Is it the laid back nature of the typical Australian, the picture perfect landscape we live in, or the cultural diversity that makes Australia what it is today? Features such as these have been used as a way of describing Australia for decades. However, do they truly capture the Australian identity? (Change slide)
Good afternoon Ladies and gentlemen. I am here today to outline why The Castle, one of Australia’s most iconic films, should be included in the Australian Film Festival. Rob Sitch’s tale of blue-collar heroes with hearts of gold became one of Australia’s most widely quoted comedies and catapulted Darryl Kerrigan straight into the pool room of cinematic legends. (Change slide) The Castle is a film based on the underdog, featuring the Kerrigan family, who are battling the government and …show more content…
Why? Because living in a country with a tiny population, who keep to themselves have very little power when it comes to the world, we like to believe we can succeed, and our films reflect this. The Australian Identity is what defines us as Australians, from the way we walk to the way we talk. An aspect of the Australian Identity that appears to be considered a characteristic of a true Australian is that of the underdog. The underdog is known as the little guy against the big, powerful rule-makers. Australians are rumoured to love the underdog - the unfavoured party, battling against the odds, particularly when the underdog rises and triumphs over the powerful authorities. Throughout the film, there are several references made to the Indigenous Australians, Darryl even stated, “I’m really starting to understand how the aborigines felt…” The Castle shapes our understanding of the power of the underdog and explores the notion of fairness. This can be seen through when the government tries to take the Kerrigan’s house; Darryl defends and fights against them in order to keep what he