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Issue Details: First known date: 2012... 2012 The Aboriginal Voice in Baz Luhrmann's Left-Leaning Australia (2008)
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'Arguing that Baz Luhrmann's Australia (2008) is a big-budget, non-independent film espousing a left-leaning political ideology in its non-racist representations of Aborigines on film, this paper suggests the addition of a 'fourth formation' to the 1984 Moore and Muecke model is warranted. According to their theorizing, racist 'first formation' films promote policies of assimilation whereas 'second formation' films avoid overt political statements in favour of more acceptable multicultural liberalism. Moore and Muecke's seemingly ultimate 'third formation films', however, blatantly foreground the director's leftist political dogma in a necessarily low budget, independent production. Australia, on the other hand, is an advance on the third formation because its left-leaning feminized Aboriginal voice is safely backed by a colossal production budget and indicates a transformation in public perceptions of Aboriginal issues. Furthermore, this paper argues that the use of low-cost post-production techniques such as voice-over narration by racially appropriate individuals and the use of diegetic song in Australia work to ensure the positive reception of the left-leaning message regarding the Stolen Generations. With these devices Luhrmann effectively counters the claims of right-wing denialists such as Andrew Bolt and Keith Windschuttle.' (Author's abstract, 625)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Last amended 1 Aug 2012 09:38:02
625-636 The Aboriginal Voice in Baz Luhrmann's Left-Leaning Australia (2008)small AustLit logo Continuum : Journal of Media & Cultural Studies
Subjects:
  • Australia Baz Luhrmann , Stuart Beattie , Ronald Harwood , Richard Flanagan , 2008 single work film/TV
  • Jedda Charles Chauvel , Elsa Chauvel , 1955 single work film/TV
  • Samson and Delilah Warwick Thornton , 2009 single work film/TV
  • Here I Am Beck Cole , 2010 single work film/TV
  • Lousy Little Sixpence 1983 single work film/TV
  • Crocodile Dundee Paul Hogan , Ken Shadie , John Cornell , 1985 single work film/TV
  • Gallipoli David Williamson , 1981 single work film/TV
  • Bran Nue Dae Reg Cribb , Rachel Perkins , Jimmy Chi , 2009 single work film/TV
  • The Tracker Rolf De Heer , 2002 single work film/TV
  • Beneath Clouds Ivan Sen , 2001 single work film/TV
  • The Proposition Nick Cave , 2005 single work film/TV
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