SOC 118
The Last Wave-Peter Weir dir. (1977)
In the film, The Last Say, the overseer is trying to communicate the idea of a
traditions within a tradition or sub culture. The dominant traditions in the film is the white-colored
members of society living in Australia. The subculture in the film is a Aborigines who also
were natives to the terrain before the light people satisfied in Australia. The natives
endured their ethnic beliefs and ideologies while living in mainly populated cities.
The dominant light culture imposes their laws and regulations, ideas of societal values and meaning
beliefs within the native Aborigines. Forcing them to abide by a different sort of law system and
way of life than what all their peoples possess practiced intended for hundreds of years. Inside the movie
the lawyer, David, represents the dominant lifestyle to the Aborigines because he
signifies the law that is certainly controlling their particular fate inside the white culture.
The director is additionally giving us many emblems or visual communication including the
consistency of water in the film along with, the overbearing control of night. The film
is shot in dark areas and total is very dark, almost making us to look over and above the obvious
plot and storyline and in the meaning or what the film/director is trying to share us. The
darkness in the film is seen as unconsciousness. It can also be seen as an prediction
of the darkness that will occur in the earth when the previous wave comes. The last wave
meaning a giant tidal trend that will cover the earth, getting rid of humanity. This idea is
similar to the Christian belief in the flood that was sent down decades ago to destroy all
the wicked in the world. As well, all the contemporary aspects of the movie (courtroom, Davids
office.. etc) are filmed in light. Although, all of the Aborigines scenes will be filmed in darkness
or perhaps shadows. Offering me the impression of something strange or not really understood by the
whites regarding the Aborigines. The fact that all the current scenes are filmed in light
can also support the idea of the white traditions being the predominate culture in the film
but yet not dominant enough to take apart the shadows(mysterious, mystical)aspect of
the Aborigines.
The lawyer, David, Also experiences a series of dreams and premonitions. This
is definitely stressing the concept of mind electrical power and mystical strength that the Aborigines possess. In
because of this they can be known as the dominant culture. David is trapped between two worlds.
The world this individual knows and understands plus the other world that he could be definitely part of
but would not understand. As he tries to grapple with the concept that he may become linked to the
Aborigines, his own cultural morals are changing. He is building a complex take on life
a mixture of ways of viewing the world by simply both the white-colored Christians as well as the
Aborigines.
The desire sequences inside the film are occasionally difficult to separate from the
warped reality that is certainly being pictured. Overall, they actually give us to be able to think and
attempt to understand what is going through the mind of David. Intended for he cannot
distinguish sometimes what is genuine and not actual. But what can be real depends upon if you see
it as real because an individual.
To my opinion, the film is saying that their is known as a definite cultural conflict between your
Christians and the Aborigines residing in Australia. Whichever one the viewer perceives as
staying dominant or perhaps subdominant, he will perceive the truth that their is a culture clash.
The viewer may also see the idea that the Aborigines(tribal) aren’t understood in white
contemporary society and David is the just one who can. He is the link between two planets, and at
the same time frame he is the wall structure separating these people.
Overall, I feel the film was great concerning the concepts behind the story plot. But
thanks in part to the directors fetish for normal water and darkness, he almost destroys the storyline
to me. And without the storyline, you cannot interpret the film in a well methodized way.
Also, the symbolism is indeed predominant, it points with the viewers deficiency of intelligence.
Similar to somebody repeating themselves while speaking over and over and also and
over, merely to stress a point. To bad this time by that period the point is past stressed it can be
almost destroyed completely.
Category: Music and films