In the town hall near the end of the film, when the Mayor says something like "they have forgotten the significance of these magic words", then starts chanting (and some of the audience join in with him), what is he saying? Is it a poem?
shareI dunno... I read a review that said it was some sort of chant and that's it. It could be an anthem but all I know is that it includes every Austrialian word I know.
I like cheese! It is cool!
I was watching this the other night and had a close listen. I'd say it is intentional rubbish. It's supposed to be one of these god-awful "war cries" that you're supposed to scream out while your school house/faction/ call it what you will is trying to thrash the other side at cricket/football/swimming or whatever. Yes, there are lots of Australian words, probably chosen for that very reason. Anyway, I had to have a quick in-grin. I never used to use the "war cry" when I was at school. Too embarassing. If you like next I watch it I'll transcribe it and post it for you. Might be an (un)intentional chuckle there for you.
Other than that, I think it's movie that sort of "sneaks up on you". Very disorienting. Althought you only get to see the driver of one of "The Cars" (Chris Haywood) it seems that they ("the Cars") are representing the youth of the town, trying to rebel against the elders. Yet when the "The Cars" snarl, the victims react as if confronted by an actual animal. So the question that haunts me, WHO or WHAT are the cars? Animal? Vegetable? Mineral? Spooky. Can I trust that VW Beetle that lives across the street? Why do its headlights seem to follow me when I walk down the street?
A great little movie.
Old School War Cry
Performed by John Meillon in Peter Weir's Australian film 'The Cars That Ate Paris' (1974)
Woomera, woomera, babaloo, boomerang
Crocodile, kookaburra, wombat, orangutang,
Wee-ho, Wey-ho, Thurramungamine,
Quantong, billabong, gunner bluey pine,
Platypus, emu, wallaby, roo,
Ibis, brolga, the white cockatoo,
Nurra burra, carrah, coolamon, bankoo,
Boggabri, narrabri, nevertie, yanchor,
Hoopla! Hoopla! Ha-Ha-Ha!
Yanchor High School Ya-Ya-Ya!'
How much flesh would a woodchipper chip, if a woodchipper could chip fleshshare
Hahaha...this was great.
These words encapsualte all that is good and traditional about Paris/Australia. The cars/youth are a threat to these traditional values.
F.