FILM
The American film industry is a dominant force that has continued to be an opposing competitor to the Australian film industry, in addition to many other countries around the world. The influx of Hollywood produced films first hit Australia post World War 2. In 1952, it was estimated that almost 75% of screened films were American, and another 18% of the remainder were British (Skwirk, 2014). The United States film industry was and continues to be the most advanced and successful in the world. Higher quality films are produced by the American film industry because of their access to huge budgets, superior technicolour and wider technological resources, which therefore attracts talented actors, writers and directors (Swkirk, 2014). Australian films could simply not compete throughout the decades of the 1960’s or 1970’s, therefore allowing the dominance of Hollywood blockbusters on the silver screen. The gradual process of government funding was not given to the Australian film industry until the end of the 1970’s, unlike the television industry which was supplied funding in the 1960’s. These finances were used to establish film schools to teach Australians the skills needed to produce great screenplay, and accordingly led to a surge in Australian made films (Pearson History, 2013). An example of the Australian film successes from this time include The Man from Snowy River (1982) and Crocodile Dundee (1986), which portrayed the Australian stereotypical male as brave, resourceful, lacking respect for authority and a larrikin (Pearson History, 2013). The origins of these stereotypes were from the earlier settler days of Australia, where people lived off the land, and have lost their relevance towards the Australian identity today, as majority of the population lives on coastal areas and in industrialized cities. Although the ‘laid back’ aspect is still a recognized part of the Australian identity, overall how Australians are portrayed is very different to Americans, who are often viewed as brash or arrogant by their peers (Salt, 2012).
Below is a trailer for the two films, The Man from Snowy River and Crocodile Dundee, which portray a former aspect of Australia identity...
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Screen Australia (2013), the government agency set up to help the Australian film industry, released a statement saying “Australian content plays an important role in the interior lives of participants and their sense of cultural identity. For many it is a valuable platform for the telling of ‘our own stories’ – be they portrayals of Australian history, real people and events, or fictional tales that captured our way of life and the complexity of our contemporary, multicultural and urban culture” (Dale, 2013). This statement corroborates the idea that Australian films help build a sense of national identity, by providing images of the Australian way of life, rather than an American portrayal. Despite the growing success of local films, American blockbusters continued to prosper in popularity. By the 1990’s, cinema remained a vital aspect to the entertainment industry and Australians, regardless of newer technologies of cable television, VCR and portable music players. With only 15% of screened films being produced locally, it was evident Hollywood was still a stronger force. However, it could be argued that the diversity of pop culture was changing, as Australia played a bigger role in the production process of many films such as The Matrix (1999), which was filmed in Australia, and Babe (1995), a successful Australian film that used a lot of American production facilities to assist in the making (Pearson History, 2013). Journalist, Marie Bellino (2013) writes that “Watching movies is one of Australia’s favourite pastimes, but Australians forgo local films in favour of high-octane Hollywood flicks”. Unlike prior Australian successes mentioned, newer films such a Red Dog (2011) and Strictly Ballroom (1992), tell stories that resonate with viewers and portray a more relevant side to cultural aspects of modern society in Australia, such as the humble underdog and multiculturalism (Bellino, 2013). The outcome of the incorporation of these modern Australia identity traits is that Australian viewers feel they can relate more to the story of the film and their everyday life, therefore resulting in popularity at the box office. A research project in the Sydney Morning Herald, conducted by Screen Australia (2013), outlined the most popular films and television programs in Australia from 2010 to 2013. David Dale (2013), journalist and lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney, analyzed the results and found that “In the past three years, only three Australian-made movies have sold more than a million tickets… But in the most successful adult dramas on television since 2013, you find our accent everywhere, only one American series in the top eight.” This primary evidence supports the statement that the Australian film industry continues to be dominated by the United States, and that locally made films are not as successful as Australian television. The overall dominance of the American film industry in Australia today is due to the popularity, almost by definition, of popular culture. American films continue to thrive across the world, but the influence of this competition has resulted in Australia lifting their game to produce films that genuinely portray the Australian culture and way of life, therefore creating a stronger sense of Australian identity for viewers.
A news report from the BBC in 2013, reporting on the struggling Australian film industry...
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A report from the ABC news published in 2011, commenting on the Australian film industry crisis...
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