Cultural Adaptation In Contemporary Australian Film

Contemporary international films provide the place for the investigation of issues concerning cultural adaptation (Moran, 2009: pp.115). Through the exploration of contemporary Australian film, in very few cases does it actually reveal an accurate portrayal of Australians national culture. This is due to the fact that Australian film is exclusive, and limiting of several minority groups in Australia, thus depicting a false national culture. In 1994, Thomas Elsaesser wrote that the concept of a national cinema only makes sense ‘as a relation, not as an essence, being dependent on other kinds of film-making to which it supplies the other side of the coin’ (Elsaesser 1994: 25–26). In the 1970s came this cinematic movement dubbed as the “Australian …show more content…

The ocker image was adapted in the late 1970s and can be defined by Robert Crawford (2007) as a “self-satisfied vulgarian, a beer-sodden slo uncouth in behaviour and thought, an ignorant bigot opposed to anybody unlike himself...spending his time and money in the pubs and giving no thought to the morrow, a grunting pig” (pp.2) This representation built the foundation to a popular culture that celebrates masculinity by drinking excessive beer. The typical Australian concept can be captured through film Wake in Fright, as the tagline for the film reads “Sweat, dust and beer...there's nothing else out here mate!”. Set in outback town with intense temperatures, desolate landscape and excessive alcohol consumption this movie constructs the “drinking, laid-back nation” ideology adopted by Australian culture shaping how contemporary men think they should …show more content…

Moreover, its performers and participants will, for the most part, be familiar...” The majority in which Moran (2009) is referring to is the Middle class-Caucasian-heterosexual individual and this is the dominant character used to represent Australian people. Previous films such as Strictly Ballroom (1992) and Muriels Wedding (1994) both represent Australia with a caucasian dominant cast. These national characters assume a white body for the nation and as citizens these films structure their relationship to the state (Elder, 2007). In more recent years films like Cedar boys (2009), director Serhat Caradee has chosen to use five young Lebanese men as the main characters. Stepping away from the normality of Australian films reflecting a more realistic national culture which is that we are no longer just one race. Despite the more recent effort from Australian filmmakers to represent Australia as a multicultural nation, there is still a gap for films to truly reflect Australia's