proud one indeed, proud of their nation, their achievements and their own independent way of life, but sometimes us Aussies, forget about the rest of the world and all those other people that make us, who we are.

Hi everyone! How are you today? Nice to see all you guys here. Let’s me introduce myself first. My name is Jane Kennedy. I am one of writers of the film ‘The Castle’. I’m sure that everyone has watched ‘The Castle’, right? I’m invited to be here and tell you about this movie as well as how I and my team have built up and shown the ideas about the voice of Australians through it. As you know, everyone including Australians have their own way of understanding and an opinion of the world and people in it. That’s called their ‘voice’. However, the way Australians view and understand the world is unique. Let’s come back to ‘The Castle’, this is a story about the Kerrigan family who together stand up to fight against the government for their

We can presume from the numerous emphasized lines indicating Australia’s uniqueness, that the distinctiveness of Australia is the main reason for the persona’s perplexing attachment and love for her country.

Through the use of poetic devices, the author has successfully encouraged the audience to explore their thoughts on Australian identity and to reflect on our nation’s history.

Australia’s identity has always been a complicated one. Starting with Aboriginal genocide, 1800’s cowboys and villains, two world wars and a bunch of poems describing them, it makes it difficult to conclude on what being an ‘Aussie’ really is. Thankfully, the two thought-provoking poems Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore by Komninos Zervos, and My Country by Dorothea Mackellar both use their discerning selection of themes to reflect modern attitudes in some extent. Along with their themes, Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore and My Country both use their story to capture the attributes modern Australians possess to some degree.

‘We’re all Australians now’ draws the reader to see the war from a positive Australia home front perspective. Texts from

Australian’s have a unique proud culture. This culture differentiates them from the British motherland. Through many decades Australia has formed a unique, which at its foundation is made from mateship. Mateship or friendship is the core of Australian identity as this was instilled into them through events such as war. WWII in particular demonstrates the level of mateship shown by Australians as many made the ultimate sacrifice in order to save a mate. The stories of ‘The Magic Pudding’ by Gary Crew & Shaun Tan and ‘Memorial’ by Norman Lindsay will demonstrate how mateship is a significant part of how Australians see

It is applied indiscriminately within the Australian media to label array of factors seen as threatening to national identity, way of life or values. This uncomplimentary use of Americanisation sees Australia as adopting social practices and cultural values which originates in the United States. (Bennett 1999)

“Who are we? What sort of country do we want to be?” Stan Grant uses this rhetorical question to make the audience think about what sort of country they want Australia to be. Frequently throughout the

Well-known for its love of work and jovial personality, the Australian Cattle Dog is the ideal working dog. This breed can withstand extreme temperatures and rough conditions and won’t stop working until it is told to do so. These dogs possess a truly impressive amount of stamina and can run around for hours on end. They love to get outdoors and explore the world around them, and they particularly benefit from having some sort of job to do. They are therefore perfectly suited for very active owners who enjoy spending lots of time hiking, jogging and getting in touch with nature.