Warwick Thornton Essay (Samson and Delilah)

The films Samson and Delilah and Nana are both produced and directed by an Australian film maker named Warwick Thornton. He is renowned for the techniques he uses that reflect the director’s personal creative vision during the films. This approach in film making is known as the autuer theory. Warwick Thornton directed Nana which is a short film in 2007 that includes the same character named Nana viewers see in his latter movie. He then continues on in 2009 where he directed Samson and Delilah, a full length feature film that debuted in the Cannes Film Festival. In both his films he displays the hardships faced by native Aboriginal Australians, especially the children, who suffer in and out of their communities and are marginalized in society. They are also shown to rarely receive help from the government or community members. There are many similarities between the films that show a connection and bring upon Thornton’s techniques in film making, such as the camera work, music/soundtrack and lighting. These similarities highlight Thornton’s producing and directing style that bring his own creative “voice” throughout both of the films.
In both films music is shown to be a fundamental part of the day to day routines of the protagonists. At the beginning of the opening scene of Samson and Delilah, the song, ‘Sunshiny Day’ by Charlie Pride is a country love song that suggests love can make living in a bleak and gloomy environment better. The audience is also shown this technique present in Nana when the film begins with a cheerful and lively soundtrack while Nana is preparing a meal. Both films have an upbeat and cheerful tone to its background music that shows how Aboriginals who barely have anything in life due to their isolation and poor living conditions suggest that they are still happy with their lives, especially Nana who barely has anything in her kitchen is still managing to make a meal. However as both films begin to progress through their scenes with the