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The Last Wave

The Last Wave


SOC 118 "The Last Wave"-Peter Weir dir.(1977)

In the film, The Last Wave, the director is trying to communicate the
idea of a culture within a culture or sub culture. The dominant culture in the
film is the white members of society living in Australia. The subculture in the
film is the Aborigines who were natives to the land before the white people
settled in Australia. The natives sustained their cultural beliefs and
ideologies while living in largely populated cities. The dominant white culture
imposes their laws , ideas of societal values and moral beliefs on the native
Aborigines. Forcing them to abide by a different law system and way of life
than what their peoples have practiced for hundreds of years. In the movie the
lawyer, David, represents the dominant culture to the Aborigines because he
represents the law that is controlling their fate in the white culture.
The director is also giving us many symbols or visual communication such
as the consistency of water in the film as well as, the overbearing control of
darkness. The film is shot in shadows and overall is very dark , almost forcing
us to look beyond the obvious plot and storyline and into the meaning or what
the film/director is trying to tell us. The darkness in the film can be seen as
unconsciousness. It can also be seen as a prediction of the darkness that will
occur in the world when the last wave comes. The last wave meaning a giant
tidal wave that will cover the earth , killing humanity. This idea is similar
to the Christian belief in the flood that was sent down centuries ago to destroy
all the evil in the world. Also, all the modern aspects of the movie (courtroom,
David's office..etc) are filmed in light. While, all of the Aborigines' scenes
are filmed in darkness or shadows. Giving me the impression of something
mysterious or not understood by the whites concerning the Aborigines. The fact
that all the modern scenes are filmed in light can also support the...