Documentary Treatment: Australias Country Touch Film - Movie Review Example

DOCUMENTARY The Documentary: Treatment and Analysis Name Course Tutor 15 October 2012 Documentary Treatment: ‘Australia’s Country Touch’ Film Introduction This documentary treatment is for Australia’s popular hip-hop sub-genre, country music, which today unites lovers of slow, soothing, and entertaining music in the country. ‘Australia’s Country Touch,’ is a film, which goes for a maximum of one and a half hours, and documents the history, development, status, and future of Australia’s country music, from the perspective of some of the best sub-genre’s artists. In the initial stage of the documentary, viewers are able to meet some of the high-profile artists of country music in a series of brief and introductory segments, accompanied by some, short historical lyrics that have defined and shaped country music in the Australian society. The film is largely objective, where the artists are allowed to discuss their lives and music, their views on the growth of country music, the status of the music, and the prospects of the music in future in the country. As a result, the documentary revolves around history, lifestyle of artists, motivation in this music, and what has been the response from the audience and the general population. These aspects are combined to define and explain the situation and nature of country music in Australia. It is a documentary that is both entertaining and informative, through the way it presents facts, opinions, views, and attitude with regard to country music; one of the growing and popular music in the country at the moment. Background and Significance The history of country music is long, but very beautiful when told or read. It starts in America’s popular culture, in the Southern part of the country (Malone 2001, p.13-18). This is a period around 1920, when the rural regions in the Southern part of United States of America, created a unique kind of music by combining folk music and western cowboy lyrics (Malone 2001, p.13-18). Australia’s country music borrows heavily from the American country music, and is flavoured by the British and Irish folk ballads. The documentary highlight this early history and goes further to give an overview of early notable country instruments like guitar, banjo, fiddle and harmonica, and how these simple instruments have been used to give spectacular and entertaining music in Australia (Dunbar-Hall, 2004, p.106-113). At the same time, the notable songs in history, as well as critical storyline, are documented in order to give a passionate travel-journey in the history of country music that ignites memorable moments both in the lives of artists and the audience. The sub-genre continues to be influenced by traditional themes that developed around lives of bushrangers, swagmen, drovers, stockmen and shearers (Dunbar-Hall, 2004, p.106-113). Therefore, large part of this history is documented in the film by using accounts and experiences from early performances of country music. Thereafter, the documentary shift to the current state of the music, where a number of selected popular and upcoming artists give their personal experiences and accounts of country music. The state of this sub-genre can only be understood by having first-hand information from the artists who develop, compose and perform country music. Their lifestyle, experience with audience and society at large, and attitude, are some of the parts in the documentary used to give the real state of this music, since this is the only way to highlight impact or influence of the country music. Method ‘Australia’s Country Touch’ film documentary provides historical essence of Australia’s country music in a unique, entertaining, captivating, and informative way. Audience is able to have all this from a master-piece that is well developed and presented in a simple, but very unique. How is it unique? The documentary history of country music in Australia starts with some captivating footages of early performance of country music in the Southern parts of the United States. This takes about three minutes, before the documentary shows early footages of Australian country music performances. The background is filled with slow, quiet, and entertaining beautiful historical lyrics of country music (Joe and Price 1998, p.125-126). The documentary of the history is further supported by chronicle of archival pictures that show early instruments used by early artists, archival interviews that depict early artists, and footages of audience during early performance of country music in Australia. All this is done in an attempt to bring out the history of country music in an objective and informative manner that even uninterested person watching it will be thrilled and motivated to go along. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that the primary objective of the documentary is to document the history, current state and future of country music in Australia. As a result, the method adopted includes interviewing some of the existing legends of country music in the current state, a number current popular artists of country music, and upcoming artists (Joe and Price 1998, p.125-126). The interview focuses on establishing how the country music has evolved and transitioned over time from the personal account of legends and current artists. At the same time, the interview explores the lifestyle of these artists, what has or was there major source of motivation in deciding to venture into country music, and challenges that exist or existed at the moment. Furthermore, the documentary shows how the artists view, perceive, and regard to be the current state of the country music in Australian society and what they consider to be the potential opportunities and threats for the future of country music. Besides, the documentary heavily dwells on the interview of current and new crop of artists in this sub-genre, where the aim is to establish personal, but general picture of the modern nature of country music. In this way, it is possible to establish the general response the country music is receiving in modern world, especially in the Australian society. Therefore, the documentary uses two methods of presentations: interviews and footages. Conclusion Country music has a rich history in Australia. It is a history characterised with passion and love for country music, at same time celebrated and cherished. In Australia, the growing love for country music is visible and strong: many people listen to country music almost every corner of the country. As a result, ‘Australia’s Country Touch’ Film, is a documentary about the history of Australian country music. It documents the history in a manner that leaves the audience satisfied with a rich history of the origin, development, and future of country music. No perfect way can this history be told other than from the actual artists of country music. Critical Analysis The theory of ‘Partisan Interventionist Cinema’, involves assuming partisan and interventionist position, where certain political or social positions are assumed in the documentary, although the essence of informing, entertaining, and also educating is not lost (Cornell 2010, p.155). Documentaries to large extent can be classified into two: openly partisan and non-partisan (Cornell 2010, p.155). With regard to openly partisan, the basic goal is to seek and address specific issues and offer concise position, while in non-partisan the primary goal is to seek to find truth about any given situation through efforts aimed at reducing the level of bias, presuppositions, or set of specific agenda (Cornell 2010, p.155). As a result, the history of documentary is characterised by great emphasis on the aspect of maximum objectivity, as compared to those who adopt a partisan and interventionist position, thereby compromising the goal of objectivity (Chapman 2009, p.48). Partisan and interventionist approach has therefore been a victim of numerous criticisms, doubt, and sometime the reality and truth they contain and portray are immersed in the general environment of criticism (Cornell 2010, p.155). ‘Australia’s Country Touch’ Film documentary is largely premised on the need to present the cultural and social essence of country music in a way that invites appreciation from lovers and strangers to the country music. This is to be in a way that is entertaining, captivating, educating, and informative. All this is achieved by the desire to remain objective and non-partisan in any way that may compromise the truth or reality being presented. But, even as this remains the premise of the documentary, it should be recognised that such an objective position can be achieved and made more valid and reliable when personal accounts of individual artists of country music are expressed in an informative manner. For example, without assuming a subjective position and opinion that country music assumes a unique and stylish place among different people in the country, it is important to have an objective account of history, combined and flavoured with accounts of individual artists of country music. In other words, the objectivity in the documentary is enhanced by little interventionist position producer and director of the documentary assumes, instead give the artists bigger role to explain and narrate historical events of country music. The essence of interviewing, observing, and analysing the history of country music in a way that brings out the broad reality, helps to facilitates and obtain an objective account of ‘Australia’s Country Touch’ Film’. Besides, the partisan and interventionist theory has suffered from criticisms that have faulted the largely one-sided position a producer or director is likely to assume, instead of being able to present two sides of a situation in order to maximise and enhance the authenticity of the documentary. This is what an objective documentary would want to achieve: present both sides of a situation, event, element, or an aspect. While the reactions and opinions of professionals such as psychologists and cultural observers and experts would be really informative and important in this documentary in order to have a broad and objective presentation, no one outside the world of country music artists is incorporated. Moreover, cultural reality does not lose the aspect of objectivity when actual and people concerned are the ones explaining or expressing such reality. Therefore, to incorporate opinions and judgments of outsiders in the documentary would largely prove to be demeaning to the country music artists and great disservice would be met to the genre as a whole. Moreover, one has to regard country music as composed of community of people with great brains and intellectual power, which give the artists the ability, power and capability to explain their psychological motivations as well as cultural significance of the country music throughout the process in an articulate manner. So, how is the aspect of objectivity and non-bias achieved in the documentary? The tenets upon which the documentary is based on posit that objective picture, reliable information, and valid information and presentation can be derived by having country music artists express themselves, in their unique way, in their own reality, and in their own world. It is the actual real-world that country music artists express, especially when captured from different artists, both legends, experienced, current, and up-coming that a holistic and objective staple idea about country music is established in a real and entertaining manner. At the same time, the very aspect of interviewing and clearly sequencing the footages of country music, in the entire process of developing and presenting history of country music in Australia makes the attainability of principles of objectivity. Detailed interview takes place in the documentary that involves diverse artists in the country music. Both experience and legends, current and popular, and up-coming artists are interviewed. They are able to give a diverse view of the country music in the country. Therefore, the producer is able to collect individual views of artists, knead them with historical archival footages, and flavour them with modern aspects of country music. Therefore, interview and real footages gives the documentary maximum objectivity that is paramount. Therefore, while partisan and interventionist documentaries largely deviate from the ideals of objectivity and non-partisan that have for a long time been part of the history of documentaries, ‘Australia’s Country Touch’ Film’ is motivated by the need to bring truth about country music in Australia in an objective manner. ‘Australia’s Country Touch’ Film’ documentary acts as a social indicator of reality regarding country music, and to satisfy this social reality, there is great need for objectivity in presenting the facts, information, and truth. While this remains pivotal, the idea of entertainment of documentary series is not lost or forgotten. Reference List Chapman, J. L., 2009. Issues in Contemporary Documentary. Cambridge: Polity. Cornell, T. J., 2010. Fahrenheit 9/11 and Partisan Interventionist Cinema. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. Dunbar-Hall, P., 2004. Deadly Sounds, Deadly Places: Contemporary Aboriginal Music in Australia. Sydney: UNSW Press. Joe, N., and Price, J., 1998. Advanced Studies in Media. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. Malone, B. C., 2001. Don't Get above Your Raisin': Country Music and the Southern Working Class. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press. Read More

Method ‘Australia’s Country Touch’ film documentary provides historical essence of Australia’s country music in a unique, entertaining, captivating, and informative way. Audience is able to have all this from a master-piece that is well developed and presented in a simple, but very unique. How is it unique? The documentary history of country music in Australia starts with some captivating footages of early performance of country music in the Southern parts of the United States. This takes about three minutes, before the documentary shows early footages of Australian country music performances.

The background is filled with slow, quiet, and entertaining beautiful historical lyrics of country music (Joe and Price 1998, p.125-126). The documentary of the history is further supported by chronicle of archival pictures that show early instruments used by early artists, archival interviews that depict early artists, and footages of audience during early performance of country music in Australia. All this is done in an attempt to bring out the history of country music in an objective and informative manner that even uninterested person watching it will be thrilled and motivated to go along.

Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that the primary objective of the documentary is to document the history, current state and future of country music in Australia. As a result, the method adopted includes interviewing some of the existing legends of country music in the current state, a number current popular artists of country music, and upcoming artists (Joe and Price 1998, p.125-126). The interview focuses on establishing how the country music has evolved and transitioned over time from the personal account of legends and current artists.

At the same time, the interview explores the lifestyle of these artists, what has or was there major source of motivation in deciding to venture into country music, and challenges that exist or existed at the moment. Furthermore, the documentary shows how the artists view, perceive, and regard to be the current state of the country music in Australian society and what they consider to be the potential opportunities and threats for the future of country music. Besides, the documentary heavily dwells on the interview of current and new crop of artists in this sub-genre, where the aim is to establish personal, but general picture of the modern nature of country music.

In this way, it is possible to establish the general response the country music is receiving in modern world, especially in the Australian society. Therefore, the documentary uses two methods of presentations: interviews and footages. Conclusion Country music has a rich history in Australia. It is a history characterised with passion and love for country music, at same time celebrated and cherished. In Australia, the growing love for country music is visible and strong: many people listen to country music almost every corner of the country.

As a result, ‘Australia’s Country Touch’ Film, is a documentary about the history of Australian country music. It documents the history in a manner that leaves the audience satisfied with a rich history of the origin, development, and future of country music. No perfect way can this history be told other than from the actual artists of country music. Critical Analysis The theory of ‘Partisan Interventionist Cinema’, involves assuming partisan and interventionist position, where certain political or social positions are assumed in the documentary, although the essence of informing, entertaining, and also educating is not lost (Cornell 2010, p.155). Documentaries to large extent can be classified into two: openly partisan and non-partisan (Cornell 2010, p.155). With regard to openly partisan, the basic goal is to seek and address specific issues and offer concise position, while in non-partisan the primary goal is to seek to find truth about any given situation through efforts aimed at reducing the level of bias, presuppositions, or set of specific agenda (Cornell 2010, p.155).

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