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Rob Sitch's Film 'The Castle'

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Rob Sitch’s satirical film, “The Castle,” offers a strong exploration of the assumptions of the Australian culture and language. Portrayed through the lens of the Kerrigan family’s modest home, affectionately known as “The Castle,” the film delves into the complexities of belonging, resilience, and the Aussie spirit. The film challenges ideas about cultural identity through language and cinematography. Through the use of cultural symbols, “The Castle” challenges the idea that cultural identities are fixed within an individual. The Kerrigan family's house transcends that mere of a mere place of dwelling; it symbolises their profound sense of belonging and unwavering familial love. Darryl’s iconic phrase, “Tell ‘em they’re dreamin’,” is a motif …show more content…

The Kerrigans' unwavering defence of their home reinforces the intrinsic importance of cultural identity. Simultaneously, the legal system, represented by the High Court, challenges their assumptions about justice and fairness. The film unveils how identity intersects with class, place, and familial ties. When Darryl gazes up at the towering court building, we witness the overwhelming power that governments and corporations wield over the individual. Yet, the unity of Darryl, Dennis, and Lawrence highlights the resilience of the common person in the face of authority. This embodiment of the Aussie Battler spirit underscores the film’s profound exploration of identity. The cinematography further underscores these themes. Wide shots capture the grandeur of the court building, emphasising its imposing authority. In early establishing shots of the home, Sitch frequently incorporates shots of the aeroplane flying overhead. This shows the overwhelming power that the company holds over the family. This is accompanied by the deafening noise of the aeroplane that drowns out the rest of the audio, further highlighting their power. Throughout this, Sitch displays the family unbothered, continuing with their lives, this is symbolic of the resilience that the family shows against the company. The use of lighting—harsh fluorescent bulbs in the courtroom versus warm, natural light at home—symbolises the clash between legal rigidity and familial warmth. These visual motifs deepen our understanding of identity

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Rob Sitch's 1997 film, The Castle, is a comedy that compels exploration of Australian identity. Through the Kerrigan family, a working-class family in the small Australian town of Coolaroo, facing eviction from their home, the film shows the character of the Aussie battler. Their fierce determination to hold onto their household, despite facing a powerful business, resonates with the Australian spirit of fighting for what's right, no matter the odds. The Castle exhibits Australian Identity in many forms, in particular by showing the Kerrigan's value of place and the Australian spirit of valuing places beyond their physical aspects. Sitch demonstrates the concept of the Australian spirit by depicting the protagonist, Darryl Kerrigan, as a

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The ironic part of Sitch's film The Castle confirmed the audience's ideas about the class divide between the working and upper classes, a patriarchal household, and ‘Australian Battler’ characteristics. Collective and individual assumptions have the ability to affirm and shape ourselves, our cultural beliefs and how we reflect on a person’s identity. The Castle is a satirical comic directed by Australian satirist Rob Sitch in 1997 that revolves around the stereotypical working-class Australian family called the Kerrigans and their battle with a higher authority, the Barlow Group. The film primarily confirms our assumptions through the culture of an Australian community in the 90s by using film techniques to study different social groups such

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The family shows signs of being part of either a low or poor class based off the conditions of the household they are living in and the bareness of their apartment. For instance, the dining room is extremely small and the kitchen seems old and worn out. Correspondingly, the family members seem to lack personality due to to the simple clothing they are wearing. However, the bright colors found interior of the home create a contrast between the dreary environment of the household. This helps convey the message that although the family may not be as economically stable and live a dull life, they still happily interact among one another and come together every evening to have a meal together.

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The acceptance of such diversity is vital for the foundation to build a sense of community, and foster mutual respect and corporation among people of different backgrounds. The film, ‘The castle’ explores this idea of cultural identity and the sense of belonging that comes with it through the acceptance physical place where the characters live. The contextual 1990s inhabited the emergence of diversity and inclusive landscape in Australia. At the beginning of the film, the airport authorities within the council visit the family home for a land valuation. The character, John Clifton, knocks on the door while a voiceover of Dale explains “Dad calls it his castle, but one day in June a knock at the door was to change all that”.

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