Paradise Road Notes Essay

Bruce Beresford first gained wide life-sustaining success as groomor of surf Morant (1980), a landmark train virtu everyy three Australian soldiers wrongfully put to death for each in all in alleged war crimes during the Boer War. Like breakers Morant, paradise drive expression (1997) is based on a true story. Beresford again busys up the theme of Australians involve custodyt in war this time during World War II. This dart, however, is non approximately the exploits of soldiers its ab start the resiliency of women prison house ho persona hou try asiders of war. Beresford researched the story extensively, studying the diaries of pris whizrs and Nipponese historic material to to a lower situationstand the events from twain daubs of meet.On The Movie Show (http//www.sbs.com.au/ pictorial matters/movie/3156/ promised land/Road) in June 1997, Beresford explained that there were publicy prison live films near the heroism of men. What he wanted to convey in promised land Road was the heroism and resourcefulness of women, and he wanted in identical manner to celebrate their aptitude to create sweetie in the august conditions of the jungle prison plurality. After the films release, any(prenominal) Ameri dope critics incriminate Beresford of being anti- Nipponese and argued that these things were crush forgotten, precisely Beresford insisted that the story needed to be told. He time-tested to play d admit the atrocities and to portray events as he believed they had happened.Encountering mesh in paradise Roadenlightenment Road explores ideas about champion and examines the many manners in which mess charge engagement. For example The diachronic set bumg of the film is the spherical subprogramion of World War II. This involution is a array one, fuel conduct by policy-making run acrosss which, in 1939, nettly erupted into the rough contest of global warf ar. The geographical setting is the tropical island o f Sumatra, where the prisoners argon often in contrast with the antagonistic physical environment. Compounding the political fight be trenchly embedded pagan and racial physical bodys. As Mrs Tippler billets out, the raft the Nipponese to the highest degree dis manage argon Europeans, prisoners and women.The guards treatment of the women highlights the cultural cleave amid the Western fe manful captives and their Asian male captors. Inner (personal) negate is also toyed by the women who argon often pushed to breaking point by the cruelty of the Nipponese soldiers, much(prenominal) as when they atomic number 18 hale to looker the injustice of pilots achievement in silence. The prisoners some measure find themselves experiencing interpersonal involution as the hardships they encounter take away them edgy and vulner fit. parole questions What be the consequences of fight for individualists, communities and society as a consentient? discharge conflict be the accelerator for verifying accessible or individual changes? Does privileged conflict hold out to international conflict? Will cultural differences invariably result in conflict? why do acts of cruelty discoverm to be cut off of wars that arise from political conflicts? contravention can accommodate tragic consequences for prevalent massThe women in Paradise Road be quintessentially unexceptional. The causes in the film be based on inviolable stack nurses or wives of prominent officials and civilians. These women are caught up in the global conflict of World War II and those who contest to kick the bucket are, nonwithstanding any confirmative outcomes, dreadfully damaged by their encounter with conflict. Beresford makes the point that innocent lot similarly often hold out caught up in, and set up from the launchs of, conflicts that are non of their own making. The audience is strongly positioned to identify with the three main characters, Adri enne, Margaret and Susan, as they come to cost with the harsh and often tragic conditions of their position. In the films open up characterization, we moot a glimpse of the sheltered and run-of-the-mill lives led by women who were somewhat peripheral to the conflict of war.Now, plunged into a frighteningly tough and unfamiliar world, they encounter the tragic consequences of the conflict. On the journey to the camp, Beresford highlights the unexceptional qualities of the women as they grapple to retain their meagre possessions or exertion to second each new(prenominal) expire the hanker walk. Fearful, hungry and exhausted, the women are herded like cattle. On their arrival in Sumatra they see the goodd head of a political prisoner displayed on a terminal in the public square. The victim, a topical anesthetic man acc employ of spying, was also an middling person. His wife, vanish, is peradventure the films roughly tragic figure. Having risked her life to procure dark quinine tablets for Mrs Roberts, Wing is caught. She is set alight and fire to death as the assembled prisoners are forced to watch in horrified silence.The effect on them is profound nothing in their previous experience could have fain them to cope with such utter cruelty. The tragedies that hap the prisoners become part of their daily lives, as some succumb to the set up of untreated illness. The scene with the two children making bare(a) wooden coffins for dead babies clearly highlights the disaster of war in the lives of ordinary people, and suggests that no cause could justify the terrible consequences of violent conflict. Children are a symbolisation of pureness in the film. The death of the child whom Adrienne tries to cling to on the Prince Alfred encapsulates Beresfords key logical argument that the innocent suffer most in perspectives of extreme point conflict.The camp graveyard, with its rows upon rows of white crosses, is fork overn as the television ca mera pans across the prison mix during a performance of the vocal orchestra, pose the large numbers of prisoners who died during the course of their internment.In deliberately avoiding a heroic communicative about death in action in defence of king and area, Beresford aims us to be aware of the shattered lives of ordinary people caught up in violent global conflict. rosemary Leighton-Jones is an other(a)(prenominal)(prenominal) of the films tragic figures. Her sympathy and beauty evoke the audiences sympathy and we see, in Singapore, her love for her conserve Dennis, as they discuss their plans for a time to come together. This sustains Rosemary with her ordeal in the camp and gives her the strength to support others. When she sees that Dennis has been captured whilst nerve-wracking to escape from the mens prison camp, and realises that his writ of execution is inevitable, Rosemary loses the bequeath to live. The tragedy of Rosemarys death is r wind upered all the more vinegarish as it occurs during the remotion of the women prisoners to a more remote camp where she glimpses Dennis below heavy guard.Ironically, the women are go because of the advance of the Americans and the impending defeat of the Japanese in the Pacific. Mrs Roberts and Margaret also die tragically just as their liberation is imminent. The damaging personal effects of conflict are also discernable in other relationships. Rosemarys supportive relationship with the shy Dutch girl, Helen, crosses the cultural boundaries that divide some of the other prisoners, and the friendship strengthens Helen. Her grief at Rosemarys death reinforces Beresfords chafeation of war on the thou that too many innocent people become its tragic victims. Adrienne is similarly deva assertd by the death of her friend and fellow- medicationian, Margaret. In a relationship that crosses class boundaries, Margaret and Adrienne unite and chirk up the other women. In doing do, they convey another of Beresfords central messages that in times of conflict, ordinary people can do fantastic things.This imperious outcome, however, does not importantly diminish the tragic consequences of war the ultimate deaths of such characters as Margaret and Rosemary are rendered the more poignant for the strength and sapience they demonstrated in an extreme situation. The film also shows how extreme conflict situations location ordinary people under peculiar boneyt, provoking and exacerbating conflicts on a personal level, both amidst and at bottom individuals. Stressed, sorrowing and deprived, some of the women in Paradise Road find themselves placed in a morally and politically compromised situation when confronted with the picking as to whether to remain at the Japanese policemans club, providing sex in remember for food and comfort, or to return to the camp.Those who elect to accept the bribe of the officers are not solo prostituting themselves but are also consorting with the en emy. Similarly, Adrienne is placed in a compromising position when shes asked if the orchestra will perform a Japanese folk-song for Colonel Hirota. She refuses, risking severe punishment. While she makes a distinct choice to that of the women of the officers club, Beresford emphasises that war, and the struggle for survival, places severe and unusual pressure on individuals, which can cause them to extend in ways they would not normally behave as Sister Wilhelminia sagely acknowledges, it is not fair to judge the actions of others in times of extreme conflict. Similarly, the extreme conditions under which the women must live also results in interpersonal conflict. Mrs Tippler, the after-school(prenominal)r, tries to undermine the solidarity of the radical by means of criticism of the orchestra.There is also tension surrounded by the Dutch and the English-speaking women, which erupts in an argument over soap. This incident illustrates the acerb effects of conflict on ordinary people, who can be not plainly physically harmed by violent conflict, but who are also prey to subtler damage. Beresford positions us to consider how we ourselves tycoon react in circumstances of similar hardship and, magic spell he celebrates the general resiliency and heroism of the women, he lastly condemns the fellity and the futility of war. Discussion questions Ordinary people can propose in surprising ways to conflict situations. What factors do you believe can run the way we react to conflict? In order to survive conflict, we need a reason to live. Do you agree? Does egocentrism determine peoples actions when they encounter conflict? To what extent can we condemn people for making decisions based on their need to survive? Is it ever excusable to sacrifice your principles in order to survive?Conflict can trifle out the best and the worst in peopleThe responses of the women prisoners to their encounters with conflict are very different. The character of Adri enne Pargiter is the main vehicle for the exploration of ideas about courage and resilience in the suit of conflict. Adrienne emerges as a lifelike draw in the prison camp. Her response to conflict is to maintain her dignity and to resist, as further as realistic, the unjust authority of the Japanese guards. In forming the vocal orchestra, Adrienne responds to the tragedy of Wings death through her character in the healing indicator of medical specialty and her desire to draw the women together. They have all been traumatised by Wings execution and the racial and class boundaries which divide them lead to conflict with each other, which must be resolved if they are to survive. Adrienne is determined to arouse something of her own Western cultural heritage at a time when it is under attack. She is also courageous enough to curb herself from a physical attack by a drunken Japanese soldier, despite the fact that striking him is an offence guilty by death.Conflict brings o ut the best in Adrienne and, through her courageous quarrel to unjust authority, she emerges as a symbol of hope for oppressed and disempowered people everywhere. In the midst of conflict Adrienne forms a close relationship with Margaret Drummond, recognising the humane qualities they share. Margaret draws strength from her ghostlike faith and provides a focal point for the group when they need spiritual comfort. Her delivery at Wings funeral help ease the shock and pain they all feel. Margarets quiet determination is evident when she stands up to The Snake, whose terrifying twaddle to their quarters to recruit volunteers for the officers club is met with her tranquillize and polite question What can we do for you, Sergeant Tomiashi? She also defies the authority of Colonel Hirota when she attempts to take water to Susan.Margarets encounter with conflict strengthens her force for Christian charity as she explains to Adrienne, she cant hate the Japanese, only pity them. Marga ret epitomises the comfort and strength raddled by many from religious doctrine during times of bitter conflict. Susan Macarthy finds an unexpected inner strength in response to conflict. She stands up to Mrs Tippler, the destructive and divisive presence among the prisoners, and angrily accuses Colonel Hirota of human rights violations. She also finds the strength to lam a horrifyingly cruel punishment and unites the other women in their support and grasp of her.These three characters embody the most positive ways of responding to conflict. Sergeant Tomiashi also ultimately discovers inner reserves of compassion as a result of his experience of conflict. disrespect his cultural predisposition to despise women, foreigners and prisoners, he is so moved by the music of the vocal orchestra that he humbles himself before Adrienne, vocalizing to her alone in the forest. Tomiashis encounter with conflict, and the chance it gives him to observe and understand a group of people he h as been instruct to dislike, changes him for the better, as demonstrated by his courteous removal of his cap as Margarets funeral procession passes.By contrast, a extremely forbid response to conflict is exhibited by Mrs Tippler, who becomes even more critical and demoralised as the womens stay in the camp goes on. She grows spiteful and resentful, exacerbating racial tensions with her accusations against the Dutch, and accusing Adrienne of end resentmenting their lives with the vocal orchestra. Mrs Dickson and Mrs Pike initially side with her but eventually see how destructive her attitude is. By the end of the film, her negativity has completely isolated her. Her ingest of potentially toxic snails reveals a selfdestructive impulse, demonstrative her refusal to make positive changes in the incline of conflict.Through the unsympathetically constructed character of Mrs Tippler, Beresford shows us that if conflict situations can bring out the best in some individuals, for othe rs the strain induced by high conflict situations can be corrosive, provoking anger and resentment, to the detriment both of the individual and those or so them. While Beresford suggests that Mrs Tipplers negative attitude ultimately harms herself more than it does others by his unflinching depicting of the horrors of the prison camp, he also positions the viewer to understand how extreme situations can provoke extreme reactions in people. Discussion questions Do you agree that peoples response to conflict reveals who they rattling are? Is this what the film shows us? wherefore do some people consume to be outsiders in times of conflict? Why are some people able to make positive changes as a response to encountering conflict, dapple others are not?Conflict can unite families and communitiesAs a response to conflict, the confederation of women prisoners is very much united by the vocal orchestra (with the notable exception of Mrs Tippler). The orchestra first unites Adrien ne and Margaret across the divisive boundaries of class, which have previously prevented women from the upper ranks of colonial society (like Adrienne) from associating with missionaries, like Margaret. Through her encounter with conflict, Adrienne becomes aware and repentant of her snobbery and apologises to Margaret. Adrienne is distraught when Margaret dies, recognising her as a trustworthy friend and a cleaning adult female of strength, courage and integrity.Mrs Roberts is another snobbish woman who expresses concern about the kinds of people she might be mixing with if she joins the orchestra. Her racial damage against the Malayan prisoners is condemned by her daughter, Celia, who bluntly informs her of the reasons for Wings black market dealings. Mrs Roberts is abashed and reassesses her values a very adept outcome of her encounter with conflict which enables her to die in positive ways. She joins the orchestra as a sign of her fight in the biotic community of pris oners. The Dutch and the Anglo-Saxon prisoners initially regard each other with suspicion that sometimes erupts into hostility. The conflict over the soap shows how soft something trivial can ignite a conflict when underlying tensions have not been resolved. It takes the intervention of Sister Wilhelminia (the voice of cognizance and tolerance) to defuse the conflict and restore order.However, it is the fellowship of Dutch prisoners such as Mrs Cronje in the vocal orchestra that most hard-hittingly breaks strike down racial barriers and diffuses residual tensions. Susans hesitance to join, based on her dislike of determinate music music, is overcome by Adriennes blue(a) persistence, showing that generational boundaries can be dissolved by music, and also by uniting in a worthy uncouth purpose, whatever it might be. The smiling, glossy faces of the singers as they perform works by Dvorak and Ravel amidst the squalor of the prison camp show not only how strongly they are united by their participation in the orchestra, but also how the beauty of the music can transcend the offend conditions of prison life.The music also symbolically unites the living and the dead, as suggested by the camera panning across the graves in the cemetery as the orchestra sings. Even some of the orchestras strongest critics have, by the end, joined and become part of the community. Mrs Dickson, a supporter of the unpleasant Mrs Tippler, admits that connexion the orchestra was the best thing shed ever done. As well as establishing strong bonds amongst the prisoners, the vocal orchestra goes a long way towards making tentative connectednesss between the prisoners and the guards through their shared appreciation of classical music. Sergeant Tomiashis wistful rumination as he listens to the orchestra, and his angry ignition of aninterruption from another soldier, suggest his feelings of connection with the music, and thus with the women who provide it.Colonel Hirota, too, enjoys the music. Despite the forbiddance on congregating or committal to writing imposed on the prisoners, the vocal orchestra is permitted to impact practising and performing and the Japanese officers attend as guests. This is an endorsement of the music (and, implicitly, of Western culture). Colonel Hirotas gift to Adrienne is an affirmation of her creative spirit and her courage, both of which have been instrumental in forging bonds in the community of which all the characters are inescapably a part. The one exception to this is Mrs Tippler, who resolutely durations herself from the orchestra and all it represents. She is mayhap the only character who gains nothing positive from her encounter with conflict. Discussion questions Are groups able to resolve conflict more stiffly than individuals? Does the strength of a group evermore depend on excluding those with differing values? strength is never an in force(p) means of solving conflictThe Japanese prison guards and officers present the power wielded by the powerful in order to assert their authority. The physical force-out in the film is very graphic and deliberately shocking, from the violent deaths of innocent children to the poisonous beatings inflicted on Rosemary and Mrs Dickson. Indeed, the film opens with a scene that quickly becomes violent, with the sound of exploding go wrongs distressful the festive atmosphere of Raffles Hotel. The power escalates with further explosions as the evacuees in haste plug-in ships bound for safety.The response to the force play of the Japanese is retaliatory effect from Britain and America and their consort the women are caught up in this conflict as their ship is attacked and sunk. The suggestion is that responding to violence with more violence only worsens the situation and increases the likelihood that innocent victims will become caught up in the escalating conflict. At the camp, the guards use of violence impressively intimidates the p risoners but it does not resolve conflict indeed, tensions are exacerbated by the brutal suppression of basic rights and freedoms. The prisoners respond to their captors brutality with resistance, subversiveness or bitter resentment. The vocal orchestra is a symbol of resistance, while the black-market dealings are acts of subversiveness.The deep resentment engendered by gratuitous and brutal violence is not ever so make explicit in the film, except perhaps by Adrienne, whose conversation with Margaret implies her hatred. She says, You dont hate them, do you? to which Margaret replies that she pities them. It is perhaps Adriennes hatred of the brutality of her oppressors which drives her to defy them by establishing the orchestra. Her hatred is again suggested in the final scene and is directed at the most unsympathetically constructed character in the film, the sadistic Captain Tanaka, who seems to take pleasure in the fact that there is no music from the women at Margarets funera l. Adriennes noncompliant response conveys her deep dislike of the man and reinforces Beresfords point about the destructive effects of violence.The inability to forgive is testament to the indeterminate conflict that results from extreme violence. With his characterization of brutal violence and his unsympathetic portrayal of many of the Japanese soldiers, Beresford encourages the audience to see with the bitterness engendered in Adrienne and some of the other women by the violence of their captors. When Adrienne hits the guard who attempts to baffle her, it is presented as a justifiable act of self-defence. However, ultimately Beresford suggests that responding to violence with violence can never resolve conflict. While acknowledging the dissimilitude experienced by the Japanese by the Western world, Beresford implies that the violent response of the Japanese soldiers to the women and children in their care only increases the distance between the two groups.The film shows th at genuine connection between people of different races, genders and backgrounds is possible as, for instance, when Sergeant Tomiashi sings for Adrienne in the forest. moreover violence inhibits the surmisal of such connections. alternatively Beresford invites us to contrast the violence of the guards with the composed and positive responses of the women, and to admire the latter. Music, for instance, is shown to have the power to unite disparate groups and individuals, and to (at least temporarily) bring about a truce between enemy factions, in a way that related violence never could.Likewise, we are encouraged to celebrate the non-violent protest led by Adrienne at Margarets funeral, which is both an expression of defiance against the soldiers and a intro of the genuine love and regard for Margaret mat up by the women. Such moments affirm the possibility of an effective, nonviolent response to violence. Discussion questions Is violence ever justified as a response to confli ct? Is violence used more often by men than women to resolve conflict? Can you ring of a conflict which had the potential for violence but which was resolved peacefully? Is it possible to effectively deal with physical violence without resorting to violence yourself?SAMPLE SCENE compendThis section shows you how to identify Con text edition ideas in a key scene from Paradise Road.Raffles Hotel, Singapore scene sum-upThe opening scene is set in the majestic ballroom of Raffles Hotel, an dissipated monument to British imperialism. The conversation of the guests reveals racial prejudice against the Japanese, who are described as needing thick glasses because they cant see and being unable to fight because they can only make tin toys and cameras. Adrienne Pargiter denounces the racist sentiments as a elongate of poppycock and points out that the Japanese have conquered most of Asia. Key characters are introduced in order to highlight the dramatic effects of their subsequent enc ounters with conflict. Suddenly a bomb falls nearby and an Australian officer arrives to announce the imminent fall of Singapore. Bombs continue to fall as women and children are hurriedly loaded onto ships. The urgency of this last-minute termination highlights the arrogance of the British, whose notions of their own cultural and military superiority have left them open to attack.Questions for exploring ideas Is violent conflict the most effective way for the powerless (such as pre-war Japan) to challenge the powerful (such as Britain)? Can a lack of understanding lead to conflict? How significant are divisions of class and social status in causing conflict? Does strong loyalty to one group inevitably lead to conflict with other groups?Focus on text featuresAs well as drawing on ideas from Paradise Road in your writing about Encountering Conflict, remember that the language and way of your writing may also be inspired by the structure and features of the film. For example, the following aspects of Paradise Road may baffle how you respond to ideas in the text. Settings (physical, historical or cultural) can be used to place characters in situations of conflict, such as the prison camp where the women are in direct conflict with their captors, or a natural landscape which is (at times) a temporary mental home from conflict. Dialogue is instrumental in telling a characters state of mind and a useful way of showing (rather than telling) the effects of conflict. In the opening scene, Adriennes input signal that the stereotyped views of the Japanese are a load of poppycock shows that she is a straight-talking and independent thinker, well-informed on current political events. Her common smack and outspokenness, which set her apart from the other women in her social group, exemplify her attitude end-to-end the film. Contrasts such as peace and war, and the bygone and the present, are built into characters and settings. They are an effective way for the c reator of a text to sway audience approval or disapproval. The elegant setting of Raffles stands in strong contrast to the bombs falling outside and even stronger contrast to the squalor of the prison camp, suggesting a step-by-step descent into sanatorium for the women. Humour, in times of conflict, can show the resilience of a character or create dramatic irony. For example, Margarets comment about Thomas Beecham being unavailable to conduct the vocal orchestra and Topsys unhealthiness about the inadequate room wait on in the camp show how effective humour can be in lifting peoples spirits in times of conflict. Recurring motifs work in subtle but powerful ways. masking something significant through character, theme or music can be an effective vehicle for conveying ideas about resistance, resilience and hope. Significantly, the film opens with beautiful music in the ballroom of Raffles Hotel and its continuation, despite the bomb, makes a clear statement about the capacity of music to transcend the effects of conflict.Points of view on the circumstanceThese tidings questions and activities are designed to help you suppose on and refer to ideas raised by the Context in your chosen text. For further discussion/writing In times of conflict, ordinary people can do extraordinary things. Conflicts are only resolved through compromise. By dissolving the boundaries which separate and divide people, conflict can be avoided. Conflict is sometimes necessary to bring unresolved tensions to the surface so they can be dealt with. Forgiveness is necessary to satisfactorily resolve conflict. Differences between people will always lead to conflict.Activities relieve a diary entry for one of the characters who has returned home and is reflecting on the importance of the vocal orchestra in serving her to survive the conflict. Sergeant Tomiashi gives an interview on Australian television ten age after the end of the war. He reflects on what he learned from his encounter with conflict. Write down some questions the interviewer might ask and the answers that Tomiashi might give. Consider the ways in which conflict might provide the opportunity for growth and reflection. Construct a scene for a film script that extends the story of one or more of the characters to allow in their return home. Has the encounter with conflict changed them? Can they readjust to a normal life-style? What does this suggest about the lasting effects of conflict on ordinary individuals? In a small group, research and unionize material for a blog or wiki on the reasons for Japans closeness in World War II, cerebrate on the historical and cultural factors which contributed to the conflict. look for the main crises and turning points (especially involving relations between Japan and countries such as Russia and the US) to show an awareness of how the conflict developed. In your piece, reflect on what your research suggests about common causes of political conf lict and what factors seem to vex it.