CASE STUDY : AUSTRALIA (BAZ LUHRMANN, 2008)
The ‘ocker’ stereotype is represented in the Australian film industry in a number of ways.The ocker is part of the joke or is a bid to sell the country. The film “Australia” is a modern popular culture representation of the “ocker” stereotype, a sweeping epic similar in magnitude to “Gone with the Wind’ (Frazier;2008). The film is an abundance of clichés and stylistic excess, alongside the two main characters, “Drover’ and Lady Ashley, representing the dichotomy of outback meets upper class England, the cultural divide further highlighting the ocker representation of Australian film. 'Great Southern Land’, ‘Faraway Downs’ or ‘Australia’, these were the three titles under the hammer for Baz Luhrmann's, 2008, romantic, adventure story, filled with magic moments of high drama and emotional catharsis. The title, “Australia”, was chosen over the name of the homestead in the film, and, as Luhrmann said, "I'm taking the perspective of the rest of the world to this film, how they might view Australia. When you say Casablanca or Oklahoma! it means big. It means vast... I'm not saying this film is Australia. It's a metaphor for a state of mind, for the faraway." (Luhrmann;2011)
By February 2009, “Australia” had grossed $36.78 million in Australia, the second highest return of any Australian film, and is surpassed only by the $44.7 million taken by Crocodile Dundee. A component of the analysis, is to look closely at the global perspective of Australia and Crocodile Dundee, and how both films aimed to deliver their metaphors for Australian culture. The female protagonist in Dundee, is American actress Linda Kozlowski, among other stars,well known 1980’s Australian and American actors of the small and silver screen. Crocodile Dundee is the most successful “non-Hollywood” film to come out of Australia (Guimaraes;2001). This essay constructs a comparative analysis of the 1986 classic “Crocodile Dundee”, starring Paul Hogan, and the 2008 Baz Luhrmann production “Australia” and their differing representations of the ‘ocker’ stereotype. The similarities and differences in their representations of the characters and their interrelationships determine how the audiences develop ideas about Australia, with the two films representing the same ideals, despite the differences in delivery.
The Australian Tourism Commission backed the promotional campaign for Australia, directed by Baz Luhrman, a sum of $40-$50 million for world-wide advertising of the film. Western Australian Tourism also committed $2.2 million towards a campaign specifically for Western Australia, as the Tourism Commission wished for the audience to be aware that much of the footage is Western Australian in the film (Lake;2008) , even though the film was also shot in Queensland, Northern Territory and NSW. The government injected a large amount of funding for the purpose of having another Australian film be as successful for Australia as Crocodile Dundee (Convict Creations;2008).
The character types in films significantly affect the genre. Jackman states in a press interview with Rebecca Murray, (Murray;2008), ‘when we were shooting that scene, I remember saying to Baz, I said, 'Baz, are you sure this is not too much? Are they going to laugh in the right way? They're going to think I'm a wanker here.' And he says, 'If we're strong and we really commit to the moment, the comedy of it will rise.’ Australia is abundantly casted by Australian actors made familiar by Australian films of the past 40 years - including, David Gulpilil , and on the surface it revisits the heroic period of Australian cinema in the 1970s and 80s (French;2008).
The war movie genre forms the second half of Australia. The escalation of hostilities following Pearl Harbour coincides with the deep-dyed villain conspiring to have Nullah taken into custody (French;2008). Baz Luhrmann introduces the war epic and effectively connected the story of Australia to global audiences. While the story is not exactly historically correct, it is historically plausible, i.e, the invasion of Melville Island and Darwin by the Japanese forces is historically inaccurate as it was actually Aboriginal women and children that were taken to Melville Island and the Japanese forces bombed Darwin, yet did not invade the capital at any time.
The below picture is of the scene in the film where the invasion of the Japanese forces are coming , and shows Nullah with other boys of both white and Indigenous origin, awaiting attack.
Photo sourced from (Bolt, Papundits;2008).
Nullah awaiting the “invasion”
Australia, being a mix of genres, is a comedic reel, with the brunt of the jokes falling on Lady Sarah Ashley, yet when Daisy dies, the film becomes a tragedy, and the war epic follows. The characters evolve with the changing of the genre throughout the film. The film has been described as a Manichean allegory, a story reflecting the light and dark, represented in the genre styles and the juxtapositions of the characters personalities and social constructs surrounding them (Bolt;2008) .
“... Australia is composed of intertextual allusions, gratuitous mythic posing, a hodgepodge of genre styles..... Blending these cinematic elements produces a text in which the cinematic terrain beneath the viewer constantly shifts as Luhrmann stretches the realistic illusion associated with a Hollywood, in this case an Aussiewood, epic. The use of these elements produces parodic excess. But the target of Luhrmann’s excess is not clear. Is it history as Hollywood spectacle? Is it other cinematic renditions of Australian history? Is it the mythology of the bushman? Is it mythology itself?” (Papson;2011;1)
Crocodile Dundee is described as an organic blending of genres, (Retroland;2008) suggesting a more fused and translatable film to experience, as opposed to the mixed genres of Australia. The humour associated with the "fish out of water" genre sends the message of positivity about Australian and Aboriginal culture, being at one with nature, and being “kind and chivalrous to each other” (film reference;2008). It is not dissimilar to the theme represented in Australia, with the Drover’s affinity with the Aboriginals, but Crocodile Dundee represents it in a more individualistic and lighthearted way. Crocodile Dundee could be mistaken for a Western, however, is not generally thought of as such, along with films such as Coogan’s Bluff (1968), or Crocodile Dundee II , where the urban feel is injected into the movies where outback meets city slicker (film reference;2008).
The Drover is a man of solitary means, and lives this way for various reasons. it is a part of his job and therefore his lifestyle to be alone. He takes care of no other person other than himself and does not owe anybody anything. He appears selfish, however on closer scrutiny, he is troubled, harbouring some deep emotional issues while hiding a heartbreaking past. Due to the nature of his work he is friendly with the Aboriginal people, and is further outcast because of this. It further reinforces his need to care for himself. He enters the film, drinking in a bar. He not so long after, ends up in a fight, and this leads him straight to Lady Ashley (Jie:2009) . The Drover can be seen by the viewer to be a rough individual, frequently needing to defend himself. He represents the changing nature of the Australia, a contemporary version of the everyday Aussie man in World War II. The Drover is a reimagined Australian character (Hogan;2010), and and the ideal man’s man with rough hands and an element of ‘handsome, roving wanderer’, as well as an ocker man of mystery. By using the stereotype of the ocker man, as a modern day sex symbol, it reshapes the concept of Australian masculinity. The modern day man of outback Australia is somewhat the same as what a man was in the war period.
“A racist white kid holding a kangaroo in a film called Australia – could there be anything more archetypally us?" (Bolt; 2008) a statement referring to the Australian stereotype of ocker, relating to the unrealistic ideas of how everyday Australians carry themselves. The ocker of Hugh Jackman is more distinguished than this parody, inserted into the film by Luhrmann as another hodgepodge to put together of Australian representation.
With Paul Hogan as Mick Dundee or “Croc”, Dunn and Ellis, cited in critical review of the film, (Guimaraes;2001) Paul Hogan was as down to earth and as amiable as the character he plays which he owes to his blue collar background. This allows for the idea that Paul Hogan is a genuine representation of outback Australia, depicted in Neil Rattigan’s Journal, as the “apotheosis of the ocker” (Rattigan;1988). The film was, on the surface, designed to be amusing, in the various capers of Mick Dundee, offset with the seriousness of his American counterparts, and that his American antagonists were the butt of the joke. The role of Mick Dundee was written by Paul Hogan himself, for the film, and the success of his representation, both comical and stereotypically ocker, won the Australian icon a 1987 Best Actor at the Oscars (Guimaraes;2001).
The Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal kinship is similar in both films and yet entirely different in delivery and era undertones. The particular character of the Aboriginal man, Neville Bell is played by ‘Walkabout’ actor David Gulpilil who also features in Australia. The male protagonist of Dundee feels an affinity with the Aboriginal population for his own reasons and adds to the depth of the character being entirely his own unconventional self. By unconventional, it is meant that he is not in the business of thinking what others in society think and does not view the Aboriginal people as savage or scary.
Jim McClelland is quoted in the paper, "Fair Dinkum Fillums": the Crocodile Dundee Phenomenon, (O'Regan;T. 1988) as saying that Paul Hogan “was still an ocker...but a special sort of ocker. He lives out his own values, undeflected by the pretensions of the mighty. I have met plenty of Australians like that and I regard them as the best Australians. I have no doubt there are people like that everywhere and that is the secret of Hogan's universal appeal.”
The 1980’s ocker stereotype was depicted in an amusing light. It made fun of the stereotypes of Australia, by the larrikin, adaptable, easy going nature of the central character. There were several scenes in the movie which pinpointed the stereotypes, by the characters themselves rebelling against the labels in a natural, almost innocent way (Convict Creations; 2000). When Sue asks the Aboriginal why he is saying she can’t take his picture, she assumes it is because he is afraid the photo will steal his spirit. When the Aboriginal answers with, “You have the lens cap on", it made fun of the fact that Aboriginals do have this belief, in a way only Australians can. The 1980’s ocker presented to the world a relatively accurate picture, translated in the only way it could be understood-humour.
Lady Sarah Ashley was seen as upper-crust, spoilt, sheltered from the harsh realities of life and constantly indignant about anything and everything. British in all her airs and graces, she is recently widowed and alone in a great desert, with a property to sell and cattle to move. Through all the triumphs, Sarah Ashley showed grit and determination, strength and tenderness, through the development of a relationship with Nullah, who calls her “Missus Boss”, and the Drover. Her character is often the butt of the joke, (Dargis;2008), as she is naive to Australian outback ways and comes from a world of privilege. This film was a testament to the journey of self discovery that Lady Sarah found herself on. Seen at first as an “arrogant and uncaring aristocrat” (Brussat & Brussat;2008) she transforms into a softer and more gentle person, without losing her determination and strength.
Sue Charlton is introduced in Crocodile Dundee in a newspaper office, busy, and on the phone, claiming she just needs to get one more story, and “Don’t worry I'm a New Yorker”(Guimaraes;2001) She is subsequently arriving in the Northern Territory, and is introduced to Mick Dundee. She shows a righteousness and indignation, pretending to know all there is to know about the outback and acting unbothered at the difficulties she faces, (Guimaraes;2001) . It is discovered, much to audience dismay she has a boyfriend in New York. Her charm and sophistication are a complementing force to Mick Dundee’s innocuous mannerisms and Australian ease. While it is not directly stated , LInda Kozlowski’s portrayal of Sue Charlton, created a sex symbol. Ultimately, it is amusing to audiences that a beautiful and distinguished, successful woman would fall for an outback ocker from the Northern Territory.
Hugh Jackman is “The Drover”, to Kidman’s Lady Ashley .The introduction of the Drover and Lady Sarah is quite amusing with The Drover being described as an 'itinerant Australian cattleman', to Lady Sarah Ashley ‘s ‘English Rose’. The two could not be more different in culture, lifestyle, beliefs and status (Dargis;2008). In Australia to sell Faraway Downs after her husband’s murder, and to move 1500 head of cattle, Lady Sarah is “seduced” by the physique and rugged handsomeness of the Drover, despite the Drover’s gruff manner, which offends her in a comical and embarrassing way (Dargis;2008). Jackman’s character represents the way of the Australian outback, unforgiving, stubborn, yet deep. The relationship formed between the Drover and Lady Sarah is representative of a simple love story between two people of vastly different backgrounds, reminiscent of Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart in ‘The African Queen’ (Dargis;2008). Jackman is described as giving the film oomph (Dargis;2008), playing a character who is the meat of the film. He added a hardness to contrast with Nicole’s softness, and is ultimately drawn into the world of the English widow, coming to fall for her despite himself. The love story with Lady Ashley is central to the changes and struggles that the Drover endures throughout the film as this character evolves. The love story entwined into the Crocodile Dundee classic feels more organic and ultimately, due to the lack of melodrama, more believable, between two opposing personalities.
The film of Crocodile Dundee begins with Sue Charlton travelling to Australia to research a man who has survived a crocodile attack. On meeting Mick Dundee, she discovers that he indeed has survived unharmed and has an amazing affinity with the Australian outback (TV Tropes;1999). He is quick witted, self sufficient, and appears unafraid of life’s dangers, even upon the subsequent trip to Manhattan and a run in with a Colombian drug gang. He goes into witness protection and this leads him back to Australia where he relies on his skill as a man of the bush. (Guimaraes;2001) The romance and evolution of the characters is a natural progression as their storylines become more entwined and their feelings grow. Mick and Sue develop a closeness formed in their survival of their adventures. Ultimately, a mutual need for each other grows and Mick evolves as a character. Sue loses her indignation and privileged ways much as Lady Ashley, and a mutual appreciation develops.
Marcia Langton, Aboriginal academic and political activist, stated that Baz Luhrmann had “rewritten the Australian legend” (Langton;2008) and recreated an alternate and more idealistic history than is true to the events pertaining to the Stolen Generation. By “leaping over the ruins of the history wars”, (Langton;2008) Australia had been given a new history and it was seen as “thrilling, heartbreaking, hilarious and touching” (Langton;2008) . A new origin had been created for our nation, for the global audience, an idealistic version of the events related to the treatment of Indigenous persons.
If the film were to be more accurate, rather than only historically plausible, Nullah would have been played by a female rather than the hypnotic Brendan Walters. As previously mentioned, the group sent to Melville Island was a group of girls , not boys (Windschuttle;2009). Half-caste boys were sent to work on cattle stations, according to, ‘The Australian Legend in Baz Luhrmann’s Australia’, rather than be sent to institutions like the girls. Luhrmann took historical licence in regards to Nullah being chased by authorities, as the Protector would leave boys alone if he was satisfied they were being looked after on the cattle stations, according to J.W Bleakey, of the policy of the pre-war period (Windschuttle;2009). This presented the dramatic effect of the victimisation of the Stolen Generations, presenting a version of the truth far more acceptable, than the victimisation of Indigenous and half-caste females.
Australian film has survived on the ocker stereotype, a particularly prominent Australian characteristic, both a joke and the truth simultaneously (O’Regan;1988). The ocker in the characters of The Drover and Dundee are an example of the movement of the stereotype through the times. Both films represent the Australian ideologies in different ways, yet audiences still feel they have seen something essentially “Aussie” regardless of the different delivery styles. The Drover is a Mills and Boon style hero, a man to be broken in by a virtual opposite. Dundee was not so much a sex symbol as lovable, affable and charming in his innocence, as an enduring Aussie bushman. Crocodile Dundee is more organic, honest, and amusing, causing the audience to laugh with the characters in equality. In Australia, it is a mixed genre film, melodramatic and a deliberate overstatement in order to create a sense of the “sweeping epic”. The female protagonist in Australia is the butt of the jokes, whereas Dundee places himself at the centre of the amusement and gets by just by being Australian! The Stolen Generation ideal of Australia, adds an element of currency to the existing political push on the Rudd government at the time, creating an empathy in the audience, yet outraging critics. The idealism in Australia was created through the historical inaccuracies, while still being plausible. Crocodile Dundee was an accidental advertising campaign, and was the movie that never had to try too hard to win hearts globally. Australia, on the other hand was a massive tourism drive, an advertising campaign of cinematography, and rewritten history.
The title Australia is intended to sum up the story of Lady Ashley’s life - her journey, the landscape, and the people she meets - all of which transform her life forever. Australia is the culmination of her self actualisation, whereas the title of Crocodile Dundee was to be self explanatory of the phenomenon.
Both films however, putting aside any criticisms or affirmations, created a nostalgic essence of all that is Australian, to be ocker, to be this stereotype for the rest of the world so that we are understood for all that we are, do not try to be, or wish that we were.
Both films however, putting aside any criticisms or affirmations, created a nostalgic essence of all that is Australian, to be ocker, to be this stereotype for the rest of the world so that we are understood for all that we are, do not try to be, or wish that we were.