Charlie\'s Country Reflection FASS2100 PDF

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HD score on this reflection! Should serve as a good guide to writing your own...

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Charlie’s Country “You’ve got a house and a job. On my land.”

Charlie’s Country follows its titular character’s disorientated journey to discover his sense of self as he finds himself stranded between two cultures. The film tells of the estrangement Australia’s Indigenous population from their own culture as a consequence of white colonisation of their native land. Rolf de Heer depicts the ongoing repercussions of white law and white culture on Aboriginal people in contemporary Australia through David Gulpilil’s brilliant portrayal of Charlie and his conflict with society in his community in Arnhem Land.

Charlie’s life in his remote Aboriginal community in Arnhem Land coerces viewers to consider the struggle Indigenous Australians face with the conflict between their cultural ties and connection to land, and an everchanging world dominated by white law and both deliberate and casual racism. Several scenes in the film are likely to provoke racist thoughts or views in certain viewers and thus help them to question their own ingrained prejudices. In particular, the scene of the police officers in Darwin destroying the camp where the banned drinkers were living while yelling “go back to your community!” provides a vivid and confronting depiction into systemic racism within Australia.

The film explores the imposition of white law upon Indigenous Australians and the subsequent destruction of Aboriginal culture and loss of traditions within the community. Luke, the policeman claims that “times have changed” and that Charlie can no longer “sit on the grass all day and call it old times.” Nothing illustrates this conflict and destruction of culture better than Charlie’s response of “No they haven’t. You’re still trying to change our culture to your culture.” Luke’s confiscation of Charlie’s lovingly handcrafted hunting spear represents the imposition of white law on Aboriginal culture.

We follow as Charlie attempts to reconnect with his culture by moving out of his local community monitored by a primarily white police force imposing white law. He attempts to live in his country, and like his ancestors he builds a shelter, paints bark for the first time in many years, and carves a new hunting spear to catch barramundi in the river. Yet he is alone, separated from his friends and community – as his health deteriorates, he is transported to Darwin hospital and is once again subject to white supervision under his doctor. When his

white doctor asks if he can call him Charlie as foreign names are difficult to pronounce, Charlie is led to question contemporary Australian society - “Now I’m a foreigner?”

The use of motionless cinematography and stills throughout the film, coupled with minimalist sound and the chirping of crickets in several scenes provides viewers an opportunity to reflect on the plight of Aboriginal culture and identity in modern Australia, where racism and inherent prejudices remain ingrained in many individuals. The motionless camera and slow pans allow our eyes to search the scene and embrace the greenery of Arnhem Land, where Charlie’s ancestors lived and passed down their traditions.

The lack of understanding and the stark differences between cultures is strikingly illustrated through the sequence of events revolving around Charlie’s gun. We see Charlie in the police station registering for what Luke calls a recreational shooting licence. Charlie emphasises that he is “not a recreational shooter” and asserts that “I am a hunter”, highlighting that government regulations do not consider Aboriginal customs such as hunting for food rather than recreationally.

Yet despite Charlie’s best attempts to reject colonial influences and return to his traditional culture, ultimately he cannot escape from British influences and is forced to live with the complex clash of cultures stemming from the colonialist relationship between white law and Indigenous people. Despite Charlie’s deep desire to return to the bush and traditional living, his greatest pride and achievement in life is performing in front of the Queen at the Opera House.

Charlie’s development as he learns to accept the world he lives in is distinctly highlighted through his transformation from an outcast and “shaming his people” (through his association with a woman of the “wrong skin”) to a respected elder within his community, passing down traditional dance to the next generation. Through the story of the contained journey of one man, de Heer and Gulpilil depict the story of an entire people and the complexities impinged by hundreds of years of colonialist rule.

The pacing of the film and cinematography forces the audience to question and critically analyse the complexities of interwoven cultures within contemporary Australia....