Contained in Canadian Films
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Masaryk University Faculty of Arts The Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Bc. Andrea Zajícová We the People of Canada, in Order to Form a More Perfect Union Make Canadian Films: The Representation of 'Canadianness' in Canadian Films Master´s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Dr. 2012 1 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. ……………………………………………. Bc. Andrea Zajícová 2 Acknowledgement I would like to thank my supervisor – doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Dr. – who generously gave his advice and made comments and suggestions to improve my writing and the direction of my thesis, and who also lent me several of the secondary sources. Furthermore, I would like to thank Mgr. Radoslava Pekarová for her constant encouragement and advice; Bc. Vladimír Zán for lending me some secondary sources as well; and all my Canadian friends, especially Kevan Vogler, and their acquaintances for providing me with myriads of personal experiences, observations and views regarding the issues my thesis is concerned with. 3 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ………………………………………………………7 1.1 Primary Sources………………………………………………………………..10 2. What is identity?............................................................................11 2.1 Distinction of identity – internal vs. external…………...................................12 2.2 Landscape identity…………………………....................................................14 2.3 Technologized identity……………………….................................................15 2.4 Conclusion……………………………………................................................16 3. What is Canadian identity?...........................................................17 3.1 Canadianness vs. other identities……………………………………………..21 3.1.1 Canadianness vs. Americanness…………………........................................21 3.1.2 Canadianness vs. Britishness………………….............................................23 3.1.3 Francophones and First Nations in Canada …..……...................................26 3.2 Technologized Canadianness…………………………………………………27 3.3 Canadian landscape identity…………….........................................................29 3.4 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………29 4. Canadian identity in Canadian films……...................................31 4.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………….31 4.1.2 Canadian film …...…………………………………………………………32 4.1.3 Themes in Canadian film…………………………………………………..33 4.1.4 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………37 4.2 The Analysis of a Selected Set of Films…………………………….38 4.2.1 The Ernie Game (1967) by Don Owen……………………………………38 4 4.2.1.1 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………….47 4.2.2 The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974) by Ted Kotcheff……………47 4.2.2.1 Conclusion………………………………………………………………..54 4.2.3 The Big Crimewave (1985) by John Paizs …………………………………56 4.2.3.1 Conclusion………………………………………………………………..65 4.2.4 Last Night (1998) by Don McKellar………………………………………..66 4.2.4.1 Conclusion………………………………………………………………...74 5. Conclusion ………………………………………………………..76 6. Annotated bibliography ….……………………………………...83 7. České resumé ………………………………….............................88 8. English Résumé ……………………………………………….....89 5 1. Introduction The aim of the thesis is to identify Canadian identity as depicted in Canadian feature films. One’s identity influences many spheres of human life: how they act in individual situations, what they do in a particular social location, and in accordance with this thesis what they produce – what films they make. The thesis aims to discern and demonstrate Canadianness in a selected set of films. It is divided into two parts – the first part being theoretical, which is to give the readership a general introduction to the topic, while the second part consists of the actual research and case studies of the particular films. According to my hypothesis, a closer analysis of the Canadian film can valuably contribute to the problem of identifying the notion of Canadianness, and provide further characteristics of what is generally typically understood under this term. My hypothesis is also supported by John Gray’s claim: "Canada is not something we experience in the town hall…it is something we watch on television, read about in newspapers and magazines, and hear on the radio", implying that the film is an adequate area to examine when studying the issue (38). Both selected topics - film and identity - might be considered recent inventions. "[I]dentity as such is a modern invention", thus they have been paid attention to extensively in recent years (Bauman qtd. in Jørgensen 623). Bauman certainly makes a point here which is worth contemplating. Never before has there been such a strong aspiration to define oneself, to distinguish oneself from the others, to determine an individual’s personal identity. People in the past used to stay in groups more than the present society, where, by contrast, individualism is encouraged. However, the contemporary attempts for distinction of identity might alienate people, rather than unite them. Especially with concepts such as social identity, which is supposed to hold people 6 of one society together, there is an alongside by-product which at the same time inevitably positions them against the other society. Another contemporary issue which is simultaneously connected both with film and identity, and thus deserves to be addressed as well, is technology. It is a relatively up-to-date invention which might cause people to drift apart even more than an individual’s identity determination efforts. On the other hand, it might also unite the people and blur any boundaries left between them, hence establishing one common general virtual identity shared by everybody. It is a relevant aspect for the thesis topic, since it frequently occurs in the Canadian film. Technology has had a profound impact on people’s thinking and acting. To what degree is, especially prominently, visible in the realm of film, as it tries to reflect the era’s contemporary ideas and thinking. The structure of the thesis is the following. In the introductory chapter I present the motives that led me to the choice of the topic, and the reasons why these motives should be considered relevant. I further preview the outline of the structure of the whole thesis. The materials to be explored are listed as well and their importance is clarified. The introduction is taken up with a brief background to the work in general. In the second chapter the concept of identity is explained – what it comprises and how to comprehend it when it is connected with a person and with a whole country, since the notion is applicable to both, however, does not express an identical meaning. The chapter provides the readership with a few existing definitions of the notion, and determines two different points of view on identity – one shaped from the inside of the identity holder and the other from his/her outside. Although, to adhere to the thesis’ content, the outside identity, becomes a focal point of further discussions, and is analysed more thoroughly. The contemporary notion of technologized identity is also touched upon. 7 Chapter Three focuses on the specific notion of Canadian identity. It analyses it and determines the influences that have helped to shape it throughout the years. There have been two main: one is the culturally dominant neighbour – the US and the other is the past colonizer - the UK. Those two have definitely had an enormous impact on the formation of Canadian identity, Canadians’ sense of belonging and the country’s self- confidence. The chapter is concerned with some of the other factors that have contributed to the shaping of the country in similar manner. To preview some of them, it has been, for instance, the multicultural policy of Canada, its harsh landscape and climate, and especially recently the technological progress. The general concepts introduced in chapter Two are applied specifically to Canadian surroundings and discussed here. The chapters in the second part of the thesis consist chiefly of case studies, which are each devoted to one of the selected films, respectively. The introduction provides basic information about the film industry in Canada and general characteristics of the Canadian film. The subsequent analyses focus on the features related to Canadian identity mentioned in the preceding chapters and depictions of them in the films. The chapter demonstrates how Canadian identity is actually dealt with as such, how the directors interpret it, and how the audience might comprehend the interpretations. I conclude the work with brief revising of the chief points of the thesis, and summarizing the findings that have been presented to support my hypothesis, stated in the introduction, regarding the importance and close connection between the Canadian film and 'Canadianness'. 8 1.1 Primary Sources As regards to the analytical part, for the purposes of the thesis a set of Canadian films has been carefully selected. Those films were all made by Canadians and set in Canada thus assuring the film provides us with a sufficient amount of material coming from essentially Canadian surroundings. The explored films are successively: The Earnie Game (1967) by Don Owen, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974) by Ted Kotcheff, The Big Crime Wave (1985) by John Paizs, Last Night (1998) by Don McKellar The films are analysed one by one, identifying the 'reel' Canadianness in them. The analyses are concerned