Samson and Delilah film essay
Analyse how visual techniques are used to develop deeper ideas in a visual text you have studied.
Samson and Delilah is a film directed by Warwick Thornton. The film is about two young Aboriginies and their struggles through life. Everything in the film the director has experienced or witnessed. Thornton uses three visual techniques to develop deeper ideas in the film. He uses props, cinematography and make up to confront the Australian audiences with the harsh realities of life for young Aborigines.
The first visual technique that the director uses to develop deeper idea in the film is props. A can of petrol which later in the film turns into a bottle of petrol, represnts the harsh reality of substance abuse and addiction for young Aboriginies. The can of petrol is associated with Samson. The can of petrol is first introduced at the very start of the film when Samson wakes up. Samson always has a bottle of petrol with him to show his addiction. We often see Samson in a midshot to show Samson and the bottle of petrol. The bottle of petrol dominates Samson's life, it blurs reality and he is so high he doesn't notice anything happening around him. The young Aboriginies have no hope so they resort to drugs. Many Australians are unaware about Aboriginies lives. By making the protaganist of the film a young petrol sniffing Aboriginie Thornton is trying to confront and shock Australian audiences about how substance addiction is a harsh reality for young Aboriginies.
The second visual technique that the director uses to develop deeper ideas in the film is cinematography. Specifically long shots to show the dislocation of young Aboriginies from their culture. There is a high angle long shot with Samson in the foreground and the village in the distance with Samson looking down at the village. the distance Samson is away from the village symbolises his emotional distance from the village and his culture. Samson feels rejected, disowned and alienated after being brutally beaten by his brother and seeing Delilah after she was beaten. The second long shot is facing away from the village and the audience. Samson walking away symbolises him turning his back on his culture, he is now an outcast. Thornton uses these shots to confront the audience on how rejection is a harsh reality for young Aboriginies, they are forced to turn their back on their culture because they feel dislocated from their culture.
The third visual technique that the director uses to develop deeper ideas is make up. Thornton uses make up to emphasize that violence is a harsh reality for young Aboriginies. The make up is used when someone has been beaten or abused. After Delilah was abducted make up was used to show her injuries. Blushing, shadowing and latex was used to create her black eye and her bruisings. Stage blood is used on her lips and teeth. The make up is designed to emphasize the ideas of violence. It is used to shock and confront Australian audiences about the harsh and brutal realities of young Aborigines.
In conclusion the three visual techniques that Thornton uses to develop the deeper ideas of reality for young Aboriginies is props to show substance abuse and addiction. Cinematography to symbolise rejection and make up to show violence. To this day Alice Springs has not changed much, young Aborigines still suffer from substance addiction, rejection and violence.
Samson and Delilah is a film directed by Warwick Thornton. The film is about two young Aboriginies and their struggles through life. Everything in the film the director has experienced or witnessed. Thornton uses three visual techniques to develop deeper ideas in the film. He uses props, cinematography and make up to confront the Australian audiences with the harsh realities of life for young Aborigines.
The first visual technique that the director uses to develop deeper idea in the film is props. A can of petrol which later in the film turns into a bottle of petrol, represnts the harsh reality of substance abuse and addiction for young Aboriginies. The can of petrol is associated with Samson. The can of petrol is first introduced at the very start of the film when Samson wakes up. Samson always has a bottle of petrol with him to show his addiction. We often see Samson in a midshot to show Samson and the bottle of petrol. The bottle of petrol dominates Samson's life, it blurs reality and he is so high he doesn't notice anything happening around him. The young Aboriginies have no hope so they resort to drugs. Many Australians are unaware about Aboriginies lives. By making the protaganist of the film a young petrol sniffing Aboriginie Thornton is trying to confront and shock Australian audiences about how substance addiction is a harsh reality for young Aboriginies.
The second visual technique that the director uses to develop deeper ideas in the film is cinematography. Specifically long shots to show the dislocation of young Aboriginies from their culture. There is a high angle long shot with Samson in the foreground and the village in the distance with Samson looking down at the village. the distance Samson is away from the village symbolises his emotional distance from the village and his culture. Samson feels rejected, disowned and alienated after being brutally beaten by his brother and seeing Delilah after she was beaten. The second long shot is facing away from the village and the audience. Samson walking away symbolises him turning his back on his culture, he is now an outcast. Thornton uses these shots to confront the audience on how rejection is a harsh reality for young Aboriginies, they are forced to turn their back on their culture because they feel dislocated from their culture.
The third visual technique that the director uses to develop deeper ideas is make up. Thornton uses make up to emphasize that violence is a harsh reality for young Aboriginies. The make up is used when someone has been beaten or abused. After Delilah was abducted make up was used to show her injuries. Blushing, shadowing and latex was used to create her black eye and her bruisings. Stage blood is used on her lips and teeth. The make up is designed to emphasize the ideas of violence. It is used to shock and confront Australian audiences about the harsh and brutal realities of young Aborigines.
In conclusion the three visual techniques that Thornton uses to develop the deeper ideas of reality for young Aboriginies is props to show substance abuse and addiction. Cinematography to symbolise rejection and make up to show violence. To this day Alice Springs has not changed much, young Aborigines still suffer from substance addiction, rejection and violence.
