Australian Identity Film Analysis
The pursuit of a fixed definition to the Australian identity has been a controversial journey, and the identity remains as elusive as ever today. For that reason, the theme of the 2009 Brisbane Film Festival will be Australian Identity in Film – A Retrospective, as we hope to explore the ways in which Australian feature films have helped shape the complexities and diversity of Australia’s culture and identity. In particular, the festival will explore the diverse representations of homosexuals in Australian film and how this has influenced society’s perception and acceptance.
For many years, Australian film has formed a consistent stereotype for men; that is, the typically macho outback Bushman. He was a strong, tough figure, albeit harmless, …show more content…
On the way ‘Tick’, ‘Felicia’ and ‘Bernadette’ face issues of prejudice and intolerance. The film directly confronts the Crocodile Dundee ideology of the heterosexual outback male, as these same types of men are often depicted in Priscilla as aggressive, violent and extremely narrow-minded. The film also insists upon the naturalness of its characters, despite their ‘unnatural’ appearance. The Sum of Us (1994), directed by Kevin Dowling and Geoff Burton, is about a sporty, beer drinking, homosexual bloke Jeff and his understanding heterosexual father Harry, who share an extremely open relationship. The film deals with their battle against an un-accepting society. The Australian identity was indeed characterised in both films, as they show the range of homosexuality which is now acceptable in Australian …show more content…
The scene in which the homosexual representation is most evident is one of the first scenes, where Harry and his son are having dinner. Jeff displays the defining characteristics of the typical Aussie bloke with which Australian men can identify; aside from the fact he is getting ready to go out to the pub to meet a new man. The pair break away from the stereotype early in the scene when Jeff wears a napkin so as not to spill anything on his shirt. The directors cleverly manipulate the use of language to suggest that, despite the fact that they both break the usual mould, the characters are still Australian; one of the first things Jeff says directly to the camera is a casual “I’m rooted”, meaning exhausted. Jeff and Harry’s relationship is portrayed more like a friendship, filled with acceptance, love and laughter. The relationship is made realistic through frequent arguments about insignificant things, which are always quickly resolved. There are no non-diegetic sound effects in the background; the mood is set by silence. This is a tool used by the directors to emphasize the theme that if the world could accept homosexuals as freely as Harry does with his son, it would be a quieter, more harmonious place. Harry talks openly to the audience of Jeff’s sexuality, as well as asking his son questions about his love life, questions that any father
For many years, Australian film has formed a consistent stereotype for men; that is, the typically macho outback Bushman. He was a strong, tough figure, albeit harmless, …show more content…
On the way ‘Tick’, ‘Felicia’ and ‘Bernadette’ face issues of prejudice and intolerance. The film directly confronts the Crocodile Dundee ideology of the heterosexual outback male, as these same types of men are often depicted in Priscilla as aggressive, violent and extremely narrow-minded. The film also insists upon the naturalness of its characters, despite their ‘unnatural’ appearance. The Sum of Us (1994), directed by Kevin Dowling and Geoff Burton, is about a sporty, beer drinking, homosexual bloke Jeff and his understanding heterosexual father Harry, who share an extremely open relationship. The film deals with their battle against an un-accepting society. The Australian identity was indeed characterised in both films, as they show the range of homosexuality which is now acceptable in Australian …show more content…
The scene in which the homosexual representation is most evident is one of the first scenes, where Harry and his son are having dinner. Jeff displays the defining characteristics of the typical Aussie bloke with which Australian men can identify; aside from the fact he is getting ready to go out to the pub to meet a new man. The pair break away from the stereotype early in the scene when Jeff wears a napkin so as not to spill anything on his shirt. The directors cleverly manipulate the use of language to suggest that, despite the fact that they both break the usual mould, the characters are still Australian; one of the first things Jeff says directly to the camera is a casual “I’m rooted”, meaning exhausted. Jeff and Harry’s relationship is portrayed more like a friendship, filled with acceptance, love and laughter. The relationship is made realistic through frequent arguments about insignificant things, which are always quickly resolved. There are no non-diegetic sound effects in the background; the mood is set by silence. This is a tool used by the directors to emphasize the theme that if the world could accept homosexuals as freely as Harry does with his son, it would be a quieter, more harmonious place. Harry talks openly to the audience of Jeff’s sexuality, as well as asking his son questions about his love life, questions that any father