inside nic's head: Comparative analysis: Coming-of-age films, 'Looking for Alabrandi'(2000) vs. 'Strictly ballroom' (1992)

Both Strictly Ballroom and Looking for Alibrandi are films which demonstrate the trails and tribulation of coming-of-age. The protagonist, Josie, in Looking for Alibrandi is attempting to come to terms with her cultural identity, meeting her father and the death of her friend. Whereas Strictly Ballroom protagonist, Scott, goes on a journey of wanting to express himself through dance, breaking the rules, discovering truths about his parents and helping a girl come to her full potential as his under trained new dance partner.

However, I will be attempting to compare the use of ethnic representation in these films. As Aquilla points out in his argument, “Characters such as Scott from Strictly Ballroom... are analysed as ‘White Australian’ protagonists who resolve their dramatic situation with assistance from Spanish-Australian and Greek Australian partners.” (Aquilla, 2000, p.104) The most apt example of this in the film is the scene in which Scott enters the backyard of his partner’s (Fran) father, whilst they are having a gathering. The lighting is dark and ominous and the music is robust and overwhelming, all creating a theme of anticipation as to whether or not Scott will be accepted into this situation.

On the contrary to this Looking for Alibrandi provides a look from inside the ethnic-Australian perspective instead of the Anglo interpretation of the ethnic which is more commonly seen. We follow the journey of Josie, who seems embarrassed by her Italian family and their traditions, just wanting to fit into the ‘normal’ Anglo-Australian society. By the end of the film she comes to except her family traditions and we see a backyard scene that is at once similar and contrasting to the aforementioned scene from Strictly Ballroom. Looking for Alibrandi scene is during the day, with bright lighting and jovial music, with long continual shots emphasising contentment. This contrast with the Strictly Ballroom scene that has sharp, quick dark shots of extreme close ups.

It is interesting that both these scenes take part in the backyard of the houses. As Simpson illuminates in her writing “Australian suburban ideology is inextricably bound up with specific notions of the backyard, so it is no surprise that backyards are often depicted in Australian films about suburbia.” (Simpson, 1999, p.25) Therefore it can be interpreted that ethnic representation is in both Strictly Ballroom and Looking for Alabrandi challenging the ideas of Anglo-Australians connection to the backyard stating a claim that ethnic-Australians have very similar connections, helping illustrate acceptance by its implications on Australian audiences.

References:

Catherine Simpson (1999) ‘Suburban Subversions: Women’s Negotiation of Space in Contemporary Australian Cinema’, in Metro Magazine #118, pp.24-32

Peiter Aquilia (2000) ‘Wog Drama and ‘White Multiculturalists’: The Role of Non Anglo-Australian Film and Television Drama in Shaping National Identity’ Originally published in Ruinard and Tilley (eds.), Fresh Cuts: Journal of Australian Studies no. 67, St. Lucia, UQP, 2000.