Gender Stereotypes in My Brilliant Career and Jindabyne
Discuss the similarities in and differences between the representation of women in My Brilliant Career (a post-1970 Australian film that places its narrative in an historical or period setting) and Jindabyne (a post-1970 Australian film that places its narrative in a contemporary setting) 2500 words.
Both protagonists in My Brilliant Career (1979) directed by Gillian Armstrong and Jindabyne (2006), directed by Ray Lawrence are portrayed as more robust and moral than the men around them and thus more compatible with the notions of what it is to be Australian. The first film places its heroine in a historical context and so, My Brilliant Career is driven by the personal development of the protagonist through her struggle against social and patriarchal repression. The second film is set in a contemporary context, driven by the personal development of a woman who is trying to ‘right the wrongs’ of being a ‘bad’ mother, after neglecting her child while persevering at ‘righting the wrong’ actions of her husband.
While both films can be defined in terms of the characteristics of ‘Women’s Film’, one cannot ignore the fact that the female protagonists’ stories also relate to ideas and images of national identity. While Sybylla and Claire do express a wide range of emotions, they are still stoic – true ‘Aussie Battlers’ – and thus, ‘Dinkum Aussie’ folklore complements the Women’s Film Genre of these two films.
Traditional definitions of Women’s Film connote explorations into the emotional journeys of women as they encounter internal and/or external challenges. In this way, analysis of Women’s Film is sometimes aided by comparing the female characters to the men within the stories. The male characters in My Brilliant Career and Jindabyne are presented as failures and defeated heroes in many ways, when they are matched up against Sybylla and Claire who are “instinctively more sensitive/emotional”1 and far more determined and passionate about ‘righting the
Both protagonists in My Brilliant Career (1979) directed by Gillian Armstrong and Jindabyne (2006), directed by Ray Lawrence are portrayed as more robust and moral than the men around them and thus more compatible with the notions of what it is to be Australian. The first film places its heroine in a historical context and so, My Brilliant Career is driven by the personal development of the protagonist through her struggle against social and patriarchal repression. The second film is set in a contemporary context, driven by the personal development of a woman who is trying to ‘right the wrongs’ of being a ‘bad’ mother, after neglecting her child while persevering at ‘righting the wrong’ actions of her husband.
While both films can be defined in terms of the characteristics of ‘Women’s Film’, one cannot ignore the fact that the female protagonists’ stories also relate to ideas and images of national identity. While Sybylla and Claire do express a wide range of emotions, they are still stoic – true ‘Aussie Battlers’ – and thus, ‘Dinkum Aussie’ folklore complements the Women’s Film Genre of these two films.
Traditional definitions of Women’s Film connote explorations into the emotional journeys of women as they encounter internal and/or external challenges. In this way, analysis of Women’s Film is sometimes aided by comparing the female characters to the men within the stories. The male characters in My Brilliant Career and Jindabyne are presented as failures and defeated heroes in many ways, when they are matched up against Sybylla and Claire who are “instinctively more sensitive/emotional”1 and far more determined and passionate about ‘righting the