Shoe-Horn

John Misto, the creator of the Australian play ‘The Shoe-Horn Sonata’ used distinctly visual techniques to highlight the past distinctive experiences during World War II, shared by two friends, Sheila and Bridie. Through the use of powerful dialogue, and engaging dramatic techniques, Misto explores, through their testimonies, the untold story of hundreds and thousands of women imprisoned by the Japanese in South East Asia. Misto features the play around the recounts and flashbacks of Bridie, an Australian army nurse, and Sheila, a young English girl both of whom were captured and sent to prisoner of war camps under the Japanese authority. The failure of the military and government authorities, as well as the will to survive, the

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but maybe they are worth far more than that. Pictures, although seemingly simple in nature, are extremely complex. Far too often, people overlook what a picture truly is. When a person looks at an image, they most likely see only the image, nothing else. Many people do not look deep enough into an image to fully comprehend the true meaning of it. However, when an individual begins to truly study an image in an attempt to understand the true complexity of it, they will be surprised at what they overlooked before. As stated by French Realist Painter, Gustave Courbet, “Fine art is knowledge made visible.”

Over the past few decades, enhancements in the visual fields have greatly improved, giving weight on the importance of visual material in text. Something that is more visually stimulating can usually make a text more convincing or credible. The term “seeing is believing” proves this fact. As humans, we tend to believe something if we can actually see it, which is why Jay David Bolter has referred to this phenomenon of the changed role of text and graphics as the “visual culture” in his book Writing Space. “Mere words no longer seemed adequate; they had to share their space with images.” (Bolter, 69).

The authors tell the reader that a picture must be interpreted like an essay or piece of writing. The motive and goal of the author or photographer must be figured out.

Lighting is used as a major technique in this film as it is often used to set the mood. Due to Vidal’s world always being shown enveloped in blue-grey hue, it immediately shows the viewers that is isn’t a welcoming place to be. This shade of lighting helps create a detached feeling which is in great contrast to the golden, homely, and warm lighting of Ofelia’s fantasy world portraying a safe and enchanting atmosphere.

A distinctly visual aspect of demonstrating the experience of the characters kindles curiosity in the audience to involve and instill emotional understanding of the context. Through the use of distinct and unique techniques, composers create an emotional response that can have a significant effect on the responders’ attitude on the world. The play ‘The shoe-horn sonata’ explores the crisis of circumstances as John Misto depicts the forgotten history of the women captured and imprisoned during WW2. Misto explores the experiences of the Australian nurses and the government’s response to their pleads of salvation, to emotionally bind the audience and the characters. Likewise, David Douglas Duncan involves the audience by evoking a feeling of pity and empathy in his Korean War photograph. He creates sentiment for the loss of innocence and employs distinctly visual elements to convey the horrifying nature of war. He profoundly highlights power in the photograph to explore the despair felt by the weak fleeing Korean citizens. Hence, both authors elevate the context with a visual representation of the individuals’ struggles to create curiosity and emotional rapport with the audience to improve the understanding of the characters experiences.

Distinctively visual texts use a variety of techniques to convey the experiences during the war. In John Misto’s 1996 play ‘The Shoe-Horn Sonata’ which is about women nurses enduring Japanese POW camps, such distinctive experiences as power and survival are shown through techniques like lighting, projecting image, sound, symbols, dialogue and body language.

Through the peculiarities of characterisation and the distinctively visual we experience the impact of place on people. Distinctively visual language shows the similarities and differences between characters and environment with the use of vivid imagery. The distinctively visual is able to create detailed setting, characters and place. Through the distinctively visual Henry Lawson and Tim Burton convey interesting views on environment and human interactions, and their affect on people and society in Lawsons “The Loaded Dog” and “The Drovers Wife” and Burtons “Alice in Wonderland. Good morning markers and peers.

Misto uses an array of projected images on stage to illustrate the horrors of war to the audience. The photographs projected behind the women, as they retell their struggles, supports their stories by transporting them and the audience back into the past and

Although books full of words are more efficient in delivering and describing what the author feels, sometimes pictures can give a deep meaning depending on how they are organized. The Veil by Marjane Satrapi’s is a graphic novel that’s organized in a particular way, to deliver a certain message through the pictures. Marjane includes different sizes and frames that serve what she is thinking and feeling. Choosing certain sizes, frames and colours isn’t arbitrary. As each box increases in size, it means that she wants to emphasize the message behind that box, or show her relation to that particular text. Contrast is also one of the main elements that Marjane uses in her graphic novel. For example, on page five, there is a big picture of

Distinctively visual texts aim to manipulate the we perceive images critically affecting our interpretation of events and people we meet in our lives. Distinctively visual techniques are utilised in the ‘Run Lola Run’ directed by Tom Tykwer and the picture book ‘Red Tree’ written by Sean Tan. The way the distinctively visual is shown throughout these texts is through the use of motifs, different angle shots, colours, lighting and reading paths. These techniques aim to show the important themes in both texts such as time, hope and love.

Throughout the play there is a continual reference to light. It is used in the form of bright sunlight,

up, and down, and across; nothing in sight..” creating an image in the reader’s mind and

Through their effectual and extensive use of distinctly visual elements and techniques, John Misto’s play ‘The Shoe-Horn Sonata’ and the song ‘I was only 19’ by Redgum, offer a variety of perceptions of the world. Distinctively visual elements and techniques assist us to develop an awareness of languages in other texts and allows us to understand how our perceptions of and relationships with others and the world are shaped through written, spoken and visual language. The play ‘The Shoe-Horn sonata follows the experience of two former women POW, describing their experiences, and trying to reconcile their differences. This play challenges the reader to look past the pain of these characters, at the wider social and political context, which allowed

It is a reflection of the deep inner human thoughts and how they viewed the world after World War One during those times. Another example of the great use of lighting is the low key lighting used throughout the film. The low key lighting emphasis the dark, scary nature and environment of the realities of human beings, highlighting the imperfections of society. Thirdly, what was intriguing to see is the relationship between narrative and shadowing, the lighting. In the film, we visually see how the use of shadowing, especially when the man is about to murder someone, we can assume that he will be murdering a person because the use of shadowing highlights the outlining of the man holding a knife in his hand. This helps the narrative because it takes the audience through the storytelling and we can make our own assumptions as to what will happen next after each scene. Fourthly, we also see a major stylistic element shown throughout the film which is the slanted structures of the various buildings, the photographic visuals of the town of Hostenwall. The images are distorted, disorientated and dark. The photographic visuals can play as a representation of how the world is disfigured and imbalanced, representing the reality of human lives after the world war