DO NOW
Complete the sentence: In Gallipoli (1981), an Australian hero is believed to be …
LEARNING INTENTION
- Complete analysis of Gallipoli (1981)
- Look ahead to the exam
TASK
Answer the following question:
How are the English represented? What social value does this represent?
The English are represented as heartless and powerful. The overall agenda of the British army is represented by the English Officer, who ruthlessly orders Australian soldiers over the front in Gallipoli knowing they will be killed. Despite protests from the Australian Colonel that going over the front is futile, the British need to distract the Turks so they can weaken another important front is shown to be more important. The English Officer who refuses to stop sending Australian soldiers over the front is represented as completely uncaring and selfish, showing no emotion. He refuses to consider the needs of individual soldiers, representing the priorities of the British government as lacking in compassion.
This idea of the British being responsible to the deaths of Australian Soldiers in Gallipoli is an emerging social value. The dominant social value is maintained through Media coverage of cultural events like the ANZAC day parade, where the Australian Hero is represented as equal to the British, having fought along side them willingly. Weir opposes this by suggesting that the relationship between Australia and Britain in this battle was based on an unfair power balance, where the Australian Hero was in fact powerless to avoid a unnecessary bloody death.