Essay On Crocodile Dundee

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.

Although released over 17 years ago, Rob Sitch’s comedy The Castle remains an incredibly popular film that portrays an ‘Aussie Battler’ family, the Kerrigans, in suburbia. Film writer Ian Craven states that the Kerrigans possess “the qualities of a simple good-heartedness family, with human decency and dignity”, all of which can be easily recognized by the audience throughout the film. The Castle takes a satirical look at Australian suburbia in order to manipulate traditional stereotypes, gender constructions, themes, identities, ideologies and cinematic techniques as a means of altering the positioning of the audience.

What film do you think best represents Australian cultural identity? Well, a nationwide survey revealed that more than one-third of people (37%) believe that Rob Sitch’s 1997 film, The Castle best represents the real Australia (The Australian, 2010). An Australian story about the Kerrigan family who live next to an airport. But their life is turned upside-down when the government tries to force them out of their house. The Castle must be cherished as an accurate representation of Australian cultural identity. This is depicted through the family values of pride, closeness and a simplistic life.

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.

The pub scene in the Australian Outback helped me understand the consequences of prejudice through the combination of dialogue and cinematography. These film features shows the unfair treatment that Aborigines endured because of their race. The mid shots showed how the white Australian audience at the pub Talent Quest ignore the two Aborigine sisters as they began to sin. A panning shot showed the audience’s disapproving and disgusted looks as they avoided eye contact with the sisters. Clearly contrasting with the warm and enthusiastic cheers given to the white Australian performers before them, as also shown in a panning shot. Noticing the coldness of the crowd, Gail says, “Thanks for the half-heart applause.” The dialogue and camera shots clearly outlined the difference in treatment between Aborigines and White Australians in Australia. This clearly shows the inequality between the two races, as Aborigines were clearly mistreated based on their appearance. At the end of the Talent Quest, after the White Australian performer

Music is also used to set every mood and situation in the film- most being upbeat and happy. Camera shots were mostly long and high angle at the beginning of the film, to show the scene, but as the movie progressed they became shorter and more subjective. The male characters also play a big role in creating a stereotype Aussie by again- the way they dress, how they talk, and the alcohol. Peeto seems to fit the package of the stereotypical Australian male. He wears extremely high shorts, singlets, and boots like most. He drinks a ton of beer and alcohol and has a pretty strong accent to accompany. After all he charged at two

By bringing up well known Australian icons and brands, the author involves himself with the audience.

The film ‘The Castle’ by Rob Sitch presents a number of distinctive and quintessential Australian Voices, these include ‘the Aussie Battler’, the voice of family and mateship. This response will examine how film techniques and language are used to create distinctly Australian voices and then consider the degree or extent to which they are singularly Australia. The main character Darryl Kerrigan represents the most significance voice ‘the Aussie Battler’ in the film ‘The Castle’. In the High Court scene, the low angle shot of Darryl outside the High Court elevates his status to be almost valiant and how his courage is compared with the imposing nature of the High Court.

The Australian setting in TWTWB appeals to many Australian teens because its where we are from. Wirrawee is a fictional rural town in New South Whales. Its a tight knit community with a farming culture. When Ellie and the gang go to hell for the first time they come across and notice the rocky, wild Australian landscape. “Hell is what’s on the other side of Tailor’s, a cauldron of boulders and trees and blackberries and feral dogs and wombats and undergrowth.” Australia is known for its wild bush growth, feral animals and amazing landscapes. Australian teens can relate to this because its a landscape we have all seen and lived among. We are from Australia and we have a better understanding and feel of the atmosphere the characters face, compared to another teenager who doesn’t live in Australia. John Marsden has made TWTWB

The land has a lot to do with Australia, the way that its identity may have developed might be through its isolation and our slow understanding and respect for it. Landscape pieces by other artists at this time depict the land in a much different light than Nolan. Lawson’s ‘The Drover’s Wife’ has a woman dressed in dull clothing, standing alone, highlighting her isolation in the Australian outback. Whereas Preston’s abstract landscape ‘Flying Over The Shoalhaven River’ depicts the land to be an inviting and welcoming place.

Mateship in Australian Films Mateship has long been a major aspect of the national image as projected by Australian films, yet the moralities of mateship and the image of men as mates did not go unchallenged. Australian cinema as a significant part of the whole industry of image-makers in the country, the way it portrays mateship, the single most important mythic element in the cultural identity of Australia, is worth analysing. This paper first reviews the historical background of mateship in Australia and its contemporary development. The review here serves as a general discussion of mateship that provides the potential readers with some basic understandings of the idea, and as background

The Castle, directed by Robert Sitch and produced in 1997, is arguably one of the greatest Australian movies ever created. It is a peculiar, boorish and above all, humorous film, that is loved by most Australians. With great use of trademark Aussie humour, amateur camera work and Australian stereotyping, the movie can be very relatable to Australian viewers, typically those of the blue-collar working-class level. Even with light-hearted humour that could be taken offensively, and seen as a ‘dig at Australian culture, in my opinion, the Castle portrays the typical Australian working -class family and has an underlying message of being resilient and never giving up!

Australia has always been centered around diversity and change, specifically with the vast multiculturalism and migrant culture throughout the nation. The specifics of Identity hold an important role in shaping our identity as students and as a nation. Australians pride themselves on being a land of the free and full of diverse culture. This is specifically referred to in our national Anthem; “For those who've come across the seas, We've boundless plains to share; With courage let us all combine,”(McCormick, 1984). Displaying Australia’s open attitude towards immigrants and contributes to the diversity present within our society today. Even before this, much of Australia’s Identity was associated with caucasian culture (Originating from British Settlers). Which is the dominant perception of Australia through the media with australian representation being present through the stereotypes of Bogans, which was made popular through shows like Kath and Kim (ABC, 2007). Also, represented through the popular depiction of Australian people - the bushman made popular by movies like Crocodile Dundee (Faiman, 1986) and through famous real life bushman; Steve Irwin. An important aspect of Australian identity which is consistently neglected is the culture and representation of the initial owners of the land; the aboriginal people. Throughout history the constant mistreatment and neglect of the indigenous, has lead to a massive gap in privilege between the aboriginal people and our

This film is performed by two marvellous actors Victor Mature and Hedy Lamarr. They are both given a clear example of what the aboriginal people’s life looks like. On the other hand, the camera work is very well to present the consequences of the European impact on Aboriginal Australian society. In the film, it uses a medium shot to show Delilah look at two European young girls. In this medium shot, compare with two European young girls, Delilah is very different that images indigenous people are hard to get into European world. From these aspects, the film won many categories for Best Direction, Best Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Lead Actor and Best Lead Actress in different