This daring film looks at the very controversial and factual subject of racism in Australia in the backdrop of the Cronulla riots. It is a scarily, realistic view of the conflicts between Lebanese Australians and those of Anglo-Saxon decent as well as an excellent portrayal of kids growing up in multi-cultural Australia. It is vital that the film be realistic so as not to become racist in itself, I did not feel that writer, George Basha was biased to one particular culture, the film was essentially to awaken our minds to the very real and relevant struggle between cultures in Australia.
The realism of ‘The Combination’ works with its true to life depiction of an aspect of Australian culture. It captures Lebanese culture brilliantly with the dancing, food and family. The film is shot in the backstreets of Sydney, which is where much of this type of violence actually takes place. The portrayal of the schoolyard is so accurate to Australian schools all over the country, such as the placement and segregation of different groups within the yard. Schoolyard conflicts generally break up at the sight of a teacher, which was evident in the film. The fact that this film took seven years to make has payed off, the research was obviously quite extensive.
David Field should be credited for making a film using relatively unknown actors, as they did not disappoint, it is evident that the cast and crew had a passion for the films content. This point of using unknown actors and authentic dialogue contributed to the realism of the plot. The audience can connect to the characters much more without the distraction of recognising the actor from another film. George Basha’s past of growing up in the suburbs of Giuldford, being arrested for theft and assault, just like his character, was the obvious inspiration for the film.
I do not believe the story would have carried so well without the awesome digital cinematography by Toby Oliver. Many of the scenes with high action were framed, such as the wire fence after the stabbing, the boxing ring when John is fighting, the library shelves where Charlie is obviously not welcome gathered from the dirty looks of the people around, and the soccer goals which frame Zeus, played by Ali Haidar, as he is gang bashed. It is ironic that Ali Haidar was arrested in actual life with assault charges just before the premier of ‘The Combination’. Scenes were shot with many interesting angles. One in particular that stood out to me was the high angled shot of Sydney and John just before she tells him she is pregnant. It is interesting to note how the two conflicting characters, Charlie and Scot, are shot in the same way. Both characters are shown from behind, shirtless and listening to music through white headphones. This is particularly important as it shows all races and enemies are similar without them knowing, and the fights between people are essentially arrogant.
Charlie follows in the footsteps of his brother who is trying to turn his life around after being released from jail. He has a new job and a girlfriend, however his brother forces John to risk everything to protect the family from harms way. Although John is the protector and comes across as the good guy, his violent background is evident in the fact that he yells at everyone he is close to such as Sydney and his Mother, the only way John knows to help Charlie is to threaten him with violence. John dominates every character in the film beside his boss who is evidently the one person he goes to for help when Charlie needs money to pay back drug dealer ‘Ibo’. John’s dark, dominating character is further backed with his predominantly dark wardrobe. His costumes contrast with Sydney’s light, feminine, floral blouses, which help depict her background.
Sydney’s household is depicted as an ordinary Anglo-Saxon family. It is a ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ situation, as the family seam happy and held together with a very clean, brightly lit and light coloured house however her mother and father are the symbols for racism against Lebanese people in the film. Sydney’s parents do not want her to be with John purely because he is Lebanese, her mother says “they have their fun with us but they marry their own kind” and “that’s not racist that is just the way it is”. This is an important scene in the film as it shows just how racist human beings are without realising it.
The scary reality in the film is how the two characters who commit the murders, Ali and Ibo, show no remorse. Ali smiles in the taxi just after shooting Scot and Ibo attends Charlie’s funeral. No matter how much the audience want everything to be ‘ok’ and for Ibo to leave the family alone, it is not reality, in a sense I am glad Basha had Charlie murdered as it heightens the seriousness of the racist wars that exist right here in Australia.
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