The Power Of The Outback In Australian Cinema
October 2012
With its prominent look, texture and exotic wildlife; on screen, Australia’s unforgiving bush landscape has been used to differentiate this country from others, and this has been an attraction to international audiences (Gibson 1988). This catalogue brings together five films: a Western, The Proposition (John Hillcoat 2005); The Cars That Ate Paris (Peter Weir 1974); a Thriller/Comedy, Mad Max (George Miller 1979); a Post-Apocalyptic revenge film, the Ozploitation Horror, Razorback (Russell Mulcahy 1984); and a modern Horror; Wolf Creek (Greg Mclean 2005); that are all different genres, with one defining characteristic of being set in and affected by Australia’s outback landscape. Great Southern Land showcases how even across genres, similar themes of attempting of taming the outback, the problems of isolation and aesthetic representations are all shown in Australian films from 1979-2005. The importance of these themes in Australian cinema is explored in the films. The presentation order of the films is based on the contrast in genre and mixing the contemporary representation of the themes, with the classic. The impact of the ‘Australianness’ of the productions, are relative to their context in history.
The social and cultural background of the films impact on the amount of Australian identity is in each film. The films made during the time of the country’s reliance on genre films to generate international audience is seen with the films made around the time of the Ozploitation films, in the 1970s to 1980s. That is why films such as Razorback and Cars, have strong uses of “... identifiably Australian character types, settings and cultural themes” (Ryan 2010, 847). These did not take any risks compared to others from the time period. The blockbusters such as Mad Max generated high income for the country however, by looking as though they could have been set anywhere. This is purely due to the nature of the genre and that it meant to represent the future of the world, rather than just Australia. The modern two films in the catalogues are both clearly set in this country for the purposes of the narratives. They are both fitted to the environment as they are made to be in that location. For example Wolf Creek being based on the true stories of disappearing and murdered tourists. No matter the differing iconography, the outback location still remains the staple of all the films. The visual representation of this has barely changed over time.
All of the films have a similar aesthetic style, considering the difference in narratives. This includes a brown, dusty colour palate. When there are night sequences, (seen mostly in the Horror genre), there is a strong use of blue and black. Some of the films are set in a rural town setting, rather than the outback or wilderness. These brown film of dirt covering everything on screen, which is similar to the rest, which gives the vibe of the spirit of the outback. When films fit closer to genre conventions, they account for that in their setting. The outback can work across genres, being both warming and friendly; like in the start of films such as Mad Max, and frightening; portrayed in the rural Horror genre that paints a dark representation of the landscape and its inhabitants (Hoskin 2005, 21). The films’ locations all have a non-specific look. The characters’ accents, Indigenous Australians and occasional fauna differentiate it from other countries. This is seen on The Proposition where if the audience did not know the history of the country, the only main Australian element to the film is the Aboriginal cast members. In relation to their differences in narrative, the films’ aesthetic similarities cause for their inclusion in Great Southern Land. The isolated locations often affect the films.
The isolation of the characters often affects the outcomes of the films. The location of the rural towns and outback landscapes sometimes leads to the characters being unable to call for help. Ironically the isolation traps the characters, creating claustrophobia in a sparse environment (McFarlane 1980, 63). Mad Max and Cars highlight the effects of boredom on young men in rural towns that are caused by isolation. This is later seen in 1990s and early 2000s AFC suburban crime films. This comes from the fear of hyper masculinity when there is no outlet for proper masculinity to be expressed which Biber says is in man’s nature in that environment (2001). The importance of isolation as a theme in an Australia context can be examined on a nation-wide level. International representations of Australians as violent backward locals are often seen, due to the country being a continent separate to the rest of the world, creating a dangerous variation of the rural idyll (Bell 2006). The effects of what isolation can do to a man in such an extreme environment, is examined with villains from Horror and Western films. These modern monsters are a product of their sociological and natural environments, which is one example of how isolation affects the outback environments. Another staple theme across the films relates to the taming of the outback.
When characters attempt to tame the wild outback landscape, consequences usually ensure. This has always been an issue for the country explored through film, as the balance of the natural and the metropolitan shows in the landscape. Although being a national icon, it is a feared desolation, threatening madness and defeat (Schaffer 1988, 22-23). In the Horror/Ozploitation genres, the landscape and will completely turn and fight back on the characters, which is seen in both of these productions in the catalogue. This theme stems from the classic fear of white man’s inability to survive and understand the unknown of the outback (Turcotte 1998, 10), as when the British try to show authority over the convicts and Indigenous Australians, they usually end up with consequences (such as in The Proposition). The films show differing levels of attempting to tame the environment. In Mad Max the world is completely untamed and this is shown with the lack of police control and the disillusionment of Max (Gibson) with his job. Cars is a perfect timeline of the effects of this theme. The taming of the landscape in general is a highly Australian theme, because it works perfectly with the rough outback.
Great Southern Land highlights the importance of the outback to Australian cinema in a local and international context. With the continuing themes of taming of the landscape and isolation cause consequences for the characters, along with the similar aesthetic characteristics; it is seen that films that revolve around their outback location barely change even across genres and four decades, hence the need for this catalogue.
FILM REVIEWS
THE PROPOSITION
Cave and Hillcoat present a classic bounty hunter Western story set in an Australian context. When Mike Burns (Pearce) has the impossible choice of killing one brother to save another’s life, the true test of loyalty is seen. The isolation of Arthur Burns (Huston) from society has turned him into a monster, as seen with his merciless stomping of Sergeant Lawrence (Morgan) to death. This also highlights the importance of family and not being alone in a tough environment, but also in contrast; when it comes down to it, every man is alone. The differing levels of masculinity are shown in the three brothers who portray the notion of what it takes to survive in the unyielding landscape. The scarcity of the dialogue (especially from the protagonist), along with lingering shots of the landscape; portray the true power and somewhat mystical qualities of the outback, and the effect it can have on the people. The attempt of taming of the outback is seen with the attempt of British control over the convicts, and the interesting relationship man has with nature. This representation of the outback had not been seen in such a perceptive and subtle way in this genre before.
THE CARS THAT ATE PARIS
Weir’s film explores what it is like to be an outsider in a small community. Suffering from car related trauma over the death of his brother, the film examines the nature of the human psyche in an isolated rural town. Whether directly from the psychiatric hospital or not, the locals in Paris display the signs of insanity. Being this isolated from the rest of the world gives them the right to practise their own laws, for example Dr Midland’s (Miles) experiments on his patients. The metaphor of the cars in the film is the same battle that is seen with the young drivers destroying public property and the elderly citizens, representing the taming of the outback. The gradual modifying of their cars into monstrosities is seen to be the visual representation of their growing insanity that is caused as a consequence of attempting to tame the rugged outback. The Comedy aspect comes from the slow moving plot, which suddenly boils into complete madness, as well as clear parody scenes such as the Western stand off. The Horror and the Comedy elements jostle for audience attention. The offbeat representation of rural isolation has lead to its inclusion in the catalogue.
MAD MAX
The true extent of what it takes for a man to snap is seen in Miller’s quintessential revenge film. The desolate rural landscape perfectly fits the film world of a post-apocalyptic land where fuel is everything. The extent of desolation in the locations increases with Max’s (Gibson) falling sanity. Starting with beach locales when he is with wife and son, to a dry and baron dirt road later in the film. Masculinity is a major theme in this film and it is used to show that only the strong will survive in the wild. The isolation and the power of the outback has forced the characters, (even soft-hearted Max), into a hyper masculine ‘eye for an eye’ mentality. It turns Max into a new type of hero that needs new morals to attempt to fix the degradation of society. The film seems to be a representation of the future of outback if the landscape is completely untamed. A local audience would recognise the Australian characteristics of the film, however they are universal enough to represent the future for all of mankind rather than exclusively Australia. This successful blockbuster perfectly portrays the common themes to the Australian wilderness.
RAZORBACK
This archetypal Ozploitation Horror had the classic intention of drawing in an international audience. This caused the use of American protagonist and iconographic shots such as the famous silhouette of a kangaroo against the outback. The cliché representation of Australians as loveable, unsophisticated tough men was used to appeal to that market. The mystical power of the untameable landscape shines through in this film as though the characters are helpless against such an all powerful foe that is an embodiment of the landscape. This is also shown when Winters (Harrison) is placed in the elements, which leads to hallucinations of an even more baron and desolate setting. The boar itself is seen as a metaphor of the Pet-Pak plant that spills out toxic fumes, and its unnatural existence. The obsession that is faced by Jake (Kerr) is seen to be the goal of man’s eventual want to completely tame the outback. The isolation of the characters is seen ironically when in order to get the towns help, it is a large effort via short-wave radio. This era of Australian filmmaking history is represented in the catalogue with a film that uses the outback to its advantages in the narrative.
WOLF CREEK
The ultimate Horror film set in an Australian context is seen to be Mulcahy’s Wolf Creek. The isolation of the protagonists is the main problem as there are many unsuccessful attempts at escaping the killer. The power of the unyielding landscape is seen through the idea that the killer is the physical embodiment of Australia fighting back against tourists ‘invading’ the land. This is shown through him disappearing into the desert at the end and also the fact that he gets severely injured at crucial points in the film but always manages to survive and hunt the victims down. The representations of Australians are crude, tough and dirty white men. It comes from the notion that being born in a harsh isolated landscape nurtures tough people and that only those bred here can survive the elements (for example, Ben (Phillips) escaping the killer as he is the only Australian, and that the British women can not survive). The backward representation of the local is seen in other films but few are more important, as the stereotype of the loveable ‘larrakin’ so often seen in Australian cinema is twisted into a hyper masculine psychopathic, hence it’s inclusion as the final film.
FILMOGRAPHY
Film: The Proposition (2005)
Director: John Hillcoat
Production Company: UK Film Council
Film: The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)
Director: Peter Weir
Production Company: Australian Film Development Council
Film: Mad Max (1979)
Director: George Miller
Production Company: Kennedy Miller Productions
Film: Razorback (1984)
Director: Russell Mulcahy
Production Company: McElroy and McElroy
Film: Wolf Creek (2005)
Director: Greg Mclean
Production Company: Australian Film Finance Corporation
REFERENCE LIST
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Brennan, Peter. 1984. Razorback. Directed by Russell Mulcahy. Produced by Hal McElroy. Sydney: McElroy and McElroy. DVD.
Cave, Nick. 2005. The Proposition. Directed by John Hillcoat. Produced by James Atherton. Australia: A-Film Distribution. DVD.
Gibson, Ross. 1988. “Formative Landscapes.” In Back Of Beyond: Discovering Australian Film And Television, edited by Scott Murray, 20-34. Sydney: Australian Film Commission and UCLA Film and Television Archive.
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Mclean, Greg. 2005. Wolf Creek. Directed by Greg Mclean. Produced by George Adams. Australia: Australian Film Finance Corporation. DVD.
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Turcotte, Gerry. 1998. “The Australian Gothic”. In The Handbook To Gothic Literature, edited by Marie Mulbey-Roberts, 10-20. London: Macmillan Press Ltd.
Weir, Peter, Keith Gow and Piers Davies. 1974. The Cars That Ate Paris. Directed by Peter Weir. Produced by Hal McElroy. Australia: Australian Film Development Council. DVD.
