The Dry Exam S1 Essay Flashcards
Global
Society’s response to issues come as a result of their consumption of many different texts. They help to shape the world in which we live in by challenging our pre-existing ideas. The Dry (2020) directed by Robert Connolly is an excellent example of this sentiment.
Specific
The film follows federal agent Aaron Falk as he returns to his hometown to investigate the apparent murder of his childhood best friend during a harsh drought. Falk’s investigation uncovers a web of secrets and deceit among the tightly knit community of Kiewarra.
Thesis
The Dry shapes the audience’s response through ideas such as the complexity of deceit and the impact of climate change and addiction on rural communities which all use stylistic features like symbolism, camera shots and non-diegetic sound. The audience is positioned to respond with distress and fear due to the harsh and unforgiving nature of the world.
P1 Pt.1
Connolly uses features like camera shots and symbolism to convey the impact of climate change on rural communities and shapes the audience’s response to be shocked and concerned. Connolly starts his film with a wide establishing shot of a barren wasteland of dead crops and cracked earth. The dull and monochrome nature of these shots conveys the harsh reality of what climate change is doing to rural communities. The symbolism of the dead crops, in tandem with the establishing shot helps to convey a sense of death on a large scale, symbolising the death of rural communities due to droughts killing their crops, thereby killing them which shocks the audience.
P1 Pt.2
Later on in the film, Falk returns to the river he spent time at with his friends when he used to live in Kiewarra to find that it’s dried up. The extreme long shot, paired with a high angle helps to highlight the true scale of the drought. The symbolism of the dry and dead plants along the side of where the river was, represent the community of Kiewarra and the water, or absence of it, represents the lifeblood of the community. The river running dry symbolises that the residents of Kiewarra are struggling to make ends meet, due to the harsh conditions of the climate and the reliance on good weather to make a living which shapes the audience to respond with alarm and worry for residents of rural communities.
P1 Pt.3
Furthermore, in the climax of Connolly’s film, Falk tries to talk Whitlam out of dropping the lighter by saying, “this whole place is dry as a tinder. It’s just waiting to burn.” Falk’s dialogue is heard from outside of the frame, which is a close up of Whitlam’s face accompanied by a lighter in the foreground, which alludes to the fact that Whitlam is ignoring Falk’s pleas for reason. The background of the shot is also blurred, further suggesting Whitlam has his mind set on what he wants to do. The lighter in the foreground of the shot hold particular importance as it symbolises the metaphorical fires Whitlam had set throughout Kiewarra by killing the Hadlers, but also highlights the extremity of the situation such that every life in Kiewarra are held in one man’s fingertips. The use of symbolism and camera shots effectively influence the audience’s response to be shocked and concerned.
P2 Pt.1
Connolly’s expert use of composition and sound help to shape the audience’s response to be horrified and fearful of the impact of addiction in rural communities. He puts his own spin on this idea by never explicitly addressing this issue, but alluding to it. After Whitlam leaves the pub, McMurdough remarks that he doesn’t know whether to “kick him out or give him free drinks so he dumps more into the pokies.” The carnival like sound of the slot machines intensifies as the shot pans to two slot machines side by side with flashing neon lights in an otherwise dark and silent room. These features, accompanied with the door frame framing the slot machines, make them the salient objects in the frame. Connolly’s composition of the frame shows the importance of the machines, not only to the plot, but also to the attractiveness of them. The isolation of the community also suggests that there are limited options for entertainment, further rooting addiction in these types of communities especially and shaping the audience’s response to be disappointed and worried for rural communities.
P2 Pt.2
Further on in the film, Connolly produces a tense atmosphere when Falk approaches Raco with his epiphany. Falk explains his thinking to Raco by saying, “I’m pretty sure Scott Whitlam has a gambling addiction. Pokies… She made a query on this one… I think she probably confronted him about it.” The intimate nature of the over the shoulder shots paired with the close ups of Karen’s letter makes audiences feel as if they’re involved in the solving of the case and creates a sense of urgency due to the cutting back and forth quite quickly. The non-diegetic music, which increases in volume and tempo further allude to the lightbulb moment Falk and the audience soon have. These features effectively shape the audience’s response to be appalled and disgusted by Whitlam and what he’s done due to his addiction.
P3 Pt.1
Connolly’s use of body language and camera shots help to shape the audience’s response to be fearful and shocked by the complexity of deceit. During the climax of the film Whitlam explains to Falk that he moved to Kiewarra for his family and only wanted the best for them. He says, “This whole thing was for my family. I brought them up here to protect them… I had no choice.” The close up of Whitlam’s face is used to show the strained and heartbroken expression on his face which gives the audience insight in to why he did what he did and also highlights the intimate nature of the secret. Whitlam also pauses numerous times to stifle his tears, which are more fearful that remorseful, as he knows what he is going to do, further characterising Whitlam as a deceitful and selfish individual. This shapes the audience’s response to be angry with Whitlam but also pitiful as he “had no choice”.
P3 Pt.2
When Ellie’s body is found in the river with the note Falk wrote, Luke rushes to Falk and offers his help when he says, “There’s no way they’re going to believe you… if anyone asks, you waited for her, and she didn’t show up so you and me went shooting rabbits together.” The speed at which Luke speaks, paired with the suspenseful music conveys the serious and time sensitive nature of this secret. The dark setting of this scene and close up shots of both Luke and Aaron’s face show the unfortunate nature of the secret, of which Falk hangs on to for twenty years. This shapes the audience’s response to be shocked and hesitant about trusting people.
P3 Pt.3
When Falk takes Jamie to the doctors after he got into a fight at the bar, he tells the doctor, “We have Jamie driving past here on CCTV the day the Hadlers were murdered. He lied to us.” which the doctor replies with the truth that he and Jamie are sleeping together. Falk then says to Jamie, “Lying to an officer? Like I care who you sleep with mate.” The long shot of Falk standing facing towards a sitting Jamie conveys the idea of what Jamie thinks will happen if his secret gets out in town; people looking down on him. This is further suggested by the body language and gaze of Jamie, both of which are looking at the floor, helping to show that he feels ashamed. Connolly effectively shapes the audience’s response to be fearful and shocked by the complexity of deceit.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Connolly’s expert construction of The Dry through the use of features such as non-diegetic and diegetic sound, symbolism and camera shots effectively shape the audience’s response to be fearful and concerned about the ideas presented in the text which are the impact of climate change and addiction on rural communities and the complexity of deceit.
