Beneath_Clouds_Wild_Cat_Falling_Essay

Comparative essay – Beneath Clouds and Wild Cat Falling Ivan Sen’s 2001 film Beneath Clouds and Mudrooroo’s novel Wild Cat Falling are both immensely similar but also very different in context. In both texts, we see the journey of young aboriginal people who are progressing through a stage of immense change in their life. Suffering racism, prejudice and alienation, the young people must break down barriers and lead a journey both physically but also inside themselves on a search for self identity. The post modernist and post colonist context in which Wild Cat Falling is set, possesses the themes of alienation, hopelessness and disconnection during a time of immense racial vilification against black people and are explored by Mudrooroo very effectively. The protagonist is portrayed as having little hope in life and would prefer if he were to be locked up in ‘Freo jail’ in which he sees a refuge from normal life. “Nothing is right, nothing is wrong. Everything exists in itself and by itself. All things are separate and alien from each other.” (p92) Evident in this quote is the dysfunctionality and disconnection that post modernist literature refers to in such detail. The 1960’s, a time of racial tension is more closely reflected in Beneath Clouds that expected. The 2001 film explorer’s immense change but the context of it compared to Wild Cat Falling is surprisingly similar. The themes of racial vilification and social dysfunctionality are explored again through the film. Beneath Clouds explores the lives of two young aboriginal people, a girl names Lena who leaves her hometown in search of an Irish biological father and Vaughn, a teenage ‘screw-up’ who breaks out of a minimum security prison to reach his mother who is on her death bed and wished to see Vaughn for the first time in two years. Wild Cat Falling is a novel by Colin Johnson (known traditionally as Mudrooroo) about a young aboriginal man who takes on a white society he believes is against him. In this loosing battle, he develops a sense of anomie due to racism which ensnares him an ongoing cycle of imprisonment, release and imprisonment again. This is similarly seen in Beneath Clouds when Vaughn’s friend states ‘wait till you get locked up in a real prison Vaughn’ referring to the inevitable fact that Vaughn will again be in jail because there is no getting out of this cycle that Mudrooroo refers to. This strong connection to institutionalism demonstrates the fact that there is little hope for these young people growing up. Family Dysfunctional Family Dysfunctionality is a theme explored in both Beneath Clouds and Wild Cat Falling. During Beneath Clouds we see Lena as she approaches her family home, whilst her brother is being taken away by the police for stolen possession. This sets the scene for her family as she walks in to the sound of the races on the television, images of empty alcohol bottles scattered everywhere and a mist of cigarette smoke in the air. Evident is the dysfunctionality of her family. Then the bathos language of Lena as she says “You don’t f***** care about us do ya”. This reiterates the fact that her mother and step father show little compassion for the welfare of her or her brother. The audience then hit with a immense contrast as Lena moves into her room and beautiful images of green landscapes are pictured on the wall, family photos of her mother and brother pictures and letters from her father. These images become a strong motif during the progression of the film as Lena makes her way on her journey. This theme is closely reflected in the novel Wild Cat Falling as the protagonist reveals his negative hometown memories and of what he believes ‘set my feet firmly on a path to hell’. The use of ‘hell’ provokes effective images to the reader, a path heading directly to hell emphasises the effectiveness of the sentence. This ironic remark is more and more evident as the story progresses. As with Lena, in Wild Cat Falling the man believes that his home is not where he belongs and the best option he has is to leave. Land/Country In both texts, there is a strong connection to the land. In Beneath Clouds, Lena feels strongly obliged to stay connected to her father’s side. Therefore we often see Lena looking at pictures of Irish landscapes and greenery, as well as photos and letters from her father and at stages she even goes as far too completely lie and tell Vaughn she is Irish and disregard her aboriginal heritage which creates a critical scene in the film that emphasises Vaughn’s link to country and land. Vaughn on the other hand is very in touch and respectful of the land as he strongly believes in the fact that it was aboriginal land and stolen by the white colonisers. This is evident in the film when Vaughn and Lena intrude on a farmers land and steal some corn for food. The farmer calls Vaughn a ‘black bastard’ to which he replies ‘this isn’t your land, you stole this f****** land’. This heavily bathos remark emphasises Vaughn’s passion for the land and his indigenous heritage. Also when Vaughn is seen in jail at the start of the film, he reveals a close connection with a tree that he planted on his first day there. He admires it and sees it as a way of keeping occupied and respecting the land of which he lives. The protagonist in Wild Cat Falling also reveals his disgust and disrespect for white colonisation. He reveals the bias perspective of having ‘no choice’ and the negative view of white mans ignorance towards cultural heritage. Even though protagonist discovers far too late (on his way back to Fremantle jail) that the major key to turning this situation around is a stronger connection with his traditional heritage. Wild Cat Falling is an example of the destructive power of white racism in Australia and is a product of the massive social changes that occurred in the sixties in Australia, including the rise of Aboriginal activism. Alienation Alienation is another connection that can be drawn from both Wild Cat Falling and Beneath Clouds. The Duggan boy feels alone and isolated in the outside world, and would much prefer to be in jail which is what feels safe for him. “For me Fremantle jail has been a refuge of a sort.” (p3) The acceptance and connection he has with the hail is not common. Evident in the quote is the personalised protection of the jail as a refuge and is an oxymoron when reflecting jail life with acceptance. This emotion is also reflected by Vaughn although the jail he was in he felt abandon and alone. This is evident in the scene when Vaughn’s sister visits him to tell him of his mother’s illness. The hostility Vaughn shows towards her reiterates how he felt when they didn’t visit him, he feels abandon and alone. Hopelessness and disconnection emphasised.