Two Bob Mermaid Sample Review
Interesting or attention grabbing title
By-line with reviewer’s name
Caught in the Middle
By Sandy Shores
Introduction
Engaging or intriguing opening
Make your opinion/judgement of the film clear.
Reference the title of the film and director
Ever felt caught between a rock and a hard place? Two Bob Mermaid (1996) is a short film that was written and directed by Darlene Johnson and will have you wondering how the lead character, Koorine, will ever squirm her way free. This headline film of the 2013 Tropfest short film festival strongly explores its theme of identity and belonging through its setting of a hard and racist Australian town in 1957 and a young Koori girl’s struggle to find a place to belong when she is trapped between two worlds – really a rock and a hard place.
Brief synopsis of film
Judgement of how plot contributes to ideas of identity and belonging Although only 14 minutes in length, Two Bob Mermaid explores Koorine’s (Carrie Prosser) struggle as a young fair skinned Koori girl growing up in a country town in 1957. Set largely in the public swimming pool that Aboriginal people are prohibited from using, Koorine desperately wants to enter the ‘million dollar mermaid’ swimming contest and can because she ‘looks white’ and hasn’t revealed her heritage. Her mother (Tessa Leahy) scoffs at Korrine’s dreams telling her she’s more a ‘two bob mermaid’ and that ‘swimmin…that’s for white fellas’. Talk about tough mother love! Is it any wonder Korrine aches to be accepted by the white community when she has such limitations placed upon her because of her aboriginal identity. Sadly, Korrine’s predicament is one that mirrors the film’s writer, director and Dunghutti woman, Darlene Johnson’s own experience growing up in Australia. It is powerful plot that very effectively develops the difficulties associated with being caught between two cultures.
Focus on character – Topic sentence
Analysis and evidence provided
Evaluation
By-line with reviewer’s name
Caught in the Middle
By Sandy Shores
Introduction
Engaging or intriguing opening
Make your opinion/judgement of the film clear.
Reference the title of the film and director
Ever felt caught between a rock and a hard place? Two Bob Mermaid (1996) is a short film that was written and directed by Darlene Johnson and will have you wondering how the lead character, Koorine, will ever squirm her way free. This headline film of the 2013 Tropfest short film festival strongly explores its theme of identity and belonging through its setting of a hard and racist Australian town in 1957 and a young Koori girl’s struggle to find a place to belong when she is trapped between two worlds – really a rock and a hard place.
Brief synopsis of film
Judgement of how plot contributes to ideas of identity and belonging Although only 14 minutes in length, Two Bob Mermaid explores Koorine’s (Carrie Prosser) struggle as a young fair skinned Koori girl growing up in a country town in 1957. Set largely in the public swimming pool that Aboriginal people are prohibited from using, Koorine desperately wants to enter the ‘million dollar mermaid’ swimming contest and can because she ‘looks white’ and hasn’t revealed her heritage. Her mother (Tessa Leahy) scoffs at Korrine’s dreams telling her she’s more a ‘two bob mermaid’ and that ‘swimmin…that’s for white fellas’. Talk about tough mother love! Is it any wonder Korrine aches to be accepted by the white community when she has such limitations placed upon her because of her aboriginal identity. Sadly, Korrine’s predicament is one that mirrors the film’s writer, director and Dunghutti woman, Darlene Johnson’s own experience growing up in Australia. It is powerful plot that very effectively develops the difficulties associated with being caught between two cultures.
Focus on character – Topic sentence
Analysis and evidence provided
Evaluation