Samson and Delilah - Ideas Essay
In the film Samson and Delilah directed by Warwick Thornton 3 key visual techniques are used to confront the audience with ideas, and these techniques include cinematography, props and make-up.
Thornton use the visual technique of cinematography to show the reality of Samson's isolation from his hoe village, and his culture. In one scene, Samson is shown on top of a hill looking down on his village. Three key shots are included within this scene, the first being a big shot of Samson's village with his hand over the petrol can muffled in the centre, showing his point of view, and how he feels severed from his community. It then cuts to a mid shot of Samson with his head in the can of petol, showing that throughout everything, he still needs his can of petrol. Finally it switches to a long shot of Samson walking away from his village, and the audience, showing how he was rejected his home and culture, and is now displaced. Throughout this scene, a discorded violin is playing in the background to show his emptiness. These three key shots are essential to showing Samson's dislocation from his culture, as they clearly depict was is going through Samson's head. It was Thornton's intention to include these shots after Delilah's beating, and for him to finally realise that his culture isn't for him. Samson is representative of a number of young Aborigines being distant from their culture, as they are unable to connect with it throughout their entire lives. Thornton use Samson and cinematography to confront Australia, and the world about this problem, and how nothing is being done to improve it.
Make-up is visual technique used by Thornton to show the reality of the violence faced by young Aborigines on the streets of Alice Springs,, and to show Australia and the world what life is really like there. After the kidnap and rape of Delilah, she returns to Samson with a bashed-in eye, and swelling all over the right side of her face, shown through the use of make-up, as the make-up artist has applied blush, and prosthetics to the actress playing Delilah. After she returns, it cuts to a mid shot of Delilah, where we can really see the damage that has been done to her. This shot of the bruising plaguing her face creates shock in the audience, as we can clearly see what has been done to her through the use of make-up, such as eye liner and latex.It was Thornton's intention to do this, to show that life on the streets for young Aborigines is violent, and extremely dangerous, Thornton uses this technique to confront Australia, and the world about the reality of Alice Springs and how "It's my Life", yet the problem is being left unrecognised by Australia, with nothing being done to improve the situation in Alice Springs, and the realities of enormous violence faced by young Aborigines on the streets. This problem of violence is being left under wraps by Australia, as they are unwilling to accept that the capital of the Red Centre has major flaws, and Thornton has confronted us with this through the use of make-up.
Thornton use the visual technique of props to show the reality of life for young Aborigines, that life is so bad that they have to turn to substance abuse, like sniffing the can of petrol. When Samson wakes up in the morning, one of the first things he does is sniff the can of petrol. This shows that it's not just something he does, it's a part of him, and his daily routine. Another instance of substance abuse is when Delilah gets hit by the car, Samson is too engulfed with his can of petrol to even realise what happened, and just continues walking, showing the addiction of sniffing petrol has consumed him entirely. Thornton uses this prop to confront Australia, and the world about substance abuse, that life is so bad for a large number of Aborigines, that they have to turn to sniffing petrol to get any relief during the day. Nothing is done to help Samson, and it goes from sniffing only in the morning, to almost 24/7 in Alice Springs, which is representative for many young Aborigines' lives, and how without help, it can only get worse. Life isn't easy for a large number of young Aborigines, and Thornton uses props to show this, and that turning to drugs if the only way they can go.
Thornton's effective use of 3 visual techniques including cinematography, props and make-up really impacted me. To think of some of the things that young Aborigines my age go through everyday while I life my life is mind boggling.
Thornton use the visual technique of cinematography to show the reality of Samson's isolation from his hoe village, and his culture. In one scene, Samson is shown on top of a hill looking down on his village. Three key shots are included within this scene, the first being a big shot of Samson's village with his hand over the petrol can muffled in the centre, showing his point of view, and how he feels severed from his community. It then cuts to a mid shot of Samson with his head in the can of petol, showing that throughout everything, he still needs his can of petrol. Finally it switches to a long shot of Samson walking away from his village, and the audience, showing how he was rejected his home and culture, and is now displaced. Throughout this scene, a discorded violin is playing in the background to show his emptiness. These three key shots are essential to showing Samson's dislocation from his culture, as they clearly depict was is going through Samson's head. It was Thornton's intention to include these shots after Delilah's beating, and for him to finally realise that his culture isn't for him. Samson is representative of a number of young Aborigines being distant from their culture, as they are unable to connect with it throughout their entire lives. Thornton use Samson and cinematography to confront Australia, and the world about this problem, and how nothing is being done to improve it.
Make-up is visual technique used by Thornton to show the reality of the violence faced by young Aborigines on the streets of Alice Springs,, and to show Australia and the world what life is really like there. After the kidnap and rape of Delilah, she returns to Samson with a bashed-in eye, and swelling all over the right side of her face, shown through the use of make-up, as the make-up artist has applied blush, and prosthetics to the actress playing Delilah. After she returns, it cuts to a mid shot of Delilah, where we can really see the damage that has been done to her. This shot of the bruising plaguing her face creates shock in the audience, as we can clearly see what has been done to her through the use of make-up, such as eye liner and latex.It was Thornton's intention to do this, to show that life on the streets for young Aborigines is violent, and extremely dangerous, Thornton uses this technique to confront Australia, and the world about the reality of Alice Springs and how "It's my Life", yet the problem is being left unrecognised by Australia, with nothing being done to improve the situation in Alice Springs, and the realities of enormous violence faced by young Aborigines on the streets. This problem of violence is being left under wraps by Australia, as they are unwilling to accept that the capital of the Red Centre has major flaws, and Thornton has confronted us with this through the use of make-up.
Thornton use the visual technique of props to show the reality of life for young Aborigines, that life is so bad that they have to turn to substance abuse, like sniffing the can of petrol. When Samson wakes up in the morning, one of the first things he does is sniff the can of petrol. This shows that it's not just something he does, it's a part of him, and his daily routine. Another instance of substance abuse is when Delilah gets hit by the car, Samson is too engulfed with his can of petrol to even realise what happened, and just continues walking, showing the addiction of sniffing petrol has consumed him entirely. Thornton uses this prop to confront Australia, and the world about substance abuse, that life is so bad for a large number of Aborigines, that they have to turn to sniffing petrol to get any relief during the day. Nothing is done to help Samson, and it goes from sniffing only in the morning, to almost 24/7 in Alice Springs, which is representative for many young Aborigines' lives, and how without help, it can only get worse. Life isn't easy for a large number of young Aborigines, and Thornton uses props to show this, and that turning to drugs if the only way they can go.
Thornton's effective use of 3 visual techniques including cinematography, props and make-up really impacted me. To think of some of the things that young Aborigines my age go through everyday while I life my life is mind boggling.
