Conflict allows us to reflect on which is important in our lives.
THE AGE
Paradise Road (1997)
Encountering conflict is an inevitable facet of human existence, which by definition is the opposition of intangible entities. From conflict individuals and societies may be challenged and furthered in terms of social and moral values and beliefs, as each comes to encounter the underlying and intangible elements of conflict and through this, humanity.
Based on the testimony of survivors, Bruce Beresford’s feature film Paradise Road highlights the potential of conflict to catalyse the revaluation of an individual’s moral compass, the way in which one lives and the values that are important to their existence to be realised. The film portrays
She grows spiteful and resentful and exacerbates the racial tensions amongst the group. Beresford shows us that the strain induced by conflict can be corrosive and detrimental to not only the individual but those around them. Being captive is represented by a state of mind as much as it is by barbed wire fences and guard towers, and that one must be open to the support of others to escape the dangers of isolation.
When encountering conflict, the individual nature of the response and learning is to be considered, and understanding this underlying personal nature of conflict is essential to the resolution of conflicts and maintenance of societies. Paradise Road does not just focus on the imprisoned victims of conflict but shows that everyone is capable of kindness. Despite the brutal nature and the physical ferocity of the camps, the Japanese are disarmed by music. The women’s aura of hope and resilience when performing their renditions, momentarily softens the heart if their vicious captors. Regardless of his cultural predisposition to despise “women, foreigners and prisoners”, Sergeant Tomiashi is so moved by the power of their music that he is humbled and sees the women as humans for the first time. His encounter with surprising beauty allows him to better understand to people he has been conditioned to detest.
Paradise Road painstakingly prevents from demonising the Japanese, instead showing the effects of conflict on the soldiers and guards, not