The Last Wave :: essays research papers

The Last WaveSOC 118 "The Last Wave"-Peter Weir dir.(1977)     In the film, The Last Wave, the director is act to communicate theidea of a culture within a culture or sub culture. The dominant culture in thefilm is the gabardine members of association living in Australia. The subculture in thefilm is the Aborigines who were natives to the land before the white peoplesettled in Australia. The natives sustained their cultural beliefs andideologies while living in largely populated cities. The dominant white cultureimposes their legalitys , ideas of societal values and moral beliefs on the nativeAborigines. Forcing them to abide by a different law system and course of lifethan what their peoples have practiced for hundreds of years. In the movie thelawyer, David, represents the dominant culture to the Aborigines because herepresents the law that is controlling their fate in the white culture.     The director is as well giving us ma ny symbols or visual communication suchas the consistency of water in the film as well as, the overbearing control ofdarkness. The film is shot in shadows and overall is very dark , almost forcingus to look beyond the obvious diagram and storyline and into the meaning or whatthe film/director is trying to tell us. The darkness in the film can be seen asunconsciousness. It can also be seen as a prediction of the darkness that willoccur in the world when the last wave comes. The last wave meaning a gianttidal wave that will cover the earth , killing humanity. This idea is similarto the Christian belief in the flood that was sent implement centuries ago to destroyall the evil in the world. Also, all the modern aspects of the movie (courtroom,Davids office..etc) are filmed in light. While, all of the Aborigines scenesare filmed in darkness or shadows. Giving me the impression of somethingmysterious or not understood by the whites concerning the Aborigines. The factthat all the modern scenes are filmed in light can also support the idea of thewhite culture being the predominate culture in the film moreover yet not dominantenough to take away the shadows(mysterious , mystical)aspect of the Aborigines.The lawyer, David, Also goes through a series of dreams and premonitions.This is stressing the idea of mind power and mystical strength that theAborigines have. In that way they can be seen as the dominant culture. Davidis stuck between two worlds. The world he knows and understands and the otherworld that he is definitely a part of but does not understand.