English Feature Film EssayBy Nathanael Foo

Discuss the representations of experiences and issues in a feature film studied in class.

In Australia today, we live in a society that appears to deem everyone equal, free of discrimination

and applying equal opportunities to the rights, liberties and freedom to all its citizens. Social and

gender equality are seen to be less evident, however there are still inclinations towards the

dominance of men, and social inequalities based on wealth, race and class have been naturalized

into our culture. The film Shame directed by Steve Jodrell is a social realist commentary on the

effects of societal disparity left unchecked. The neglect and ignorance towards the presence of

inequality in wealth, class and gender within the fictional town within the film has pervaded and

saturated its society, where physical harassment and the travesty of justice is left unchecked. The

feature film displays representations of rape culture and gender stereotypes, both of which are still

prevalent in our society today. These issues are reinforced with the notion of otherness. The use of

film language, including camera techniques, audio codes, mise en scene and framing further

supports the issues. The protagonist Asta challenges gender stereotypes and she is ultimately the

catalyst of the conflicts within the film, encouraging social change.

The film both challenges and reinforces gender stereotypes. The restriction of what a male or female

can and cannot do restrains the ability for us to perform. The protagonist within the film, Asta, does

not conform to gender typecasts in the period that the film was set in. In many of the scenes

throughout the film she is wearing a leather jacket and a helmet. This symbolic juxtaposition of the

traditional male bikie attire to Asta’s feminine body represent the power that she holds, and the

protection against the pack of men in the town. Her untidy hair further challenges the female based

stereotype that women are good looking and powerless during the time that the film was set. In the

introduction scene of the film with Asta going into the bar filled with men drinking during midday,

we can see how a tracking mid-level shot is used to establish Asta’s power. She walks into the bar,

and appears unfazed by the lustful gazing of all the men. She is also the only prominent character in

the scene, as the camera moves towards her, with the depth of field being focused on her. This links

in with the male gender stereotype during the period at which the film was set, which is reinforced

in the film. It is clear that the males are the hegemony within the fictional town of the film. Their

physical features; sideburns, mullets, further display their masculinity and strength. In the

introduction bar scene, they are displayed like a pack, circling around Asta. The film displays how the

men freely assault women in the town, and we can see the effects being manifested in the young

men, as they attempt to surround Asta and rape her. Although I disagree with the flat portrayal of

men being mostly drunk and violent, the symbolic representation of the personalities embodied by

the characters is an accurate description. The film encourages my negative attitudes towards the

stereotyping and confinements that our society imposes upon genders and classes, they restrict our

progress, and should be abolished.

The existence of rape culture within our society is a very contentious issue that has not yet been

solved in several countries around the world. The film displays the existence of rape culture within

Ginboorak, the small town that the text is set in. Rape culture links sexual violence to the

fundamental roots of society and can be considered a power crime. Women are objectified and do

not possess any power to retaliate or confront men. In the film, the men are shown to exhibit

immoral behaviours towards Asta. Many scenes in the movie display the men gazing at Asta, with

the camera angle being from Asta’s perspective. Even the sheriff is shown to be leering towards Asta

 

in several scenes. This displays the complete integration of rape culture into a society, where the law

enforcements adapt to the sexual and horrendous activities that the hegemony conducts towards

the rest of the population. In the scene where one of the men get on Asta’s bike, where she

promptly drops him off with a wheelie, we can see the use of contrast in lighting displaying the

prominence of rape culture within the film. The men are mostly in the front, in the sunlight, with the

women hidden in the shadow. They are crowded around Asta, showing how rapes are initiated by

groups of men. The clothes that the men are wearing are extremely dirty, this could be symbolic of

Asta bringing the filth, the shame, into the light. As a male, I cannot truly understand the nature of

sexual harassment in our society, but the film has provided a fine example of rape culture. People in

towns affected by rape culture aren’t taught not to rape, they are taught not to be raped. 

The notion of otherness is used to reinforce the controversial issues within the film. Through an

“other”, we can see how contrasting values and attitudes can bring about change in a society

wreaked with social havoc. Asta is a prominent example of an “other” within the film. From

analysing the storyline, we can conclude that the film can be categorized as a contemporary

Western. A typical Western movie has a heroic male lead, coming to an isolated town, where there

is a conflict that the lead solves. This is exhibited in “Shame”, except with a female lead. Asta

contradicts the traditional gender stereotypes, and it is shown how an outsider with a different

perspective is needed to break the societal norms. The first scene, a long shot of an anonymous rider

in full motorcycle gear, roaring down a country road, is a cliché opening to a Western film. Asta’s

character is defined already at the start, a lone rider, emerging from the barren landscape. She is

isolated, and has not been desensitized and naturalised to the actions of the men within the film.

This is displayed in one of the scenes where she is walking with _____ and some boys approach

them in a car, constantly shouting out inappropriate insults. While ___ does not attempt to do

anything, and simply tries to walk away, Asta turns around and confronts the boys. This displays how

she is not acclimatised to the actions of the hegemony within the town, and this ultimately lead to

social change within the town.