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The Murderous State: The Naturalisation of Violence and Exclusion in the Films of Neoliberal Australia

1970; UTS ePRESS; Volume: 15; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.5130/csr.v15i1.2051

1837-8692

Jon Stratton,

Law in Society and Culture

In common with many other Western countries, neoliberalism has become the dominant political philosophy in Australia since the 1980s. With the election of the John Howard-led Coalition in 1996 this impact has been reinforced. This article explores the neoliberal values appearing in Australian cultural productions through a number of popular Australian films from 2005 and 2006: The Proposition, Kenny, Jindabyne and Suburban Mayhem. The article discusses the nature of the proposition in The Proposition, the serial killers in Wolf Creek and Jindabyne, who remain at large, and the murder in Suburban Mayhem for which the wrong person is convicted and the real perpetrators are able to enjoy the fruits of their crime.