red dog

Johns arrival in Dampier

John's arrival in Dampier

We are first introduced to John when he rides into Dampier, a small mining town in Port Hedland, WA. He is wearing full leathers and is riding a motorbike. He has come to Dampier to become the bus driver between the town and the Hamersley Iron Ore Mine.

How does John show that belonging matters?

How does John show that belonging matters?

Through his relationship with Red Dog and Nancy John changes from someone who has always needed to be on the move to someone who has a home and a place to stay. The film tells us that a sense of belonging comes not just from a place but from our connections to other people. We see how Red Dog, through his relationships with the townspeople, brings the community together, giving its people a sense of belonging. When John dies in the accident the film focuses on the effect that this has on Red Dog. Red Dog has lost his home and his connection with John and searches for him for years. He belongs with and is loyal to John and must find him. He wanders throughout the country on a mission to find John and only settles to die when he finds John’s grave. Only then can he rest. The film shows us the importance of belonging.

John's character

John's character

John is good looking and cool. He is American and is very different in appearance to the miners of the town. He is comfortably dressed and is confident with women, especially Nancy with whom he falls in love. He likes to tease Nancy and is a gentleman towards her, opening the car door for her. He looks like a 1950’s movie star and often flashes an open smile. John always looks optimistic and happy. He is friendly towards everyone but stands his ground with the miners in the pub when they talk about getting Red Dog to eat a live chicken. In this scene he defends Red Dog, and this cements their relationship. He describes himself as a wanderer and says he has never stayed in one place for more than two years. He says of himself that ‘moving is part of my romantic nature’. He forms a very close relationship with Red Dog and rushes to his side to hold him when he is shot. He is a man capable of deep feelings.

How John belongs in Dampier

How John belongs in Damiper

Initially John’s belonging in Dampier comes from his job as the bus driver in the town. He has had a history of constant moving before that. The film shows us the importance of belonging to a community and having strong connections with others. John grows from being a cool, handsome outsider to a person with a deep connection to Red Dog and to Nancy. His love for them makes him feel like a member of the community and we get the sense that he could settle here. He proposes to Nancy after two years and one day and makes a point of talking about how his relationship with Nancy has made him change and feel like it is safe to belong somewhere.

Red Dog's relationship with John

In a scene early in the film we see John riding into town. He passes Red Dog running along the road in the opposite direction. They exchange a look and we get the sense that they are both wanderers and that they connect because they are similar in some way. John resists Red Dog’s insistence on friendship for a while. Red Dog jumps up onto his bike and then waits for permission to get into his bus. Eventually John lets him into his life. Red Dog helps John to connect in an emotional way to the town and its people and helps him see that it is OK to settle into a place and to not keep running away. Red Dog becomes involved in John’s relationship with Nancy. At first Red Dog pushes Nancy off the seat in John’s bus and seems jealous of his relationship with her. He sits on the bonnet of John’s car at the drive-in and disrupts their night out. As the film progresses we see how close John becomes to Red Dog. He is seen as Red Dog’s true master.

Red Dog's relationship with John