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Clip description
John (George Basha) notices a pretty white girl (Claire Bowen) being robbed by two youths – one of them apparently Asian Australian – and intervenes on her behalf. They exchange names – she tells him her name is Sydney – and he asks for her phone number. She gives it to him as part of a guessing game, though she looks worried, as if wondering whether she has done the right thing.
Curator’s notes
This scene sets up the start of one of the film’s key relationships – between John and Sydney. One is a Lebanese Australian ex-con, the other a blonde Caucasian.
The scene also seems to establish John’s heroic qualities, showing that he’s tough, fearless, independent, and decisive, the kind of man who stands up for what he believes is right. It also shows him supporting the rule of law and demonstrates that he has no prejudice against white Australians. Or is he simply acting out of self-interest because he finds Sydney attractive? The first part of the scene makes it clear that she has caught his eye before the attempted robbery.
The film uses the mythic archetypes of Cain and Abel (rival brothers, one good, one bad) and, as we see here, Romeo and Juliet (lovers from opposite sides of the metaphorical tracks). In terms of gender politics, the scene reflects a traditional archetype: Sydney is the damsel in distress, and John is the knight in armour who rides in to rescue her.
Note also the symbolism of the bridge (representing a link between two individuals and two ethnic groups). In a later scene John will wait alone for Sydney on a bridge.
