Return to formula: narrative closures in representations of Aboriginal identity in Australian cinema

This article discusses the impact of narrative closures on Aboriginal identity representations in the Australian film texts of Jedda, Walkabout and Rabbit-Proof Fence. It argues that filmic representations of Aboriginal identity have been framed within the historical, political and social mileu of the time they were produced, which contributes to the placement of narrative closures in film texts that reinforce the status quo and a return to predictable equilibrium. It concludes with a discussion on the changes that may or may not occur in the representation of the reality of the lives of the Aboriginal 'Other'.