submarine

1. National Identity in submarine

2. Opening scene
• The opening line from Oliver in the film: “My dear Americans. The film you are about to see is a
biopic of my life. The events take place, not so long ago, in a proud land called Wales.
Wales is next to England, a country you pretend to treat as equal. My homeland has
produced Catherine Zeta-Jones and Tom Jones and some other people. You have not yet
invaded my country and for this I thank you”
• Oliver in this opening line suggests how Wales is a distant land that no one really bothers with – when he
says thank you for no invading them.
• He says Wales has produced ‘other people’ suggesting that Tom Jones is the only really welsh person
people can refer to when talking about Wales.
• Oliver stereotypes Wales and sets the tone for the entire film that American culture is yet to invade Wales
• The fact that he addresses America and not people in general could suggest the Americanisation of
Welsh culture and so Oliver, as a person, wants this American life-style and film made about him

3. Americanism and intertextuality
• Throughout the film Oliver references his life to that of a movie and his
character appears as though he wants his life to be a film as he is not
content with his Welsh life e.g. his resurrection which is very Hollywood
(the fact that the entire of Wales is mourning)
• Small films within the film e.g. ‘2 Weeks of Love Making’
• The entire film Oliver wants his life to be an American movie such as
when he says ‘I wish my life would just fade to the black screen and
move onto another scene’ (not a direct quotation
• The idea that he wants his life to be a film is contrasted by the setting of
the film (dark and raining)

4. Representation of wales
• Because Oliver dreams of his life being a big film one day it shows how
Wales is represented as uninteresting and perhaps boring to his
generation. This is supported in the opening line which suggests that
nothing much happens in Wales