Josh Nelson
Important not just talk about plot. Filmic techniques. Go in with three or four sections that you can
write about in detail.
Detail in historical context – that’s assumed
Terra Nullius
The Aboriginal Preservation and Protection Act – 1939-1965 – Can’t marry etc without permission of
White Protector
The 1967 referendum removing certain constitutional clauses regarding the status and state/federal
over indigenous Australian (Formerly ‘aboriginal natives shall not be counted’)
Vietnam War – 1962 – 1975 Vietcong would blend in – Koiki part of the union movement. You’re hiding
in plain sight – we can’t trust
Apartheid in South Africa 1948-1994
(Also African American, Feminism etc). Koiki Mabo a symbol within a larger historical context.
Joh Bjelke-Petersen – 1968-1987
High Court Decision – June 3rd 1992 – legal or political climax of the film
Relevancy to Today
Howard’s amendments to Native Title Act 1998 – rolled back some of the rights – pastoralists got land.
NT Intervention – allows govt to go into communities you have to do this – no alchohol etc. They had to
bypass Racial Discrimination Act of 1975. (Utopia – on at Nova).
Rudd’s apology to the ‘Stolen Generation’ – 13 Feb 2008
To date Indigenous Australians still aren’t formally recognized within the federal constitution. No
mention of Aboriginals at all.
Political Importance
Paul Keating pro – 4th person seen in film.
Cinematic Context
The Castle, Rabbit Proof Fence, Samson & Delilah, Mad Bastards, Satellite Boy, Mystery Road and now
Utopia. Key theme = the search for home.
Common Themes
The search for a sense of belonging. Disparity between way law is applied to White Australia as opposed
to Indigineous Australia. Difference between urban and rural Australia – hard for rural to integrate –
can lead to self destruction, violence within. How do we reconcile our cultural past with White
Australia?
Genre – Biopic
Certain characters and/or events have been changed for dramatic effect. It’s a representation of
history. Your analysis is of the film text, not of how accurately it represents history.
Film Techniques
Film Shots – Use of close up – typically used for characters. Key turning points – where do we see the
character change on their journey? Close up is used to demonstrate the turning points – Rachel Perkins
highlights the abandonment felt by Koiki Mabo through Narrow depth of field – shifting focus –
interpret the specific use of the technique – so in and out of focus – represents his identity is becoming
fragmented. Key moment – identity is so bound up in Mer Island and relationship with father. Close ups
give emotional connection
Wide Angle/Long Shot – Allows us to see characters in their context. Perkins shows us Mabo’s
connection to the environment etc. Also emphasises character’s sense of isolation. Wide angle shot to
emphasise he’s been put alone and paid differently from other workers. Positioned on far right –
emphasises the distance from home – off centre framing.
High/Low Angles
High Angle – above horizon line looking down on someone – diminishes their power and status reverse with low angle. (Latter when Koiki snaps and attacks Benita – over compensating for lack of
political power – next scene composition exaggerates the return to power – she is dominant over him.
Low angle of Koiki compare to Queen Victoria – exaggerates the power and status of British Colonial
law. Reversals used to signal changes. Koiki and Kallore – first exiled and then later composition Koiki
low angle more powerfuland Kalloran in low angle – film techniques help to show reversal in power.
Mise en Scene – everything in the frame
Talking about overall effect of everything – props, costumes, the background, the positioning of actors
etc. Don’t be afraid to isolate elements e.g. costumes suggest this… Changes over the course of the
narrative – particularly with natural landscape. Koiki not often shown in positive light in home – not his
spiritual home. Drab and boxed in – glimpses of natural world – chalk board ( boxed up, contained,
incomplete). School – montage of flags, earthy tones – mise en scene showing attempt to rediscover
home. Tries to get back home in first part of film but when told not his) Murray Island court and High
Court. Torres Strait Islander – outside and inside almost same – blurring of those boundaries – contrast
to High Court – sterile and bland – almost exclusivitely male and white. Incongruous to try to
accommodate British law in Torres Strait
Lighting
Night on train tracks – small light around them and darkness everywhere else – cultural isolation – only
family. Benita’s isolate – moved off the pier – composition – she’s boxed in. Isolation from husband as
well. Natural world outside – she’s not a part of –
Costume
Koiki is usually in costume in colours of natural world he’s on – identity linked to land. Pseudo seventies
safari shirt. When he’s home – colours of shirt bright vibrant – confidence and link to land. Floral
design. Use of white shirt to look black when he goes to Melbourne! Using costume to stand out and
proudly portray his identity.
Narrative Structure
Flashbacks – past and history. Flashbacks/memories occur
Whe Koiki receives the coconut and letter from Benny. In the library scene as Koiki scans the
photographs of Isalnders, at the dinner table while his son recits Malo’s Law, after a court hearing
while riding on the busin , in his hospital death bed. Beachside lessons. His sense of self is related to
the past.
Archival Footage
Used by Perkins to show film has clear connection to Australia’s contemporary history. Real man, real
cause etc. Using black and white/ archival filter – integrating them back into archival history. Title is
deliberately ambiguous – Koiki, Benita or Court Case – personal and political.
Subjective Camera work
Director wants us experiencing feelings of characters. Second meeting – opening in slow motion – wide
angle/ mid to close up with cross cutting – dreamlike – out of step with rest of world – they are in a
world of their own. Scene after and the shame – sound bleeds out – natural. Subjective soundscape –
voice muted and blurred and slow motion – emphasises our connection to the characters – shame and
disappointment.
Music/Sound – sets tone
Court cases without sound or ominous sound or Murray Island – flourishing, happy up beat
sounds/music. Dancing in the kitchen (just after difficult ) – many rivers to cross – I merely survive
because of my pride. Also like scene where B says can’t be troublemakers – and he says people like us
have to be troublemakers.
Idealised land – sense of home too with many rivers.
Voice-over narration/subtitles
Attempt to get us inside head of character. Giving us closer bond/ window. Reinforcing the closer
connection. Communication for Torrest founded on oral storytelling – not like British Colonial system
using writing. Voiceovers = over emphasis/ prioritisation of spoken over written word. Only three
voiceover voices – Koiki, Benita and Benny.
Subtitles – without them Perkins would have been erasing Torres Strait Islander culture and English
would have dominated. Roots in themes of world.
Characters – only two main characters – Koiki ‘Eddie’ Mabo – it’s up to student which name. It’s Koiki
for real. Is egotistical or is he crusading for others? Does he change – become less self centred?? Final
letter = black brothers. Smoking at a moment of crisis – his tic or giveaway – he’s indulging in fear or
concern. Bonita – mainlander with South Sea heritage. She’s aligned with domestic interiors. Support
for Koiki. Mediator betwee political world of Koiki and domestic space of T’ville. He needs her. Adopts
his political crusade. Benny Mabo – symbolic father figure – representative of Koiki’s homelandsymboliese. Father son – through which land passed. Spiritual. Killoran – antagonist – exiling Koiki and
preventing his return. Illegitimate father must be overcome to reconnect true line between father and
son. Malice – it’s personal. Lawyers - don’t have same personal sense of malice. Perkins exaggerates
the incongruous nature of lawyers. Mabo lawyers try to integrate as compared to government lawyers.
One of Mabo lawyers goes into sea – note costume changes – they’ve changed.
Themes
Injustice and inequality
Home and belonging
Art, culture and education in relation to identity
Influence of past upon our future
Natural world and indigenous identity
Family and community and theme of reconciliation –
What is the cost of the fight for justice?
Can justice be achieved by the actions of one man or one case? You’re the one. You’re it. ?? Religious
perspective – Koiki flirting with his eyes – Jesus was nailed to the cross.
Is film saying you need more than one?
Key Sequences – Opening is clever, economic. Establishing themes/ideas/conflicts at heart of drama –
politics and personal intertwined. Opening sets divise tone – head of mining, Paul Keating – title cards?
Establish historial divicise political landscape. Framing – cut off the heads – not given us the full picture.
Or is this divide supposed to represent the divisiveness of the culture. News, mining, political
perspectives – contrasting. Murray Island – cue music – uplifting coral music – wide angle, helicopter
aerial shot. From land to deeply personal – the childhood memory. Understanding between father and
son. Everything here is yours. This is who you are. In first minute and half film has established so much.
Home and Belonging – shot of Koiki as being exiled – close up and sense of identification and distance –
composing Benny Mabo away from everyone else – severance of father and son has created rift in islad.
Coconut in dusty. Married – greenery. As film goes on greenery becomes more dominant – home starts
to creep into his world but not his Murray Island. Figure who is lost – thrust into exile. No direction –
disposed and wandering man. Long tracks going nowhere – he has no destination beyond pait=nting.
No coincidence that he journeys to Bonita on a train
Dramatising loss of home – drunken dance sequence – contrast of how shot with earler scene on Murray
Island. Clumsy – full of pain and suffering and definance - he is performing his own loss and separation.
Overhead shot looking down on tracks – at a crossroas. End background – halo and shadow – he’s a
haunted character..
Theme of Recreating Home – links back to past – ringing bell before church – ringing bell at school.
Scene where son repeats Malo’s law – yet here for white guests not private a performance – a perverse
reenactment of the private moment with Benny in natural world. Ambiguous scene. The paintings –
symbols to recreate the world – a way of not forgetting everything. The boat – never gets used –
symbolic. Preparing for final stage. Home is Odyssey – attempt to get home.
Injustice and Inequality – compositions emphasise divisions between black and white – separated in
shots. Cathy and Bonita not shown on level playing field – white neighbor stands above. Pub refusal
scene – inequality. Sixties – stereotypical white heartland and he’s denied the right to be part of it.
Shots from his perspective. Reification of this symbolical right – pouring of beer.
Reading and Education – reads the dictionary lance (weapon) lancet land – reading – weapon to get his
land back. Fighting to get land back through reading and education
Malo – tribal god symbolizing onnections with land. A form of community. Established sense of
community.
Love and Family – importance in his life. Key one = regret. Sorry I wasn’t there for you. Highlighting
Bonita’s importance.
Death – Fade to black normally or white out (spiritual transcendence). Perkins decides to grey out – not
really died – gone into limbo because announcement not heard yet.
Reconciliation – really obvious symbolism – Perkins trying to bring closure on understanding of white
and black reconciliation. Whites in camper van – dispossessed – not having home – on same level as
Bonita and son. Then the highway drives – white and black in equality.
Ending – three part ending frames three part opening. Resolution on personal and political. Come back
to Koiki – narrative structure allows him to live after the High Court . Resolution for him is to return
home – archival shots. Final shot – appears like Benny Mabo – adopting appearance of father. Son
becomes father – sense of belonging.
Sympathetic white characters are important to avoid stereotypical black/white portrayal
Mabo – Life of an Island Man – has a very different ending.
Dramatic core of film is more personal than political