Jeda, Charles Chauvel

I could not see this movie through the end because that day I had to leave early to catch Road, Movie. Even when I do not like a movie, I always like to see them entirely, which is why I was troubled when I learned that I had to leave before Jeda was over. However, I was able to get a good sense of what Jeda was about with the first half I got to see.

I was especially curious to see Jeda because it is the first film made in Australia from the Aboriginals’ point of view. The dialogues and the way Aboriginals were treated in the first part of the film were realistic yet significantly tuned down. However, this is understandable since the audience this film was meant for was not ready for a criticism of their past that was too cruel. I liked that they conveyed the idea that nature and history is engraved in people’s DNA, and thus, no matter if we are taken out of our natural context, such instincts will come to surface at some point. I thought they represented the way aboriginals’ laws operate and their behavior in a realistic way. However, I probably missed a lot because of my lack of knowledge about the traditions and stated rules of the different tribes.

In addition, they were really good at mastering lights and color shades; which is impressive given the fact that this was the first color movie made in Australia. I especially liked the night shots in which the blues and yellows played nicely on the screen.