Theorising the Dingo Howl: Jazz in Australian Film in the 1990s and Early 2000s

Abstract

In discussing the films Dingo (1991), The Boys (1998), Come in Spinner (1990), and The Tracker (2002), I examine the meeting of jazz music as a “sonic indicator of authenticity” with the critical notion of settler-colonial Australia as an unreconciled, uncanny, and inauthentic space. These films tell uniquely Australian stories and diegetically or non-diegetically feature improvised music practices that fall under the category of jazz as a broad “coverall” term. In these films, the music unsettles us and portray an uneasy relationship between their Australian subjects and the Australian landscape. They are also unique films in how their music and musicians were respected and prioritised, sometimes with significant implications for how scenes were filmed and composed. I argue that these films are significant in reflecting the cultural tensions at the time they emerged, many which can still be felt today. These films connect with contemporary developments in jazz practice in Australia and offer a template for future practice-based research and cultural collaborations.