1. What
qualities and values of people are privileged (presented positively)? The qualities and values of people that are privileged are
friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and that aborigines act like ‘white’ Australians.
2. Which groups
are marginalised or silenced? (presented negatively or not represented in the
movie) The groups that are marginalised within the
movie are the aborigines, as they are forced to adapt the customs of ‘white
people’.
3. What aspects of Aboriginality are presented
in a positive way? What words/images are used to portray them this way? The aspect
of Aboriginality that is presented in a positive way is that can be quite
friendly and helpful. The words and images that are used to portray this
representation is that people would talk friendly to certain aborigines, give
them a smile and treat relatively equally.
4. What aspects of Aboriginality are presented
in a negative way? What words or images are used to portray them this way? The aspect of
Aboriginality that is presented in a negative way is that aborigines are though
to be criminals. The words and images that are used to portray the ‘criminals’
within Aborigines is the scene where Willie is about to get punished by the
Reverend, where he says that he should’ve known it was an Aborigine.
5. How are European Australians represented in
the movie? What words/images are used to portray them this way? European
Australians aren’t treated as equally as ‘white’ Australians however they do
seem to have a more privileged life than what Aborigines do. Words and images
that are used to show this is that in the scene where the European Australian
wants to use the phone, they are kind of hesitant and keep a watchful eye on
him, however they do eventually let him use it.
After that little scene, the police seem to give the Aborigines a harder
time than the European Australian.
6. How is
Broome represented in the movie? (note down words used to describe it and how
images portray it as different from other places). Broome is represented as this small rural place in Australia where
they are lots of happy people that seem to get along with almost everyone. In
the scenes where the bar is shown, everyone is having a good tie dancing and
drinking to the music.
7. How is Perth
represented in the movie? (note down words used to describe it and how images
portray it as different from other places).
Perth is represented quite differently as there seems to be more homeless
Aborigines and they don't come across as friendly as the Aborigines in Broome.
8. How is Port
Headland represented in the movie? (note down words used to describe it and how
images portray it as different from other places). Port Headland is represented as a different and unique place in
Australia. The residents seem to be a little more laid back and do a lot more
daring things in their town (the condom tree is one example and the married
lady having sex with Willie is another)
9. Select two of the characters and explain,
using direct evidence from the movie, what type of ‘Australian-ness’ they
represent. (How do they and others view themselves as Australian? This might
include things that you think make them stereotypically Australian) Uncle
Tadpole and Father Benedictus are two characters that show ‘Australian-ness’.
Uncle Tadpole is the laid back man that is quite deceitful and can manipulate
people quite easily. He sees himself as a typical Aboriginal Australian bloke.
Aborigines are typically stereotyped as thieves and are not very friendly, and
Uncle Tadpole shows the stereotype of a thief quite clearly, as he grabs the
chocolate from Willie quite demandingly and when Willie wants his help at the
beginning of the movie, he blows it off and acts differently. Father Benetictus
is a typical ‘white’ Australian back n the olden days as he has a belief that
Aborigines need to change and adapt to the lifestyle that ‘whites’ live,
however he knows that beneath the fake ‘white’ people he makes with the
Aborigines they are still thieves and will always have that ‘bad blood’ in
them.
10. Overall what representation of
“Australian-ness” does Bran Nue Dae portray? (Attitudes/beliefs/ideas make
someone an Australian according to the movie) The idea of someone being
Australian according to the movie is that they have to be a ‘white’ Australian,
or if they are not, then they are taught the ways so that they know how to act.
The representation of being Australian in the movie Bran Nue Dae is that as
long as you follow the rules and are educated properly, than anyone can be a ‘proper’
Australian, whether they are of Aboriginal background or not.
