Ricardo

Pillar 4: Shared Values

Media description: Lack of information causes an incorrect and harsh personal judgment in these Broken Hill (Audience Alliance Pictures 2009) scenes.

MEDIA CONTEXT
Sometimes we make judgments about people without being aware of the full story. In the Audience Alliance Pictures movie Broken Hill (2009) Kat Rogers (Alexa Vega) clearly feels uncomfortable in Willyama Gaol, especially around Spanish inmate Ricardo (George Kapiniaris). It is not made clear in the movie why Ricardo was imprisoned, but in the novelisation of Broken Hill we read he was sentenced for manslaughter (the killing of a person without intent). Ricardo is often shown staring at Kat, and she assumes he is thinking about her in an inappropriate way. However, after finally confronting Ricardo, Kat feels remorse for her assumption when she discovers she reminds him of his daughter who has never seen him out of prison.

MEDIA CRITIQUE
Close up shots are used well to emphasise the (mostly) silent interactions between Broken Hill characters Kat and Ricardo. Viewers can’t miss Ricardo’s overt stares and Kat’s obvious distrust and growing discomfort, leading them to wonder what will unfold between the two. Is the allowance of two minors, particularly a female, into a male prison a realistic scenario? If so, should the director have placed more guards or shown the inmates in handcuffs to demonstrate heightened security?

ANALYSIS & REVIEW

1. If Kat had first met Ricardo outside of jail, do you think she would have reacted differently to him? Why?
2. Describe some of the consequences of Ricardo’s choices, legal or otherwise.
3. Ricardo evidently feels remorse and is not a trouble-maker. How could this affect his prison term?

THE AUSTRALIAN CONSTITUTION & AUSTRALIA TODAY
The Australian Constitution provides that the legal system extends the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise, to everyone. All are equal and bear an equal right for the judicial system to obtain all the facts via sound defence when passing judgment. By extension, the same rule should apply in our personal dealings with others; seek understanding first and make informed judgments.

PERSONAL APPLICATION
Have you ever made an assumption about another person? Perhaps you don’t like the way they dress, act, or speak. There is always an explanation for why people are the way they are. Learn more about this person, particularly their background. Observe how your attitude towards them changes.

AUSCIVICS FILM & TV SERIES LINKED TO SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Learning areas and/or outcomes relating to the questions and issues above have been identified for each state and territory in the following links:*