‘TheProposition’AndTheExplorationOfTheAustralianWesternGenre-GarySun

ByGarySunNotes:HiBrigid,thisarticlewasoriginallywrittenbyme-GarySun‘TheProposition’AndTheExplorationOfTheAustralianWesternGenreInthenineteenthcentury,theAustralianmainlandstartedtobecolonizedbytheEuropeans.Thisperiodofhistoryiscomposedofbarbarousracialandintra-racialmassacres,atrocitiesandcountlesspeople’sblood.The2005film‘TheProposition’directedbyJohnHillcoatandscreen-scriptedbyNickCaveisoneoftherarestremarkabletexts,whichhighlightsthestatusofAustralianWesterngenreintheworldliterature.Throughtheingenioususeofcameraandnarrativestructure,‘TheProposition’authenticallydepictsthecomplexityanddestructivenessofthemodernWesterncivilizationonAustraliancontinentandthusleavesustoreconsiderandreevaluatethisspecificperiodofhistory.‘TheProposition’tellsafictionalstoryoftheBritishCaptainStanleymakingadealwithCharlieBurnsinordertostophisolderbrotherArthur’soutragesintown.CharliehastokillArthur,otherwisehisteenagesimpletonbrotherMickeywillbehangedforrapeandmurderontheapproachingChristmasday.Inthisessay,thetextwillbediscussedintermsofgenre,especiallybyanalyzingthelastscene:WhileCaptainStanleyandhiswifeMarthaarehavingdinnerforChristmas,Arthurinvadestheirhouseandviolentlyturnseverythingintochaos,andlaterisshotbyarrivingCharlie.ThegenreofthetextisgenerallyclassifiedasWestern.SinceWesterngenrewasinitiatedbygreatAmericandirectorsJohnFordandHowardHawksduringtwentiesofthelastcentury,WesternfilmshavealwaysbeenlinkedtotheHollywood.‘Theproposition’asanAustralianversionofWesterngenre,obviouslysharesmanysimilarelementswiththeAmericanones.Inthelastscene,wecantellthosecharacteristicsfromthevastanddesolatedesertoutsideCaptainStanley’shouse,Arthur’srevolver,Charlie’shorseandthetragedyofCaptainStanleywhosymbolizesthepowerandauthorityofthecolonialgovernment.However,AustralianbushrangersshouldnotsimplybeconsideredasequivalenttoAmericancowboys.AccordingtoJackSargeant,‘theAmericanoutlawispursingavariantoftheAmericanDream,albeitbyamoralmeans,whiletheAustralianbushrangerissimplytryingtosurviveagainsttheodds,driventohiscoldcircumstance’Hence,AustralianWesternisperceivedasanewgenrebycombiningAmericanWesternelementsandtheuniquehistoricityofAustraliatogether;anewgenrewhichisoftennamedbushrangerfilm.OftentheheroicandromanticdepictionofoutlawsismythologizedandreinforcedinclassicAmericantexts,notastheauthenticreflectionofthehistory.However,in‘TheProposition’,thisideaofheroismischallengedandevenrejected.Insteadofbeinglegends,bushrangersin‘TheProposition’aredepictedasordinaryhumanbeingswhoalsomakemistakesandbearmoralambiguity.Forexample,Arthurisratherportrayedasaromanticandpoeticfigureinthetext:hegallopsacrossthevastdeserttorescuehisbrother;hesitsinthesunsetandpraisesthebeautyofthenature;heseeksaperfectbondoffamily;heexpressesoncethatdyingalonewithoutthepeoplehelovesishorrifying.HoweverinthescenewherehetakeshisrevengeonCaptainStanleyforthepropositionbyaskinghissubordinateSamueltosingwhilerapingMarthainfrontofStanley.WhenCharlietellshimthatMickeyisdead,Arthurdoesn’tseemtocareandcontinuepraiseSamuel’ssinging.TheimageofArthursuddenlybecomesambiguous.Arthur’scharmandhumanismseemtoevaporate.Instead,heisturningintoahatefulviper.Asthecenteredcharacter,Charlie’sexperienceismuchmorecomplexthanpunishingthedespicable.Heisgiventhemostdifficultquestionintheworld:hehastodecidewhichofhisbrotherisgoingtodie.HefailstoshootArthuronseveraloccasionswhichdemonstrateshisstruggles.AfterMickey’sdeath,hearrivesatStanley’shouseandthereforefindsoutArthur’satrocity.EventhoughCaptainStanleyhasbreachedhisproposition,Charliehelpstostoptheongoingtragedybyshootinghisbrothertodeath.Charlie’smovementsandattitudesareseenasrighteousandenlightenedsincehetriestostopthecontinuationofviolenceintown.Infact,however,thischaracteristrappedbygreatconfusion,helplessnessandself-contradiction.‘I’mgoingtobewithmybrother.’CharliesaystoCaptainStanley.EventhoughheisdisappointedatArthur,hestillloveshisbrother.Thushisimageisportrayedaspassive,strugglingandmorallyambiguous.Whathedoesshouldnotbeseenasareflectionofheroism,butawaytosurviveundertheoppressiveandcruelenvironment.AsJackSargeantstressesinhisarticle,‘thereisnoglamourorheroismhere,justthepragmaticsofneedingtosurviveoverthenextfewweeks,days,hours,evenminutes.’Moreimportantly,inordertodramatizetheepicstoriesofoutlaws,theauthorityisalwaysdepictedascorrupted,oppressive,violentandunjustifiedinclassicAmericanWesternfilms.Infact,‘TheProposition’doesreflectthebrutalityofAustraliancolonialgovernmentinQueenslandastheauthorityfigure.Forinstance,tocivilizetheplace,thepoliceofficeoftenindiscriminatelyarrestsandtortureslocalAborigines,whichisreferredtotheprocessofassimilationorannihilation.ConflictdefinitelyplaysacrucialroleinleadinganddevelopingtheremarkablenarrativesofAustralianbushrangerfilms.However,characterCaptainStanley’sexperienceslightlycontrastswiththeclassicbrutishcharacteristicsofauthorityfigures.‘Iamgoingtocivilizethisplace’,Stanley’searlylinerevealshispowerandauthoritystraightawaytotheaudience.However,hisattempttoseekforrealjusticeshowsthatheislessinsensitive.WhenStanley’ssuperiorCaptainFletcherordershimtowhipMickeyaspunishment,StanleyfightsagainstFletcherandtrieshisbesttoprotectMickey,notonlybecausethiswouldholdtheproposition,butalsobecauseStanleybelievesthatitisunfairforMickeytoundertakethepunishment.AfterMickeybeingwhippedtounconsciousness,Stanley’stalkingcareofhimshowshiskindnessandhumanism.Thereforethischaractergainssomesympathyfromtheaudienceinthescenewherehegetsbeatenupandevenshot.AccordingtoJaneStadler’sstatement,‘TheProposition’depictsaseriesofobliquelyrelatedactsofinterracialandintra-racialviolenceandretributioninwhichheros,villainsandinnocentpartiesareill-defined.’Therefore,apartfromcomplexracialconflicts,moralambiguityplaysalsoakeyroleinmakingAustralianbushrangergenredistinctivefromtheAmericanWesterngenre.Inaddition,auniqueAustralianWesterngenreisnotonlyconveyednarrativelybutalsocinematographicallyin‘TheProposition’.ThetextusestheAustralianlandscapetodrawadistinctionbetweenAustralianandAmericanWesternfilms.SincethestoryissetintheoutbackQueenslandinthenineteenthcentury,withthesceneryofthedesolateandbaredesertwithnumerousfliesandunbearableheat,‘TheProposition’depictsAustraliaasaninhospitableanduncivilized‘freshhell’.ThevastdesertlandscapeinaendlessvistaisshownintheselectedscenewhereCharliegallopsacrossthedeserttoStanley’shouse.ComparedwithStanley’s‘littleEngland’inthemiddleofthedesertwhichsymbolizescivilizationandmodernity,theAustraliancontinentseemstobefullofdangersandunknowns.Thisislinkedtotheargumentthat,insteadofdefendingsomethingagainstinjustices,Australianbushrangersaremoreconcernedtosurvivefromthedreadfulenvironment.Interestingly,theuseoflandscapesin‘TheProposition’doesnotonlycontrastinternationallybutalsointra-nationally.ComparedwithotherAustralianbushrangerfilmssuchas‘NedKelly’,landscapesin‘TheProposition’isbrightandcontrastingincolors.AsRebekahBrammermentionsinherarticle,‘silhouettesagainstblood-orangesunsetsarealsousedatsalientpointinthestory.’Intheselectedscene,Arthursitsinthemagnificentsunsetwhilebleedingtodeath.Hissaddemisecontrastedwiththelandscapeemphasizestheconflictbetweenbrutalityandbeautyechoingonthecontinent.Inconclusion,‘TheProposition’tellsitsownwesternstoryofAustralianandmorefocusesontheauthenticityofthebrutalAustraliancolonialhistoryratherthanmythologyofclassicoutlawsofHollywoodorfamousAustralianbushrangerssuchasNedKelly.ItreallybringsAustralianwesterngenreintoanewlevel,distinguishablefromWesternstorieselsewhere.Asthescreen-writerNickCavesaysinaninterview,‘wedidn’twantittosoundlikeanAmericanwesternthathadbeendumpedinAustralia.ThereisacertainincompetencethatexistsintheAustraliancharactertoday,arealsavageryandcrueltybehindthatkindofattitude.’headds‘thisfilmisaboutanisolatedcommunity,peoplestrugglinginaplacewheretheyreallyhavenorighttobe.’Reference:Brammer,Rebekah,NedKellyvsTheProposition:ContrastingimagesofColonialism,LandscapeandtheBushranger,MetroMagazine,issue158,September2008Hillcoat,John(director)andCave,Nick(scriptwriter),TheProposition,2005NickCaveandJohnHillcoat:ThePropositionInterview,futuremoveis,http://www.futuremovies.co.uk/filmmaking.asp?ID=159,27February2006Stargeant,Jack,BloodshedDownUnder:MadDogMorganAndTheProposition,issue161,June2009Stadler,Jane,LandscapeSpaces’ColonialHistory,MetroMagazine,issue163,December2009