Tales And Lethal Lies “The tale of a tragic ending with an even more tragic circumstance.” Said Ebony Hays ‘The Tall Man’ is a renowned controversial statement of Indigenous oppression, sparking up brawl within the Indigenous community of Palm Island and Australians of multiple ethnicities everywhere. Truly a “white Australia with black history”. The implication of the style, film techniques, information and a prominent scene within the documentary will be discussed in future paragraphs. The director of ‘The Tall Man’ Tony Krawitz provides the opinion that Chris Hurley the police officer under scrutiny for an Aboriginal death in custody, is the guilty party. I full heartedly agree with his perspective, the incriminating evidence against Chris …show more content…
Hurley and his claims are immensely repulsive. The fact that any one, not to mention the people we look up to; the ones that deliver justice; the ones that keep us safe, could be such a detriment to the wellbeing of the civilians they’re sworn to protect. On the 9th of November 2004 on Palm Island, Cameron Doomadgee was arrested for allegedly insulting a police officer. The officer insulted and who made the arrest was Senior Sargent Chris Hurley. However, a few hours after the arrest Cameron Doomadgee was found dead in custody with lethal internal injuries including broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and his liver which was almost severed in two, abrasions to the face and body and trauma to the back of his head. The Coroner’s original findings state the cause of death was due to a fall during the process of the arrest. Although the injuries seem too severe to of just been considered a fall, as the injuries demonstrated were similar to that of a car accident; these injuries suggest intention, this was no accident. The style and genre of ‘The Tall Man’ is a blend of expository and “as it was” using both subjective and objective techniques. In the documentary it provides all sides and perspectives of the events before, during and after the death of Cameron Doomadgee, though the documentary does provide a substantial amount of evidence and bias towards the guilt of Senior Sargent Chris Hurley. Narration emphasises the importance of an account and forms the commentary on fact instead of subjective personal perspective. The use of archival evidence allows the audience to almost step back in time and be able to fully understand and visualise the predicament at that particular point in time. Dramatization through cinematography and the effective use of suspense, tension and sorrow emotionally engages the viewer to feel whatever the current mood is. Thus connecting the audience to the documentary. The cinematography within ‘The Tall Man’ was effective. Illustrating mostly mid long shots and eye line angles. Expressing balance of power between both the interviewee’s and the audience. However, in scenes of great emotive change the camerawork alters depending on the mood. If it’s a sorrowful atmosphere there would be close ups with low angles which portrays the feeling of being small and powerless this also may depict fear. On the other hand, anger would be conveyed through high angle mid shots possibly close ups to display the full emotion which expresses intimidation. Lighting exenterates the ambiance of the scene. Projecting dark gloomy illumination embodies airiness and bright, vibrant lighting, excitement. Editing was used successfully to further engage the viewer synthesising appropriate music to the according scene made it attentive to watch and easy to attain information. The contrast of the lives and lifestyles of Palm Island and “the big smoke” successfully shows the “gap” between, and provides the audience with insight to the Palm Islanders position. With all considered the cinematography of ‘The Tall Man’ complements the story and atmosphere of the documentary accurately portraying oppression, sorrow and anger. Interviews and personal accounts of the events prior, during and after the death of Cameron Doomadgee associate the viewer with enough information to make an educated decision on their opinion of the issue.
Dialogue like “Have you had enough, Mr Doomadgee? Do you want more, Mr Doomadgee? Do you want more?” quoted from a key witness of the alleged “beating” of Cameron Doomadgee, Roy Bramwell who was in the police station in the time of the “beating”. This quote not only plays a crucial statement in the entire investigation and documentary but also evokes the feeling of disgust of the heartless nature of it. The repetition through the entirety of the film makes the audience relate it with the brutality and inhumanity of Chris Hurley. As well as some of the heart wrenching testimonials presented such as “very tall, elegant in terms of how he moved around, (he) came from a special family as well a very gentle family.” Erykha Kyle former Palm Islander Mayor, which provides some backstory to Cameron’s character and makes it even more saddening to know that a man like that could die in suck a dehumanising way. Also a declaration from Andrew Boa the Lawyer working on the case who stated “you see two bodies both on their backs………., Cameron is riving around in pain you can see he’s in absolute agony and his heads going towards Patrick, and at one point, it’s actually a powerful point, were Patrick sort of comforts him.” This showing of great compassion and humanity towards Cameron …show more content…
cannot be described in words and leads the viewer to a approach of sympathy and sorrow. Roy Bramwell had such an impact in the investigation his statement assisted the documentaries bias it had more emphasis and recurrence on the documentary than other interviewees with lesser importance or which supported the claims of Chris Hurley, relatively. The Documentary centres it’s story around the life of Cameron Doomadgee and how his life and the life of those around him were drastically changed by a simple, convenient, alleged “fall”. Although focused on the tragedy Cameron Doomadgee and his community faced, ‘The Tall Man’ does provide compelling evidence for Senior Sargent Hurley’s case. This allows the viewer to form their own opinion. A pivotal scene within ‘The Tall Man’ was the opening scene.
This set’s the mood for the documentary and gives some backstory to the issue focussed. The eerie, uneasy atmosphere created by the tense music and panning eye line, mid long shots convey a sense of fear and distress, setting the scene for a sinister outcome. The dark visuals onset the normal life of Palm Island contrasting the audience’s expectations of beauty and vibrancy, illustrating the severity of the issue and the effect upon the community. However, the most defining feature in this scene is the voice over of the dream time story “the tall man” this gives premise to the audience of the culture of Palm Island and how Chris Hurley could be associated to the myth. “He’s big, he’s scary and he stinks” “the tall man will getcha”. The tall man is the symbol of Christopher Hurley. He towers over the people of Palm Island, them never really feeling safe, them never really being safe. These confronting effects in the opening scene immerses the audience in the issue and circumstance of Palm
Island. In conclusion ‘The Tall Man’ successfully portrays the account of the death of Cameron Doomadgee. By providing archival footage and interviews of events and people regarding the incident ‘The Tall Man’ documentary was able to successfully persuade the audience that Senior Sargent Christopher Hurley held responsible for the death of Cameron Doomadgee. With all the evidence against Hurley and the suspicious circumstances of his claims I agree that Hurley was in fact guilty for the murder of Cameron Doomadgee. Oppression against the indigenous people have been over looked for too long, something must be done! This is no longer a “white Australia with a black history”.
The Tall Man by Australian author Chloe Hooper is an expository text published in 2008, exploring the death of an Aboriginal man named Cameron Doomadgee while in police custody on Palm Island, an Aboriginal reserve off the coast of Queensland. On the morning of November 19th, 2004, Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley, a White Australian police officer, arrested Doomadgee for allegedly causing a public nuisance. Less than an hour after his arrest, Doomadgee was pronounced dead in his cell. Sufficient evidence was found to lead the Deputy Coroner to find Hurley responsible for Doomadgee’s death. Doomadgee’s death served as a catalyst for civic disturbances on the island, and a legal, political, and media sensation that continued for three years.
In 1901, the same year Australia was federated, the Commonwealth constitution stated that “Aboriginal natives votes shall not be counted” and thus placing them into the flora and fauna section and introducing the white Australian policy (Korff, 2011). David Unaipon was just 29 years old when this occurred (Gizmodo, 2004). While Unaipon was alive there were many instances of institutionalised racism that further widened the gap between aborigines and Caucasians (Gizmodo, 2004). In 1926, when Unaipon was 54 years old 11 aborigines were murdered, however when the criminal was caught, they were let free (Korff, 2011). This shows that aborigines were being discriminated against throughout Unaipon’s life with many laws targeted against them and many legal options being taken away from them. It was only in 1967 that the indigenous were given basic rights, and were included in the Australian census and fully classed as a “person” and recognised for this (Korff, 2011). Sadly, this was held 109 days after Unaipon died and proves that he had to endure racism during the entirety of his life. It is evident through these examples that racism played a major role in why David Unaipon’s ability was not used in science and this is seen through the institutionalised racism present during Unaipon’s life.
All three authors recognize that difference constructs discrimination. The concept of othering (Hall 1997) and Anglo dominance presented by Moreton-Robinson (2015) help understand Judith Butler’s findings as to why oppression and exclusion cannot be reduced completely. It is same fear of the ‘other’ and white dominance in Australia that keep Australian institutions from reaching integration and equality—film being one these institutions. The filmmakers of The Sapphires attempt to tell the Aboriginal narrative. The scenes mentioned in the previous paragraphs, educate a diverse audience about Aboriginal discrimination in Australia in the 1960s. However, even though the filmmakers reveal some truths of Aboriginal discrimination, they do it in a way which the Aboriginal narrative is suppressed and Anglo dominance is maintained. “The Sapphires” plot is not centered on Aboriginal discrimination, rather a story of how four Aboriginal girls learn about love and friendship. Aboriginal discrimination in the 1960s forms only a small part of the journey to entertain American Troops in Vietnam. By presenting a musical comedy-drama film, the filmmakers sugar coat Australia’s dark past. The movie also ends on a good note. Cousin Kay who at some point rejected her Aboriginal roots, overcomes her prejudice and gets more in touch with the Aboriginal culture by partaking in an Aboriginal ceremony. By the end of the film the audience barely recalls the discrimination scenes and only remembers a happy ending. This is dangerous, as the film deceives its white Australian audience to believe that racial inequality in Australia is an issue of the past not the present. Therefore, promoting the idea that the Australia does not continue to privilege white people over Aboriginals
Summary of Text: ‘The Redfern Address’ is a speech that was given to a crowd made up of mainly indigenous Australians at the official opening of the United Nations International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples in Redfern Park, New South Wales. This text deals with many of the challenges that have been faced by Indigenous Australians over time, while prompting the audience to ask themselves, ‘How would I feel?’ Throughout the text, Keating challenges the views of history over time, outlines some of the outrageous crimes committed against the Indigenous community, and praises the indigenous people on their contribution to our nation, despite the way they have been treated.
The idea that indigenous Australian communities are underprivileged and do not receive the same justice that the white community accrues is represented through Jay Swan and his interactions with the corrupt white police officers and the indigenous locals of the town. My empathetic response to the text as a whole was influenced directly by way the text constructs these ideas as well as my knowledge of the way indigenous Australians are represented in the mainstream media and the behaviour of the police force as an institution. These contextual factors and the way Sen has constructed ideas influenced me to empathise with the indigenous
The Indigenous youth of Australia still face many challenges growing up in a world dominated by white Europeans. This essay will discuss the stereotypes and marginalisation that young Indigenous teenagers must face. After viewing Yolngu Boy and Black Chicks Talking, there will be examples from the two movies on the stereotypes, marginalisation, interdependent and the connection the characters of the movies have with the Aboriginal culture and the dominant white culture.
However the island is a vicious place. It is there that he gets trained for the survival of his own hell. When he finally returns home after several years, he is determined to save his city and make up for his father’s mistakes. In the show his friends and family do not know that he is the vigilante saving their city, but his audience does. Fundamental attribution error is one... ...
Indigenous People. In evaluating the Legal System’s response to Indigenous People and it’s achieving of justice, an outline of the history of Indigenous Australians - before and during settlement - as well as their status in Australian society today must be made. The dispossession of their land and culture has deprived Indigenous People of economic revenue that the land would have provided if not colonised, as well as their ... ... middle of paper ... ...
Throughout Australian history a racist attitude towards Aboriginals has been a significant issue. From the moment the early settlers arrived on our shores and colonised, the Aboriginals have been fighting for the survival of their culture. The Aboriginals haven been take in and dominated to bring them in line with an idealistic European society. These themes have been put forward by Jack Davis in his stage play, No Sugar, the story of an Aboriginal family’s fight for survival during the Great Depression years. Admittedly Davis utilises his characters to confront the audience and take them out of their comfort zone, showing them the reality of Aboriginal treatment. This is an element of the marginalisation that Jack Davis uses through out the play this starts from the beginning where he discomforts the audience by using an open stage. One character that Davis uses through out the play is A.O. Neville, Davis uses him to portray the issue of power, this is a very important issue that is carried through out the play.
During the late sixteen century, when the first fleet arrived to Australia and discovered the free settlers or known as Australian Indigenous inheritors (The Aborigines), the community of aboriginal inhabitants since then have experienced vast levels of discrimination and racism against their gender, race, colour and ethnicity. The term over representations refers to the presents of minority or disproportionate ethnic aboriginal groups represented in the criminal justice system (CJS). This essay will further explain the relationship between aboriginal communities and policing discussed in Blagg (2008) and Cunneen (2007, the three major sources of concern in association to aboriginal over representation in CJS which include; systematic bias,
Beresford, Q., & Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. (2006). Rob Riley: an aboriginal leader's quest for justice. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press.
The incident in which Colten Boushie was shot by Gerald Stanley is an example of an interaction of 2 different groups in society and their behaviour towards each other. In “[exposing] racial tensions”, that examines the racial discrimination which might have created a bias for members the jury to find the man of a similar social class or background not guilty. As a minority, Indigenous people are small in number compared to the rest of society and as a result are seen as a lower class on the social hierarchy. This case displays the idea that when minorities face sociological problems within the legal system or in general, society, they are less able to ensure the justice being served. A sociologist would be interested in studying the response to Boushie’s death and what general patterns of human behaviour arise from the Indigenous
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Within Australia, beginning from approximately the time of European settlement to late 1969, the Aboriginal population of Australia experienced the detrimental effects of the stolen generation. A majority of the abducted children were ’half-castes’, in which they had one white parent and the other of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. Following the government policies, the European police and government continued the assimilation of Aboriginal children into ‘white’ society. Oblivious to the destruction and devastation they were causing, the British had believed that they were doing this for “their [Aborigines] own good”, that they were “protecting” them as their families and culture were deemed unfit to raise them. These beliefs caused ...
...saying through their actions to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, that causing the death of a human being wasn’t a crime. All of this happened because of a police officer’s discretionary decision, which further illustrates that discretionary decisions harm the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The last point that this essay raised was one that has been valid for over two hundred years. The attitudes of the state towards aboriginal people is reflected in discretionary decisions made by police officers and will continue to be the case until those in power stop trying to do the popular thing and start trying to do the right thing. When all of the evidence is weighed and considered, there can be little doubt that discretionary decisions made by police officers harm the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples.