Dreams Within a Dream

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"What we see, and what we seem, are but a dream, a dream within a dream." Michael Bliss emphasizes the significance of this voice-over from Picnic at Hanging Rock in his exploration of Peter Weir's films. He portrays Weir as an artist whose values lie in the dream and the unconscious, employing surrealistic techniques that prioritize an unresolved representation of reality over the material realm. Bliss argues that, akin to Plato, Weir views empirical reality as merely a shadow of true existence. Bliss also examines Weir's heritage, noting that Australian cinema often features melodramatic narratives that starkly contrast good and evil. Weir's films, such as Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave, illustrate the tensions between light and darkness, reason and mystery, and rationality and magic. This melodramatic approach is also evident in Witness, Dead Poets Society, and The Truman Show. Additionally, Bliss discusses Weir's portrayal of "mateship," redefining it by linking self-knowledge to actions involving friends. The Australian landscape in Weir's work serves as both a hazard and a challenge, reflecting a shift in perception influenced by American mythology. The films also reveal a spirit of rebellion and ambivalence toward British culture. To analyze Weir's films, Bliss draws on Freud, Jung, Northrop Frye, and Joseph Campbell, highlighting that Weir's characters often embark on archetypal journeys toward psychologi