Journey In The Film 'Beneath Clouds' By Ivan Sen

A journey can be described as a passage one may undergo in order to reach a destination. Journeys can be both physical and emotional. As well as this journeys can be a positive and negative experience. The notion of journey is apparent is “Beneath Clouds” by Ivan Sen, as well as in related texts “Stand By Me” by Rob Reiner and “Bushwalking” by Phillip Rush. The idea of Journey in these texts is portrayed through obstacles, various poetic and film techniques.
Beneath Clouds is a movie about a physical and emotional journey undertaken by Lena and Vaughn. Firstly, the idea of journey is developed from the start when the wide-open road ahead of Lena and Vaughn is displayed by a long camera shot. The tranquillity of the camera shot informs the audience of the physical journey ahead.
Various panning shots are used to show the path of the vehicles. However the use of clever obstacles notably affects the progression of the journey. Vaughn, being of Aboriginal decent, is constantly tackled with racism from white people. When in need of a lift, Vaughn finds himself continuously getting rejected by white drivers. This obstacle proves to be a negative factor in completing his journey. As Vaughn is a fugitive, he is under constant threat from police officers which, as transpired, hinders his journey. The deterrence of the conclusion of Vaughn’s journey is made apparent when police officers pull over Vaughn’s driver in search of an escaped fugitive. After a bloody brawl, Vaughn escapes and as a result Vaughn is left in a more difficult position on his journey as his situation is made apparent to police