Australian Film Red Dog Analusis
Nathanial Brown
In the 2011 Australian film ‘Red Dog’ directed by Kriv Stenders many issues relating to Australian identity are addressed including the stereotypical Australian values such as conflict with authority and mateship. Stenders uses skilful camera and visual techniques to portray a realistic 1970’s context throughout the movie. Throughout the movie it is evident that Stenders portrays his values and attitudes such as rebellion against authority that abuses power and independence.
From the exposition it is clear that Stenders goal is to idealise the affirmation of the Australian cultural identity. Throughout the film Stenders uses both diegetic and non-diegetic music to anchor the text in the 1970’s. Stenders uses an anthropomorphic approach though the anthropomorphism in his representation of Red Dog. This can been when the character Jack begins to explain Red Dog to Thomas and states “It’s not what he did but who he was.” This has the effect of privileging Red Dog as equal to Jack and everyone else. This also gives Red Dog an identity, his not just some dog that they all loved he had developed a personality and the townspeople understood Red Dog. By doing this Stenders is laying the basis to further develop Red Dog, by giving him a identity Stenders can make Red Dog a mate of the townspeople and use Red Dog to portray values and ideas. Stenders is clearly affirming the value of a personal identity.
Furthermore, Stenders privileges the role of humour in the definition of Australian identity by literalising the familiar Australian joke ‘A man walked into a bar’ this is represented through the wideshot of Thomas the trucky apprehensively entering the bar to find it deserted. Stenders is again setting the basis for later in the film when he further develops the idealised Australian identity as liking mateship, believing in egalitarianism, loyalty, being gregarious, humour and the view of authority being disrespectful. By idealising Australians in
In the 2011 Australian film ‘Red Dog’ directed by Kriv Stenders many issues relating to Australian identity are addressed including the stereotypical Australian values such as conflict with authority and mateship. Stenders uses skilful camera and visual techniques to portray a realistic 1970’s context throughout the movie. Throughout the movie it is evident that Stenders portrays his values and attitudes such as rebellion against authority that abuses power and independence.
From the exposition it is clear that Stenders goal is to idealise the affirmation of the Australian cultural identity. Throughout the film Stenders uses both diegetic and non-diegetic music to anchor the text in the 1970’s. Stenders uses an anthropomorphic approach though the anthropomorphism in his representation of Red Dog. This can been when the character Jack begins to explain Red Dog to Thomas and states “It’s not what he did but who he was.” This has the effect of privileging Red Dog as equal to Jack and everyone else. This also gives Red Dog an identity, his not just some dog that they all loved he had developed a personality and the townspeople understood Red Dog. By doing this Stenders is laying the basis to further develop Red Dog, by giving him a identity Stenders can make Red Dog a mate of the townspeople and use Red Dog to portray values and ideas. Stenders is clearly affirming the value of a personal identity.
Furthermore, Stenders privileges the role of humour in the definition of Australian identity by literalising the familiar Australian joke ‘A man walked into a bar’ this is represented through the wideshot of Thomas the trucky apprehensively entering the bar to find it deserted. Stenders is again setting the basis for later in the film when he further develops the idealised Australian identity as liking mateship, believing in egalitarianism, loyalty, being gregarious, humour and the view of authority being disrespectful. By idealising Australians in