From: summer@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU (Mark Summerfield)
Subject: Re: Review: Romper Stomper
Organization: Computer Science, University of Melbourne, Australia
Distribution: aus
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 01:43:04 GMT

axolotl@socs.uts.edu.au (Iain Sinclair) writes:

>leroy@socs.uts.edu.au (Leroy) writes:
> >In short: extremely poor characterisation. Shit scriptwriting.
> >It's irrelevant to argue about whether Romper Stomper gives
> >a good or bad view of rascism: whatever the original intentions,
> >the final product is offers no insights whatsoever.
> 
>But surely it must!  After all, it's not about bushrangers, is it?

But there is quite a strong argument to say that it *could* have been.
If you take a strong leader, who has decided to be a bushranger for
shallow, pseudo-intellectual, ideological reasons, throw in a few
misfits with no place in society looking for some identity, and you've
got a gang which is in many ways a parallel to the skinheads in
Romper Stomper.

In my view, the main theme of the film -- the aspect in which it seemed
to have something to say about society -- was the examination of the way
in which the gang broke down; a result of the fact that it was only
bonded in the first place by the ideology and stength of Hando, and
the desire of the other members (disillusioned youth looking for a
sense of identity) to "belong" to something.  The problem is, of course,
that this is nothing new.  To my view it contained elements of _A Clockwork
Orange_, amongst others.

As for the idea that the film condemns violence and racism, it is certainly
not explicitly stated.  If you find such things distasteful, you will have
you view reinforced by _Romper Stomper_.  If, however, you happen to
identify with the skinheads, you will not be challenged to change your
view by the film -- only an awareness of the reaction of the majority
of the audience and society at large could do this.  If you are unconcerned
by, or sufficiently distanced from that view, it would be quite possible
to see sections of the film as a celebration of the lifestyle.

I would not go so far as David Stratton has done in condemning this aspect
of the film -- I think it highly unlikely that it will have an adverse
influence, and the disorganised rabble depicted is a long way from the
highly structured neo-nazi organisations which are causing so much concern
in Europe.  I also think that the ending (which Stratton has described as
coming across as some sort of racist jibe) is merely one of the two or
three occurrences in the film of a cheap attempt at simplistic symbolism
which just fails to come off.  I certainly won't be discouraging people
from seeing it, as I think there are enough fragments of ideas in it to
give most people I know something to think and talk about.

Mark.
          --------------------------------------------------------
              Mark Summerfield,  Photonics Research Laboratory
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Melbourne  
                ACSnet[AARN/Internet]: summer@ee.mu.oz[.au] 
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