Draft 2 PhD Introduction - ResearchSpace@Auckland

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pointed out, has the effect of jolting the viewer “in close and then out again”. 406 There
are a number of extended takes, particularly of tracking and panning shots, such as the
scene where Malfred speaks on the telephone. The strong visual contrasts in the film
center around civilization (represented by depictions of ‘civilized society’ and interiors)
and wilderness (represented by depictions of exteriors and the forces of nature).
Malfred is often shown as being caught between these two worlds, looking out of
windows or standing in doorways. Ward’s comments in an article in The Dominion
drew attention to certain deliberate strategies on the part of the filmmakers:
In the scenes at her new home, we tried to convey the constant presence of
natural forces – the sea and the wind, the darkness and isolation, where she
could not escape from either past or present. We tried to capture the sense of an
ever-present [natural] environment as in the novel, and to show that this
environment is quite foreign to the enclosed world Malfred has ordinarily been
used to. 407
A State of Siege focuses in detail on the contrast between civilization and wilderness.
The film’s opening scene evokes a genteel world of bone china teacups and cup-cakes,
representing middle class South Island society, in this case a group of women teachers.
Throughout this scene Malfred is represented as being somewhat passive, since she does
not say anything or respond to the queries or allegations that are directed towards her.
The first shot of her is in a MCU, sitting in front of a window. Her braided hair and still
face suggest an almost Madonna-like impassivity in the face of her friends’
astonishment at her unprecedented behaviour and her apparent rejection of their society.
This shot separates her from her friends, recalling Ward’s later comment that “I always
tend to look at things from the outside. I feel more comfortable making films about
people on the perimeters”. 408 What is most striking about this scene is that Malfred’s
character and background are constructed almost entirely by visual details - by her
posture, gestures, and costume and by the mise-en-scène. It is clearly Malfred with
whom the audience is encouraged to identify, despite her reticence.
The following scene, representing a journey into the wilderness, sets up a series of
contrasts. It begins with the sound of a horn tooting, which constitutes a sound bridge
406 McDonnell, "The Translation of New Zealand Fiction into Film," 136.
407 De la Roche, “Joint Work Turns Janet Frame Novel into Film”.
408 Dennis and Bieringa, eds., Film in Aotearoa New Zealand 89.