Introduction to Australia - Film Analysis PDF

Baz Luhrmann “The type of director for whom the word innovative was invented.” “Introduction to Australia”  Red curtain cinema “Shakespeare can never be number 1 “The musical will never be a form of in the US box office” cinema again.”  Red...

Baz Luhrmann “The type of director for whom the word innovative was invented.” “Introduction to Australia”  Red curtain cinema “Shakespeare can never be number 1 “The musical will never be a form of in the US box office” cinema again.”  Red curtain identified by: Traditional theatrical conventions Heightened other worlds Song and dance used to drive the action “Art and life cannot be separated.” “Everything I make starts very personally.”  epic “Telling a recognizable universal story using a vast canvas of a faraway place and historical events” “The surface of these films appear extremely simple, but their undercarriages are incredibly complex. They were made up of comedy, romance, tragedy and drama. These epics were cinematic banquets, whereas most films today are like sushi, focussing on individual flavour.” - Baz Luhrmann Features of Historical Epic Films Take a historical or imagined event and feature a mythic, legendary or heroic figure; add an extravagant setting and lavish costumes and you have an epic! Often accompanied by grandeur, spectacle and a sweeping musical score Features: Historical basis (recreates past events) Lavish and expensive to produce Elaborate panoramic settings On-location filming Authentic period costumes Large/massive scale AUSTRALIA Budget - $130m – most expensive film ever made in Australia “A love letter to his home country.” Western Romantic Epic / Drama War Film  Synopsis With the globe on the brink of World War II, Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) travels from Britain to Australia to inspect a cattle ranch she inherited. Reluctantly joining forces with a rugged local known as the Drover (Hugh Jackman), she sets out on a cattle drive across hundreds of miles of harsh terrain to save her ranch. But when they finally reach the town of Darwin, they must contend with the same Japanese bombers that just rained death upon Pearl Harbour. The film also deals with her developing relationship with a young boy, Nullah, as they navigate the racial and religious conventions of the time.  Elements of Luhrmann’s Style Over-acting/Exaggeration Misunderstanding (humour) - (humour) breeding Can you think of an example of how or when this is evident in Moulin Rouge? How are each of these evident in Moulin Rouge? Superimposition Narration – by Nullah Colour Fast tracking Motifs What is a motif? A motif is a recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. Through its repetition, a motif can help produce other narrative aspects such as theme or mood and reflect insight to the story, characters or themes. A narrative can be created through the use of imagery, structural components, language and other elements. Motif – Moulin Rouge windmill Motif – Australia baobab  Colour England Australia Used to establish atmosphere and mood  Themes STOLEN GENERATIONS – Aboriginal children of mixed race taken by force and trained for service in white society. “I not white fella “half-caste” “creamy” I not black fella”  Theme of culture and identity There is a magical feel surrounding the theme of culture and identity. The following elements contribute to that: Movement from left to right Music Extreme long shot Lighting A sense of calm is often associated. This regularly occurs in the midst of chaos. Depth of emotion and sense of inner power are created through Nullah’s culture Close-up shot Foreshadows Nullah’s development and later events Theme: Dreams - Wizard of Oz Yellow brick road – journey to Darwin All the characters have their own dreams and are transformed by the journey Theme of stories Each character has their own journey to travel and transformation to experience – thus each, individual story is highlighted Parallel of the character’s story with the Wizard of Oz characters Lady Sarah Ashley An English aristocrat whose husband, Lord Maitland Ashley, has bought a cattle station in Australia, called ‘Faraway Downs’. She must travel here after his death. “When Missus Boss first come to this land she look but she not see – now she got her eyes open for the first time.” Drover Cowboy and cattle drover Hired by Maitland Ashley to drover the cattle across the country to the army supply ship in Darwin. Nullah Part aboriginal and part white boy Lives on Faraway Downs with his aboriginal mother His father is the station manager, Neil Flethcher (antagonist) King George Tribal elder from Arnhem Land Nullah’s grandfather Embodiment of traditional aboriginal culture in the film Recurring presence (acts as a kind of ‘character motif’) signifies that sense of magic and power that the aboriginal culture carries with it. Neil Fletcher Antagonist Unscrupulous and ‘evil’ manager of Faraway Downs Marries King Carney’s daughter and inherits the empire Film techniques are used to position the characters in certain ways. When you watch the film, note how music, lighting and clichés are used to highlight the differences between the antagonist and the protagonist Protagonist Antagonist (6.50 -12) (22-30) and (44- end of scene)  What do the critics say? Australia is a shameless-and shamelessly entertaining-pastiche. It works because Luhrmann, a true believer in movie-movie magic, stamps it all with the force of his own extravagant, generous personality. [David Ansen] All in all, Australia is so damnably eager to please that it feels like being pinned down by a giant overfriendly dingo and having your face licked for about three hours: theoretically endearing but, honestly, kind of gross. [Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail] Australia, a heaping blend of romance, adventure and action, is for all those folks who ask, "Why don't they make movies like they used to? [Barbara Vancheri]  Criticism Continued Australia is a pastiche of genres and references wrapped up into one horse-galloping, cattle-stampeding, camera-swooping, music-swelling, widescreen package. [Manohla Dargis] Baz Luhrmann isn't subtle, so it's no surprise that this compelling movie -- the most expensive one ever made Down Under -- has been criticized as a self-indulgent, grandiose, and bumpy ride. [Sandie Angulo Chen] Often beautiful but wildly inconsistent, Australia is none more Baz Luhrmann, which perhaps says it all. Worth a look on the big screen, though [Chris Hewitt]  Watch the trailer here… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfI 4hK9I2k0