Review of Noise (2007) by Donovan D — 26 Mar 2008

I wish to thank 'Noise' for showing that conventional cinema does not necessarily have to offer easy answers or pat resolutions. Its elliptical narrative style leaves the viewer in a state of tension, which the ending does nothing to resolve. The film, in the fine Aussie tradition, is about the 'heart of darkness' within its suburbia. If you think Australia is about koala bears and kangaroos, you should watch this movie. The film takes aim at numerous problems at the heart of Australian society - if America's are religion and oil, then Australia's are violence and racism. "We" have a history of violence.

The sound design is a high point in the film, but enough has probably been said about it. The theme of the officer's tinnitus is an interesting wrinkle to an otherwise well-worn genre. I also liked how Constable McGahan is far from heroic; he's a typical Aussie larrikin who swears, smokes weed, prances and generally does everything we'd expect the average Australian bloke/cop to do.

What we have is the cop film banalised. Ultimately, the film has the same messiness and uncertainty that we could expect from a real life murder investigation. If you don't get the ending, then clearly your attention to foreshadowing and symbolism is in need of work. I admit that the film did not leave me with a wholly clear grasp of what its theme or point was but what kind of narrative is real life anyway? It's far from perfect, and doesn't fully cohere artistically, but Noise still deserves applause for where it succeeds.