Australian
Screen

Teacher’s notes

developed for NFSA digital learning

Classroom Activities

1. Who is the Sentimental Bloke?
2. What is the story that is presented in the film?
3. What happened to the original film?
4. Where was the film finally found?
5. What had the Americans done to change it?
6. How were archivists able to reconstruct the original film?
7. The film offers a way of introducing early 20th century life. Watch the film and develop hypotheses about the nature of life at the time – such as housing, health, the economy, work and workers, the role of women, attitudes and values.
8. Research these elements, testing your hypotheses above, and in particular compare this view of urban life with rural areas (not looked at in the film).
9. Some people argue that it is very important to preserve historical artworks such as The Sentimental Bloke, while others have argued that these things are meant to just capture a moment and then be lost. What do you think?

Original footage

1. Looking at the original footage of The Sentimental Bloke, what can you say about the following production elements?
   • Camera angles
   • Lighting
   • Editing
   • Acting.
2. Why do you think coloured filters/tints have been applied to some scenes?

Further activities

1. The Sentimental Bloke captures or represents Australian identity in 1919. Can you think of a recent film or television program that does the same today?
2. How does that film or program represent Australia and/or Australian identity?
3. How does it show the cultural/political/social make-up of ordinary Australians?
4. What issues do they show as important to Australians?
5. What do you think it will reveal about Australian society to a viewer in 100 years time?
6. How effective is Warren Brown’s introduction to the documentary? How do documentaries 'set up’ audiences to capture their interest? Discuss the modern documentary codes and conventions the filmmakers employ. For example:
   • Warren’s to-camera introduction to the film
   • The use of clips from the film – on what criteria do they appear to have been chosen?
   • Warren’s narration over the clips
   • The use of fast motion in the NFSA segment
   • The interview with Ray Edmondson.

Creating

1. Create a two-minute video clip or montage of still images representing what a typical Australian means to you. Remember to avoid clichés and stereotypes. This is about a personal representation of Australians.
2. Create a short documentary video profiling your favourite film. You can research its production and history online and using film studies texts. If footage is available copyright free, include relevant scenes and shots.

Exploring slang

1. The Sentimental Bloke is written in the slang of the working class of the first 20 years of the 20th century. Look at the slang, translate it and present a short piece in modern English. Read both versions aloud. What is gained and what is lost in this ‘translation’?
2. Research the use of slang today for a particular group.
3. Discuss the use of SMS text language today. Is it influencing language?
4. What other influences are there on Australian language today? What are the main influences? Are they desirable? Should they be controlled? Can they be?

The book

1. The Sentimental Bloke was a popular book from its first publication. Is it likely still to appeal to its main audience today? Explain your reasons.
2. Do a Google search for images of The Sentimental Bloke to see a variety of ways of representing the people and the period. Compare to contemporary photographs. Why have different images for different media (film, play, ballet, etc)?
3. Look at an illustrated version of the book. What is the main purpose of the illustrations – to reflect the text, or to add additional information and ideas to the story? Describe the:
   • Style
   • Characterisation
   • Use of colour
   • Use of black-and-white in the Hal Gye illustrations.