The Water Diviner Essay

Good morning/afternoon ladies and gentlemen), It is my delight to welcome you to The Australian Film Festival where we will be showcasing a variety of Australian films. I’m Reef Rohde, the organiser of this year’s film festival and will be showcasing you ‘The Water Diviner’. It was directed by the iconic films, the leading role performed by actor Russel Crowe and written by Andrew Knight and Andrew Anastasios. The Water Diviner pays recognition to a significant period in our nation’s history and I am thrilled to present to you at the Australian Film Festival this chosen film. This film I have chosen clearly demonstrates Australia’s prominent and authentic culture of mateship and family values. It was released in 2014 and has received 13 wins

for … and 13 nominations since. The film begins in 1919 just after World War 1 has ended, and centres the characters, Russel Crowe as Joshua Connor, an Australian farmer and Water diviner.

His three sons Arthur, Edward and Henry served with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during the military campaign for Gallipoli. Following the suicide of his wife after four years, Connor travels to Turkey in search of his three sons which never returned home after the war. A dominant theme of mateship and family can be seen throughout the entirety of the film within as Connor and his three sons have developed an imperishable relationship at the initial stages of the movie. It is clearly noticeable by the audience and can be witnesses that a fond relationship develops throughout the film. This overriding theme of relationships (family relationships) is conveyed through a variety of

techniques.

In the creation of the Water Diviner, Andrew Knight and Andrew Anastasios wanted to focus on the battle of Gallipoli as the pinnacle of Australia’s involvement in World War One, yet the directors were eager to paint a more all-inclusive picture of the Ottoman Empire at the time.

The water diviner is one of Australia’s most famous cultural artefact as it thoroughly explores all aspects of The Gallipoli Battle from all perspectives. The film exhibits cultural representations through characterisations and settings. The accents and slang of the characters in the film display a strong Australian heritage, which educates the audience about Australian’s and their culture. Throughout the initial stages of the movie the setting of the scenes is placed in the rural Australian outback. The Outback is a common name in Australian culture that represents vast, unpopulated and mostly parched areas that are apart of Australia’s remote regions.

From these film techniques, the audience can perceive that Australia is an open landscape, rich in vegetation and wildlife but on the other hand the landscape appears to be a barren wasteland of red dust.

The soundtracks used throughout the film are mainly composed from prominent Australian Orchestras. The majority of soundtracks are derived from Australia’s own, Sydney Scoring Orchestra. The camera angles and types of shots in the film, assist the audience to experience the landscape of Australia in full view. The camera angles and shots are mainly

long shots as these types of shots let the viewer experience the whole object or figure and is intended to place it in relation to its surroundings.

The pan shot of the windmill represents rural Australia and gives the audience a sense of vastness of the land. The sound of the windmill squeaking in the wind as it rotates emphasises to the audience the harsh environmental pressures on the barren land. In the background light, soft music is playing as this scene has sentimental aspects.

Another shot that stands out in terms of defining Australia’s Culture is the shot of the character Connor and his son Arthur. This part of the scene displays the technique of “point of view shots” as the camera angles change when one of the characters speak. This technique builds suspense as Connor tells his eldest son to look after his brothers while in G Gallipoli, at war. The slang used in this shot displays the Australian Culture in the terms such as “mate”, “reckon” and “bloody’. This shot defines Australian culture as the value of unity within the three brothers and father is prominent. Australian families display this value of unity as it is a cultural belief to care for one another. The audience feels empathy for Connor as he in fret for his three-son’s wellness.

One influential shot throughout this scene was the shot of the three brothers on horseback riding into the distance fare welling their dearest father. This shot is a pan shot as the camera is used to show more of the setting and scene. The camera angle and movement displays to the audience the sparse barren outback of Australia. The warm pink tones of the sky in contrast with the red dust displays Australia’s beautiful outback. Arthur, Henry and Edward riding on horseback is a depiction of Australia’s rich history. The horse was an Australian icon transport in the 19th century.

To conclude this Australian Film Festival, I’m going to propose the statement that the Water Diviner is an iconic film, derived from Australian culture. This is a film that Australians will remember for its recall on The Battle of Gallipoli and its heart wrenching story.