UnAustralians: Australian characters in non-Australian films

Abstract

This chapter explores depictions of Australians in films made, for the most part, outside Australia, by non-Australians. These characters have rarely been considered in the conversation around cinema in this country. Examples can be found from cinema’s early days, and in contemporary films. For the most part, they draw on conservative and anachronistic stereotypes that do not represent or reflect the cultural, ethnic and racial diversity of contemporary Australia, but this has also been true of many ‘properly’ Australian films. This chapter places these representations in historical context before outlining a typology of Australian characters in non-Australian films; finally, it explores two aspects in more detail: the prominence of a particular Australian accent, and the recurring figure of the Australian as impostor.