Mateship. It is one word in all of history which is so unarguably, distinctively, dramatically and proudly Australian (Howard, 1993) Good morning to the Australian film commission. Today I will present a seminar on an Australian film which has contributed greatly to the fostering of the Australian value, mateship. Mateship has been an integral part of Australian identity since WWI and the Gallipoli campaign and was then solidified in Australia's identity by the close of WWII. It is for this reason I have chosen to investigate the Australian film, Kokoda, to explore the underlying theme of Mateship that was constant throughout the entirety of the film.
'Mateship' is a term that can be traced back to early colonial times. In Australia, a 'mate' is far greater than just a regular friend. It's a concept that indicates a sense of joint experience, shared respect and unwavering assistance. Mateship is a concept which is most commonly used amongst men, and it is regularly used to depict the relationship between men during times of
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hardship. The concept of mateship well and truly came to the forefront during WWI. During this time the word 'mate' became interchangeable with the word 'digger' and the fostering of this, unarguably Australian value, was born. Kokoda is a film set in Papua New Giniea in August 1942.
Australia is at war with Japan and Port Moresby is under threat of invasion from Japanese forces. The film tells the story of a small group of Australian soldiers who are sent out as forward patrol, past the defensive perimeters already in place, and ordered to contain the incoming Japanese attacks. The Australian soldiers were quickly dominated by Japanese forces and the group quickly found themselves trapped behind enemy lines. Isolated, the group begin to conquer the unforgiving and harsh landscape separating them from the rest of their mates in Isurava. It is during this part of the film where the theme of Mateship takes centre stage at the forefront of the film. After three days with no food or sleep, and the soldiers now feeling the effects of malaria and dysentery, alliances are formed, strengths and weaknesses appear, and leadership struggles threaten to destroy the
group. Another attribute of “Mateship” is courage which plays an integral role in the film. Australian courage often comes to the forefront during times of hardship, and this is easily identifiable throughout the course of this film. This attribute of courage has become interchangeable with the term Mateship, making it a distinctive aspect of our national identity. Both these values can be seen throughout the entirety film. These distinctive attributes contribute to the formulation of the quintessential Australian and they are essential when establishing the Australian individual. Bringing this to contemporary Australia. There is no higher level of fraternal intimacy than the status of a mate. If you say that someone is a friend that it is nice but to say that someone is a mate you are making a much more profound statement. An understanding of the representation of mateship is identified through the unique characteristics and attitudes portrayed in Kokoda, of mateship and courage. This interpretation assists in development of the Australian identity and contributes in aiding Australians in their journey for self-identity.
Crocodile Dundee (1986) directed by Peter Faiman and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) directed by Stephan Elliott are two Australian films that have unique plots. The expositions of both films have various similarities and differences in the context of quirky ‘Aussie’ characters, stereotypical Australian language, themes and the vast outback setting. The exposition of each film reaffirms typical Australian stereotypes.
The theme mateship is proven through the relationship between Frank and Archy and also Frank and his three other friends. In Gallipoli, Peter Weir explores the idea of mateship all throughout the movie. For the duration of the film he uses running to draw Frank and Archy together but also his motion picture is wholly based on the theme of mateship between the two, Archy and Frank. Additionally, mateship is shown not only through Frank and Archy but through Frank and his three friends Barney, Billy and Snowy. This essay will examine these issues to explain how mateship is proven throughout the film.
Since the beginnings of cinema in Australia from around 1896, Australian films have charted a range of views of the Australian identity, most specifically Australian Rules directed by Paul Goldman and Sapphires directed by Wayne Blair. Movies like these two gems deserve to be recognised and put into “The Hall of Fame” along with all the other masterpieces produced.
Mate-ship is a concept that can be drawn back to colonial times, It is particularly used to symbolise the bond between men and often used frequently in times of adversity and hardship. Mate-ship is reflected throughout Nick Enright’s ‘Property Of The Clan’, Peter Weir’s ‘Galipoli’ and the image chosen by me’ shown through the characteristics of courage and empathy which shape our individuals lives as Australians today. Many characters experience different aspects of mate-ship for the duration of property of the clan. Mate-ship takes all forms and is affected by the circumstances of many different situations.
Mateship is a value and important part of attitude towards others that lasts forever and ever, like the Anzacs. The Anzacs are the originals of mateship because of their compassion to defend each other's backs. For these reasons, all Australians are still proud to say that the Anzacs fought for Australia and for their mates. They rest in Australians hearts today in harmony and peace. They fought hard, defended each other's backs and they appreciated that they could always turn to each other for a shoulder to lean on. A shoulder to cry on. A shoulder to bestow their fondness of memories with.
Hannie Rayson’s play ‘Hotel Sorrento’ explores the changing nature of Australian cultural identity. Rayson successfully perpetuates and challenges common Australian stereotypes in order to establish how the Australian National Identity has changed over time. She presents these stereotypes through the characters expectations of gender roles, attitudes towards Australian culture and the theme of ownership.
Australia has the terrible condition of having an essentially pointless and prefabricated idea of “Aussiness” that really has no relation to our real culture or the way in which we really see ourselves. We, however subscribe to these stereotypes when trying to find some expression of our Australian identity. The feature film, The Castle, deals with issues about Australian identity in the 1990’s. The film uses techniques like camera shots, language and the use of narration to develop conflict between a decent, old fashioned suburban family, the Kerrigans and an unscrupulous corporation called Airlink. Feature films like The Castle are cultural products because they use attitudes, values and stereotypes about what it means to be Australian.
Dictionary, its use is mostly explained by examples cited from this. country. The. Also, rich entries on mateship as well as mate can be found.
What was the narrative of the show, who were the characters, and director? Love Jones the Musical is a makeover of the movie Love Jones directed and written by Theodore Witcher. The film starred Larenz Tate - as Darius Lovehall, and Nia Long - as Nina Mosley. The musical produced by Melvin Childs is touring around the country. I was able to catch an evening show of the shows only two nights held at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn. The stars of the musical are Tony Grant - as Darius Lovehall, and Chrisette Michelle - as Nina Mosley. Singers Musiq Soulchild, MC Lyte, Marsha Ambrosius, Raheem Devaughn, and Dave Hollister played themselves. The musical like the movie takes place in Chicago. The plot was also similar to that of 1997 movie in which Darius a poet and Nina a photographer gets together and fall in love. Trials and tribulations test their relationship, but the couple proved that black love is strong by overcoming their obstacles in the end.
Using the movie Love Jones I will talk about the characteristics of male/male and female/female relationship as they are portrayed in the film. Then I will talk about how different the female/male relationship is and focus primarily on their communication styles. There is some harsh vocabulary included in my essay but only in quotations that I have taken from the movie itself to communicate what was going on in the scenes I have chose to talk about.
Peter Weir’s 1981 film Gallipoli can in every sense of the phrase be called an ‘Australian classic’. The impact and effect this film has had upon the psyche and perspective of several generations of Australians has been significant. Whilst it can be argued that every Australian is aware of the ANZAC legend, and the events that occurred on the Turkish beaches in 1915, Weir’s film encapsulates and embodies a cultural myth which is now propagated as fact and embraced as part of the contemporary Australian identity. The film projects a sense of Australian nationalism that grew out of the 1970’s, and focuses on what it ‘means’ to be an Australian in a post-colonial country. In this way Gallipoli embodies a sense of ‘Australian-ness’ through the depiction of mateship and through the stark contrast of Australia to Britain. A sense of the mythic Australia is further projected through the cinematic portrayal of the outback, and the way in which Australia is presented in isolation from the rest of the world. These features combined create not only a sense of nationalism, but also a mythology stemming from the ANZAC legend as depicted within the film.
It seems that over time, the idea of mateship has changed. ‘Cloudstreet' was based on the post World War II period, and since then, our values of mateship and its definition have begun to change. For example, today, how many people would be willing to share their house with complete strangers?
Within the novel, When Everything Feels Like the Movies written by Raziel Reid, there is strong graphic language and depictions of sexuality. Throughout the novel each character including Jude and Angela explores their sexuality and experience the repercussions that follow. The graphic language and depictions of sexuality help to develop the quality of the novel and the characters involved. The novel also brings awareness to bullying involving the LGBTQ community, which is a major social issue. "Adolescent Sexuality and the Media: A Review of Current Knowledge and Implications," written by Gruber, Enid, and Joel Grube states that “there is growing concern about young people 's
Feminist theory was derived from the social movement of feminism where political women fight for the right of females in general and argue in depth about the unequality we face today. In the aspect of cinema, feminists notice the fictitious representations of females and also, machismo. In 1974, a book written by Molly Haskell "From Reverence to Rape: The treatment of Women in Movies" argues about how women almost always play only passive roles while men are always awarded with active, heroic roles. Moreover, how women are portrayed in movies are very important as it plays a big role to the audience on how to look at a woman and how to treat her in real life due to the illusionism that cinema offers. These images of women created in the cinema shapes what an ideal woman is. This can be further explained through an article 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema' written by a feminist named Laura Mulvey in 1975. She uses psychoanalysis theories by Sigmund Freud to analyze 'Scopophilia' which is the desire to see. This explains how the audience is hooked to the screen when a sexy woman is present. In a bigger picture, where Scopophilia derives from, 'Voyeurism' is also known as feeling visual pleasure when looking at another. Narcissism on the other hand means identifying one's self with the role played. It is not hard to notice that in classical cinema, men often play the active role while the women are always the object of desire for the male leads, displayed as a sexual object and frequently the damsels in distress. Therefore, the obvious imbalance of power in classical cinema shows how men are accountable to moving the narratives along. Subconsciously, narcissism occurs in the audience as they ...
Today, romance is one of the most popular genres to watch on television. Unlike most, romance is a genre where the plot revolves around the love between two main characters as they experience the highs and lows of love. “Common themes that revolve around romantic movies are kissing, love at first sight, tragic love, destructive love, and sentimental love” (Taylor). These themes appear in many historical films and the pattern still continues in modern films as well. Watching romantic movies has a giant negative influence on the viewer's analysis of what love and relationships should really be like. These films give the wrong impression of reality when it comes to dating, marriage, having children, and even how to manage a relationship in the first place. Even though romantic movies are commonly watched, there are many effects on personal real-life relationships after watching these types of films.