Film and Australian Art Forms

By Janelle Esposito - Original Visions: Chapter 4

The paintings on rock faces are the gods leaving behind mementos of their presence. This is why Aboriginal art is sacred- it cannot be profane or mundane or anything else. There is a purpose to the unique way rock art is done. These sacred beings have been thought to leave their imprint or their image in nature and in drawings. Native Australian paintings have "served as incarnations of the sacred powers responsible for the world." Visual imagery shapes the consciousness of a people, giving them a more compelling idea or thought than oral speech. Art gives me the same sense of meaning- it portrays what words fail to describe. However in my literate culture, visual art, orality and music have been blended into what is called a film or motion picture. A good film sends a message which is beneath the surface. A film maker can do this by mise-en-scene within a shot. The placement of gives emphasis to the focal points of the scene and what meaning the director wants us to take out. Well-crafted movies place big emphasis on cinematography (almost like photography), pouring each shot with life and meaning. If it is useless, the film rule of thumb is "if in doubt, cut it out." Sometimes when watching a film, I look for what the film artist has to say about religion. I do this because I know that through being creative, we are bearers of God's image, who created us. The film does not even need to touch on religion to get a sense of the artist's creativity. The creative and the Creator always cross paths, whether the creative person realizes it or not. The making of a film even signifies creation- it has a beginning, middle and end. It has a storyline, just like our lives. Many movies have hero characters who incarnate someone else's existence. Many movies have scapegoat characters who take the blame for everyone else. Art is a reflection of the Creator, and it is seen in native Australian art and film in literate societies.

Nothing is casual or unintentional in rock art. A story is interpreted by an artist with a locale in mind. Dream time, a religious encounter in Aboriginal faith, takes shape in this art. When an artist paints, he participates in dream time. Unlike film, though, the act of this painting as specific and intentional as the painting might be, is more important than the final product. People celebrate film not simply due to the process, but because of the end result which is there for them to enjoy.