Bootmen

Bootmen

The movie ‘Bootmen' perpetuates and challenges the stereotypical image of the Australian male and other aspects of Australian identity. Construction of characters, settings, discourses and cinematography are fundamental in developing the representations this film displays.

Construction of characters throughout ‘Bootmen' bother supports and rejects various aspects of Australian identity and helps the film to be interpreted the way it is designed. Characters are established through the use of costume, language, dialogue, body language, facial expression, gestures and camera techniques. For instance, colour, lighting and camera angels are some effects used to invite viewers to empathise with Sean and take his perspective of the film. Sean's character is particularly important in positioning the viewer to identify with ‘Bootmen's' construction of the typical ‘Aussie bloke'. For example, Sean laughs in the face of authority when he clocks in late at the steelworks. As the film is viewed from his view point, this anti-authoritarian discourse of masculinity is endorsed. Sean is anti-authoritarian, heterosexual, tough, likes sport, drinks beer, sticks by his mates and has a work hard – play hard attitude. All of these attributes promote the stereotype of the Australian male. In contrast, Sean's love of tap dancing challenges the dominant ideology shared by most Australians and leads viewers to firmly believe that tap dancing is a major part of the national identity. However, this does not denounce the stereotypical ‘tough' image, but adds to it in a somewhat unusual way.

Representations of the national identity are also influenced by the chosen settings. ‘Bootmen' is set mainly in Newcastle which is a typical Australian industrial town, populated by blue-collar workers. The steelworks setting contributes to the overall message of ‘Bootmen' by enhancing themes of gender based occupation, anti-authoritarianism and entrapment. For instance, entrapment is successfully portrayed during the ‘boot making scene' through the set, especially the background materials. The steel mesh in orange and harsh colours creates a prison in which Sean is trapped. He escapes this through his dancing. Other settings such as the old warehouses, bar and beach reinforce representations of being Australian.

Furthermore, discourses in ‘Bootmen' pertain to the Australian identity in that there is continual family conflict throughout the film. The relationship between Sean and his father clearly supports this discourse. Sean's dad is a firm believer of the ‘real Aussie bloke' and therefore does not approve of Sean's