Belonging
Rabbit Proof Fence Analysis
Red Dog Australian Identity
Beneath Clouds Analysis
The Sky Is Grey Analysis
Walking The Boundaries Analysis
What Lies Beneath
Beneath Clouds
Analysis Of Beneath Clouds
1. Belonging
– 'BELONGING' – Question: What does the Oodgeroo Noonuccal poem 'We Are Going' have to say
about Belonging and Not Belonging? How does the poet use language forms, features and structures
to convey ideas and feelings? The poem 'We Are Going' by Oodgeroo Noonuccal is about the
displacement of the Aboriginal people in Australian society/culture and their confusion about where
or what to belong to as their traditional customs are taken away/forgotten. The text raises the issues
and themes of 'Belonging' through a mostly–'defeated' tone as it shows their loss of tradition and
culture in the new Australia. In order to create a sense of sympathy and consideration for the
Aboriginal people, the poet uses a range of language forms and...show more content...
As the final line states, "And We Are Going", the writer is not only stressing that their race or clan is
becoming extinct, but also that the traditional Indigenous customs and traditions and being
forgotten. These are a part of the Aboriginal culture and a
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2. Rabbit Proof Fence Analysis
The Rabbit Proof Fence, a film by Phillip Noyce (2002) presents the story of 3 young aboriginal
girls being forced away from their family to the Moore river settlement and their struggle against a
white government to return to their home along the rabbit proof fence. Noyce uses generic
conventions to view the idea of racism against aborigines in Australia from a particular perspective.
The perspective of an aboriginal mother a native child and a caucasian are all exhibited to prove the
events of racism against aborigines during the 1930s.
The perspective of an indigenous mother and generic film conventions are utilised by Noyce to
demonstrate the racist attitude towards aborigines in Australia throughout the 1930s. Towards the
beginning...show more content...
The racialist outlook of white people is established in The Rabbit Proof Fence with the aid of
generic film conventions and an aboriginal child's point of view. Throughout the duration of the
young girls being transported to Moore river they are kept in a cage under the supervision of a
train worker. Noyce applied a low camera angle through the eyes of the children looking up at the
train worker through the bars of the cage. The low camera angle depicts the train worker as large,
powerful and scary through the perspective of a child also making the children seem small and
innocent. This demonstrates the racism by forcing the white people to look dominant over the
aborigines as they have all the control. The cage also symbolises the treatment of aborigines as if
they are animals and inhuman to the white race again proving the intolerant attitude of caucasians
towards the natives but through the perspective of an indigenous child. This again has a tendency
to extract empathy towards the children as everyone knows how it feels to be teased or feel
submissive. When the girls arrived at the Moore river settlement all the children were gathered
together and got checked for their skin colour. When molly one of the young girls asks what is
happening a friend replies "looking for the whiter ones, they more clever than us." This dialogue
again shows acts of racism through the perspective of the children by
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3. Red Dog Australian Identity
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 film 'Red dog' focuses on the life of a dog and how he affects the lives of those around him.
...show more content...
This is a person who is friendly, faithful and loyal and strives to find a solution in any tight
situation. This 'true blue' persona is represented by several characters in the film 'Red dog'
including the dog himself as he shows companionship and resilience throughout the film. The
community working there also represent the Australian identity by treating Red Dog like one of
them even when Red Dog was injured everyone was worried about him as if he was a human being.
An addition to these themes 'Red dog' is set in the Australian outback were Australia is shown as dry
dessert, a common misconception which is inaccurate of Australian land. Today the majority of the
Australian population live in cities where they are close to their jobs and other facilities therefore
this aspect of the film does not properly represent contemporary Australian society. Although the
notion of mateship and the virtues of the characters in 'Red dog' are accurate representations of the
ideal version of the modern Australian identity, the darker side of Australianculture and history is
completely
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4. Beneath Clouds Analysis
Intertextual study
"Beneath clouds & Growing up Asian in Australia"
Identity
'Beneath Clouds' directed by Ivan Sen and 'Baked Beans and Burnt Toast' written by Jacqui Larkin
both explore the theme identity in the four main characters, Peter, Jacqui, Lena and Vaughn. Ivan
Sen uses mise en scГЁne, dialogue, setting and symbolism when directing to stoutly portray the
identity of Lena and Vaughn. Correspondingly Jacqui Larkin scrutinizes identity primarily through
dialogue, metaphors, hyperbole and imagery in order to emphasise the problems Jacqui faces with
identity. Seemingly both Sen and Jacqui both explore Identity but in similar and distinctive ways to
make the audience ponder about how the main characters are feeling relating to their identity
throughout the film and book.
Paragraph 2:
In Beneath Clouds and Baked Beans Burnt Toast they both show the main theme identity through
community. In the film the main characters Lena and Vaughn live in a small country town which
is full of Indigenous people and white people. Vaughn lives in the stereotypical life as an
Aboriginal. The cops treat Vaughn like he is a speck of dust, they call him 'boy' to downgrade him
and his race. The white people think of Aboriginals as people with low self esteem and all they do is
drink alcohol and abuse their wives. They believe that Aboriginals are uneducated. The white
people do not treat the Aboriginals in the same way as their own race. This is also displayed in
Baked Beans and Burnt Toast
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5. The Sky Is Grey Analysis
.3.Darius Smith
Instructor Bonds
English 242
7 December 2015
The Wind is Pink, the Grass is Black, and the Sky is Gray Ernest Gaines' "The Sky is Gray" is a
wonderful story that deals with the nature of life and the struggles it brings. While it does mainly
focus on the coming–of–age struggles of the roughly 8 year old protagonist James, the title also
means that there is something out of place with the way that things are. It is representative of a
subjective reality that is not what others may think is there. It is also representative of a rebellious
notion of reality that is counter to what the existing one is. This idea asserts itself in the conversation
between the preacher and the young student. The preacher, being a man of God,
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6. Walking The Boundaries Analysis
In the novel 'Walking the Boundaries' Australian author Jackie French introduces the reader to
Martin and his family and the history of their family farm. The reason why Martin is visiting his
great grandfather Ted is because the old man has challenged him to walk the boundaries of the
property and if he does this successfully, then the farm will be his. Martin wants to get the property
and all the money that would come with selling it. In the beginning Martin thought the walk around
the boundaries would be easy but he ends up facing some unexpected events and as a result learns
about his family history while walking the boundaries. French expresses the change in Martin's
personality through her knowledge of Australia's indigenous past, her use of sensory language and
through the development of her main characters. In the book 'Walking the Boundaries' Martin
discovers how the bush works and how it is everybody's obligation to take care of the land for future
generations.
Before his walk around the boundaries, Martin thought the walk would be easy but Old Ted, his
great grandfather, knows how hard this seemingly simple journey will be. Since Old Ted knew
what Martin was going to experience, he makes sure Martin goes the right way around the
boundaries so Martin can find out about the land's Aboriginal past. Old Ted says multiple times, "no
matter what happens, follow the way I told you to goD." (p.23) Martin was confused about why the
old man was making such a fuss about the
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7. What Lies Beneath
While critics may think that the film "What Lies Beneath" is blatantly inauthentic, this film was a
success. People watch this movie when they want to watch a well–made horror movie, with a little
bit of drama. Even though this production comes across as a drama, it still serves it's purpose of
being a horror film. Critics tend to say it is too lazy and weak when defined as a horror film.
Although these assumptions are brought up, there are factors proving otherwise. For instance, when
director Robert Zemeckis uses the close up shot to minimize the audience's peripheral vision, it
makes the scene more suspicious. For example, when Claire figures out that Norman does not really
call the police, she looks around to discover where
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8. Beneath Clouds
BENEATH CLOUDS
Ivan Sen (2002)
NOTES
* Opening credits: Images of rolling clouds, vast and immense, threatening and powerful. * Two
female, high school students dressed in uniform walk a barren landscape. The only colour and
movement comes from the trucks that roar through. Isolated, Aboriginal community. * Walk past an
indigenous man carrying a jerry can of petrol. Stereotypical image of addiction. Lena in a thick
Australian accent: "Whadda dickhead." Clear from this dialogue that her values are very different
from the norm. * Close up of dead butterfly with crawling ants, camera switches to close up of Lena.
Connection between the character and the butterfly is made – both are beautiful creatures but neither
...show more content...
The 'us' and 'them' mentality is revealed again. Refer to each other through their dialogue as "cuz"
and "brother". Immediate kinship expressed through colloquial language. Diegetic sound comes
from the radio as the lyrics "I wish I was back in the Dreamtime" filter out. * Cut to close up shot of
dead cockatoo on the road side. White is indicative of innocence and purity. Another thing destroyed.
* Car is pulled over by police. Officer refers to the driver as 'boy' – a derogatory term, belittling,
demeaning. An allusion to the African slave term and reflection of inherent racism. The generic title
removes the individuality of the driver. An assertion of power. * Police car seen leaving in rear view
mirror (possible link between abandonment of Australian government concerning indigenous issues).
* Lena sits in the back seat, next to another young, fair–skinned Aboriginal woman. She has a toddler
on her lap. Again, that theme of pregnancy is raised and in response to the child's cries, the driver
turns and slaps her across the face. This scene seems to highlight the negative aspects of Aboriginal
culture – that is, the subordination of women and prevalence of domestic violence. * L: "Stop the
fucking car... I said, stop the fucking car." To the driver: "you're an arsehole, you know that." * She
takes a stand, noticeably Vaughn and the girl herself do not. Quiet acceptance of such exchanges.
When out of
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9. Analysis Of ' Beneath Clouds '
The notion of the contemporary indigenous identity and the impact of these notions are both
explored in texts that have been studied. Ivan Sen's 2002 film 'Beneath Clouds' focuses on the
stereotypical behaviours of Indigenous Australians highlighting Lina and Vaughn's journey. This also
signifies the status and place of the Australian identity today. Through the use of visual techniques
and stereotypes the ideas that the Indigenous are uneducated, involved in crime and the stereotypical
portrayal of white people are all explored. Similarly the notion of urban and rural life is represented
in Kennith Slessor's 'William Street' and 'Country Towns'.
In contemporary times the Indigenous are stereotypically represented as being violent and
aggressive. Sen is creating a stereotypical image of young Indigenous boys as criminals and
dominative. An extreme close up of Vaughn behind jail bars show the separation between Vaughn
and society. The stereotype ofIndigenous Australians as criminals is shown in a negative light and
acts as a false stereotype. The jail bars act as a physical and metaphorical barrier and the use of
non diegetic music sets a mood of extreme sadness. Domestic violence is also suggested in the car
ride. The women with the child is seen as submissive and this violence acts as usual practise.
However, Vaughn does not appear to this stereotype of all males being dominative. Sen's use of
camera angles highlights the stereotypical nature of indigenous people and
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