Contemporary Austrian Cinema - Essay Example

Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : Contemporary Austrian cinema Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx @2011 Introduction The contemporary Austrian cinema industry is in the continuous process of producing a realistic number of films every year. A lot of changes have occurred in the Australian cinema industry ever since the release of pioneer films such the 1906 production of The Story of the Kelly Gang. The 1990s for instance established a flourishing decade for the Austrian cinema industry and the introduction of various new stars to audiences globally. Furthermore the Australian cinema industry has witnessed the emergence of prominent directors who have introduced new styles, themes and genres in the film industry. It is therefore critical to define contemporary Australian cinema, in order to highlight the distinctive features that can be used to define what makes modern Australian cinema. This particular paper therefore seeks to present a variety of meanings concerning contemporary Australian Cinema. The scope of the analysis will be grounded evaluating two contemporary Australian films; Looking for Alibrandi produced in the year 2000 and Noise produced in 2007. The two films will be used as overviews of evaluating the meaning of contemporary Australian films. Collins and Davis (2004) in their work have intensely evaluated contemporary Australian films that were created after the Mabo high court decision of 1992.Their work has provided an insight concerning the emerging issues in the Australian cinema industry which have been useful in defining contemporary Austrian cinema. The contributions of other authors are also important in providing an insight into contemporary Australian cinema. Contemporary Austrian cinema can be defined in terms of the aspect of revealing social imagery (Collins and Davis 2004). Social imagery in this context implies that contemporary Austrian cinema is translated within the spirit and lifestyle of the times. When evaluating the film Looking for Alibrandi. The film gives us an opportunity to put into consideration the immediacy and mobility of experiences that contemporary teenagers go through. The film director Kate Woods one of the Australian new generational directors based the film on the 1992 published award winning novel written by Melena Marchetta. The book is a favourite for many Australian teenagers, although its setting was not mainly Australian. Kate Woods the director of the movie insists that her version of the movie is distinctively Australian. According to Woods, it was essential the movie brings out the aspect of Austrlianness as opposed to what she described as ‘the parodying approach or self consciousnesses’ that is depicted by other contemporary Australian films such as The Castle produced by Rob Sitch in 1997 and the Muriel’s Wedding directed by Hogan , J in 1994(Woods 2002). The film Looking for Alibrandi brings out the Australian social imagery in the sense that certain visual qualities depicted in the film reveal the authentic urban image of Australian cities. Woods the director of the movie highlights that her aim in film was to present an urban Australia. This particular aim was attained by the use of non professional actors and locations. The film was shot in over forty locations in eastern and western Sydney with many of the scenes involving the participation of locals who were non-professionals actors. This entailed the use of hundreds of students in secondary schools during a scene of the interschool speech day that occurred at the Sydney Opera house (Woods 2002). The movie also depicts the Australian social imagery due to the fact that it conforms to a multicultural dimension that exists in the modern society. Collins and Davis (2004) highlight that multicultural dimension portrayed by the movie reveals the increased rate of intergenerational and intercultural integration, that exist in contemporary Australian society. The main character in the film who is also the narrator Josie Alibrandi is teenager girl of Italo- Australian origin. The story portrays the cultural differences that exist in modern societies. The main character confesses of her desire to flee her life in the Italian community what she refers to as ‘Little Italy’ in order to join the life in eastern Sydney an area composed of wealthy Anglo centric middle classes. In addition, the multicultural dimension is also depicted by Josie’s experience on the other side of the town; which was at school. Josie’s experienced racial prejudice that basically reduced her to a limit that was ethnic. As a multicultural narrative, issues of ethnic and racial conflict are also developed through the staging of a romance that is intercultural. Josie is interested in two Aglo boys; Jacob Coote and John Barton. John is the romanticize image of her fantasies of escaping her lifestyle and joining the Anglo worlds upper class. John comes from a wealthy and conservative family. Jacob on the other hand is a normal decent young man from an average family, who does not mind to join Josie’s family and their neighborhood in their tomato day festive (Collins &Davis 2004). In despite of Jacobs’s positive initiatives, Josie is not entirely sure if there is a possibility of having a future with Jacob. Carruthers (1995) highlights that young people in the modern world face the dilemma of being divided on the aspect of dealing with the concept of multiculturalism. Also when looking at the works of Collins and Davis (2004), an emergent issue arises concerning contemporary Austrlian cinema industry. This entails a shift from the dominant features of masculinity in film production. Masculinity is an aspect that was widely depicted in various film genres. In the past men were portrayed as quite different and powerful due to their physical features which gave them more power and superiority over the female gender. In addition due the adoption of the masculine point of view, the male character was often viewed as capable of handling the challenges of life. The masculinity view basically centers on the notion that men should display features of courage, aggression, strength, having no emotions and being practical. As a result, the male character depicts features of having control of what is going on in their lives (Craig 1992). However there has been a paradigm shift concerning the depiction of male characters and male producers in the Australian film industry. The film Looking for Alibrandi provides a center stage of a female character who is basically aggressive enough to face life. In despite of the fact that Josie comes from a problematic family background, furthermore she faces a variety of challenges such as racism that exist in the society the time. She resolves to not get her past and her nasty experiences get the best out of her. Josie bravely deals with the challenges she faces. Kate Woods the director of the film can also be defined as a form of shift from the aspect of masculinity in contemporary Australian film production. Throughout the 70s and the 80s most of the mainstream films produced in Australia were principally produced by men. Women on the other hand did not take an active role in directing films. Kate Woods therefore as the director of the film Looking for Alibrandi, and several other films act as a symbol decline of the masculinity ideology in contemporary film production. According to Rayner (2000) contemporary Austrian cinema can also be defined in terms of examining problematic aspects such as social, familial, ethnic and national identity problems that exist in our society today. Rayner (2000) further highlights that the films try to resolve this particular dilemmas through bringing in a comic torch into the film. In the context of the film Looking for Alibrandi problematic aspects that face teenagers in the contemporary society are well demonstrated by the film. Josie Alibrandi a teenage girl deals with various traumas that exist in everyday life. This include a difficult relationship that has with her single mother and the unexpected return her father who had long disappeared form their lives, and the strict nuns in the Catholic schools she is sent to . Josie as a 17 year old girl is also interested in boys, which frequently happens to young girls at this age. One of the boys she likes is a quite nice however insecure the other is a sexy and self confident from a single parent family. Josie’s life is also surrounded by her grandmother; Nona, who was long widowed after living a marriage that was loveless. Her grandmother stays close by and keeps a close check on what she does (Collins & Davis 2004). Stereotypic view points are frequently derived from having a problematic life. In the context of Josie’s story, women who grow up without having a father are often supposed to have a more difficult time when it comes to handling men in their adulthood. Josie was to learn to deal with boyfriends and a long lost father at the same time. As a young woman Josie also had to handle a snobbery school environment and not to mention the weight of the feared HSC exam in her final study year. Interesting enough Josie had a high aim which is to study law at a prestigious university in order for her to escape little Italy and the festivals in her community such as the annual bottling of tomato source. She finally learns however that amidst all the challenges she has to face as a teenage girl one can not escape from what made you, the only strategy you can take is to make it work for you. In the same sense the films aim was to inform teenagers that amidst all the struggle that exist in their everyday lives, nothing quite works as designed however it is sometimes better to make your present to work out for you (Collins & Davis 2004). Contemporary Australian cinema industry has also attempted to confirm previous facts to determine circumstances of the present (Caputo1993). When evaluating the movie Looking for Alibrandi, Josie knows what happened to her mother in the past that is the abandonment by her father. Interestingly enough, Josie is becoming of age, which also entails her having to face her past and choosing to acknowledge the difficult nature her identity. Unlike the old classical teenage films where the adult was perceived as the primary reassurance of a teenager. The main character in this particular film refuses to follow the traditions of her family, by becoming a subject of shame just as that her mother was subjected to. In doing so Josie increases her courage through opening a way forward , through highlighting how the flexibility that is linked to mobility and the immediacy of a youth gives one the opportunity of facing the shameful experiences of the past without choosing the alternative of denial or guilt(Woods 2002). Contemporary Australian cinema can also be defined in terms of the utilization of interdisciplinary approach or the hybrid approach in film production. This sort of approach is greatly influenced by the adoption of new technologies and the media. As a result a more unified method of narration and sounding is developed within most films. An analysis of the 2007 film Noise by Matthew Saville brings out a clear operation of music and sound in relations to the movies‘s principle themes, which reveal the complex machinations of the auditory components of the film. Hadland (2010) highlights that; a new genre in the contemporary Australian film industry referred to as the noir genre has emerged. The film Noise is narrated using a unique style with emphasis on the component of sound. As we got to the 21st centaury, it has become apparent that the conventional attitudes that existed towards music, which were mainly orchestral have been replaced by a more integrated and dynamic manner of music track. In general this approach describes the fine distinction of the sound language of film sound , which entails sound effects, foley ,dialogues and atmospheres , that have been in a various ways integrated within the sound track of the film(Hadland 2010). Set in Melbourne suburb, the film Noise depicts a tale of a suburban tragedy that is narrated distinctively with an Australian sentiment. The story is centered on Graham McGahan an ordinary corp who suffers from cancer and tinnitus. With great concerns about his wellbeing or health, he is withdrawn from duties and demoted to a suburb in detective caravan that was merged by a sequence of grisly murders. From the onset the film appears to be a typical film showcasing an urban landscape with unsolvable murder cases. The shot that opens the first scene depicts the Melbourne cityscape against a piano theme that is quite eerie or creepy. In addition a fresh ambient soundscape also accompanies the piano theme. As the music becomes softer, it’s joined together with the crescendo of a trains grinding steel as it is echoed through a network of tunnels that are fluorescently-lit(Hadland 2010). Bryony Marks the films music composer highlights that they wanted to develop the sound design in a manner to magnify the horrific events in the movie. Bryony further reveal that most importantly he wanted to link the events of the movie to characters, to highlight that while the characters went own with their small lives they are bound to experience the worlds wonderful and terrible events . The sound track of the film was therefore used to present the characters struggles towards attaining decency. Furthermore he film Noise utilizes sound and music for the spectacular value. As opposed to just simply presenting a nihilistic mood, the music evokes the commenting of tragic and ironic events that occur in the film. The combined utilization of noise, orchestral music and ambience take the active function of in mediating the story. The result of this combination is a deeper type of psychological engagement obscure subjectivity in the main character as he undertakes his investigations (Saville 2007). Contemporary Australian cinema in the last two decades essentially those cast from the 1990s, have developed their market niche though the tendency of the incorporation of the concept of ‘grotesque’. The utilization of grotesque in contemporary films is used to describe images that are strange, ugly, unpleasant, and incongruous and disgusting. As a result the discourse is often used to describe weird pictures or events. Hadland (2010), highlights that this has manifested itself through visual style and narrative to develop films that truly Australian and divergent film. The unusual notion of the use of grotesque is frequently applied in the realm of file as a way of subverting and reversing dominant political, social and societal structures. Several film scholars have also put emphasis on ‘grotesque’ in order to oppose the dominant film culture that is represented by Hollywood. Australian film makers have been striving to develop distinctive features in their film production as a strategy of devise films that are truly Australian (Saville 2007). In the context of the film Noise, the set up is mainly surrounded on murders that take ironically. Seven passengers are murdered on a train in Melbourne inner city. The film portrays what Lavinia Smart; a young woman experiences after she boarders the train after the occurrence of the horrific murders. The concept of grotesque in this particular film is brought about by the fact that entire casting is done on a landscape that is potentially connected to murders. The use of grotesque in the film therefore involves in the audience a feeling of bizarreness, empathic pity and uncomfortable feelings (Saville 2007). A common feature between the two movies discussed above that can be used to define contemporary Australian film is the aspect of the change in the setting of Australian films. In the past decades most mainstream of the films were set on bush landscape this include films such as Mad Max, Evil Angels ,Hanging Rock just to name but a few. There has been a gradual shift however in modern society whereby mainstream films move way from the bush landscape set up to the inner city and suburbia. Carruthers (1995) reveals that recently calls have been made to Australian producers to adopt the suburbia setting and engage their characters to the suburbia environment. The two movies Noise and looking for Alibrandi are cast on suburbia environments, an indication of the shift from the bush landscape movie production that was depicted by most films in the past years. Conclusion From the above analysis contemporary cinema production in Australia has greatly been revolutionized by a variety of factors including changes in film setting, reduction of emphasis on masculinity, adoption of new technologies and styles of production. The result of these is that the contemporary Australian cinema industry can be defined as distinct. However there is need for the industry to find strategies of differentiating the Australian culture from the dominant culture of Hollywood production. References . Caputo, R, 1993, ‘’Coming into age, notes towards reappraisal, ‘ Cinema papers, 1993. O’ Regan, T, 1996, Australian National Cinema , Routledge pp 250-6. Craig, S , 1992, Men, Masculinity and the Media, Newbury Park: Sage. Carruthers , A, 1995, Substantial way of reading cultural difference in the mainstream Australian media , Media information Australia, 77, 86-93. Collins, F and Davis, T, 2004, Australian cinema after Mabo, Cambridge University Press Hadland, N, 2010, The Integrated Soundtrack of Noise Saville, M et al, 2007, Noise: Press Kit, Melbourne: Retro Active Films Pty Ltd . Rayner, J, 2000, Contemporary Australian cinema: an introduction, Manchester University Press. Woods, K, 2002, Special feature on looking for Alibrandi, Roadshow entertainment. Read More