Oratory

MICHAEL JOSEPH SAVAGE 1936Movietone News AO146 (extract) LYNDON B. JOHNSON 1966Pictorial Parade 184: New Zealand's Day with LBJ (extract) ROBERT MULDOON 1974A Bit Mr Churchill's Way (extracts) ERUERA STIRLING 1974Tangata Whenua: The Great Trees (extract) WHINA COOPER 1975 Te Matakite o Aotearoa: The Maori land March (extract) DAVID LANGE 1985David Lange at the Oxford Union Debate (extract) WINSTON PETERS 19961996 Party Political Broadcast ELIZABETH II 1999 Her Majesty the Queen’s Christmas Message 1999 SYLVIA CARTWRIGHT 2004 The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior (extract) HELEN CLARK 2005A Celebration of the Life of the Right Honourable David Lange (extract) MICHAEL JOSEPH SAVAGE 1936
Movietone News AO146 (extract)
Fox Movietone 1936. Duration 1:04
Michael Joseph Savage (Prime Minister 1935-1940) was unusual in
political terms. Opponents and supporters agreed on his mild and polite
manner, with none of the grandstanding antics of so many politicians
before and after. Check the elegant wording and syntax in this Australian
newsreel piece and compare with one of Savage's more famous
pronouncements - the declaration of war on Germany in 1939 (both
transcripts contained in the online unit).
PETER FRASER 1941
Heroes of Crete
National Film Unit 1941. Duration 1:33
It’s early 1941. One third of the men of the New Zealand Division have
been killed, wounded, captured or listed as missing in the horrific
campaigns in Greece and Crete. The New Zealand public would have seen
these pictures, and their rather distressed Prime Minister delivering this
commentary, at picture theatres around New Zealand. He knew how to
deliver.
LYNDON B. JOHNSON 1966
Pictorial Parade 184: New Zealand's Day with LBJ (extract)
National Film Unit 1966. Duration 1:52
Lyndon Johnson on his whirlwind tour to drum up more troops for
Vietnam, attends a State luncheon at Parliament. Schools were closed for
the day, a large staged crowd camped outside Parliament, including a
strong protest contingent. The speech is pure presidential delivery.
ROBERT MULDOON 1974
A Bit Mr Churchill's Way (extracts)
Pacific Films 1974. Duration 6:52
A promotional film about Robert Muldoon, made in the year leading up to
the 1975 election. Muldoon is seen addressing a public meeting, where
the crowd give him an enthusiastic reception. Issues discussed include:
Muldoon’s leadership style, humour in politics, the superannuation
scheme and the Labour Government. The set-up of this piece is
interesting. Not many political promotional films include negative voices
on its subject. However, it's noticeable that the people used to picture the
negative response are generally long-haired, young, and feeding the
whole argument that this good old boy is a straight talking tough guy,,
who will confidently lead us into the future. If one definition of oratory is
the embellishment of particular view, then it's important to understand
how modern spin doctors organise the packaging of words and images.
ERUERA STIRLING 1974
Tangata Whenua: The Great Trees (extract)
Pacific Films 1974. Duration 1:19
Footage of Eruera Stirling welcoming visitors onto Mangahanea Marae,
Ruatoria, at the annual conference of Maori [University] graduates. The
nature of Maori protocol demands ability in oratory. The format of Marae
procedure is embedded in tradition (whakatoki, karakia, take.) and
speaking rights are never taken lightly. Notice the translation of this
particular whaikorero.
WHINA COOPER 1975
Te Matakite o Aotearoa: The Maori land March (extract)
Seehear Ltd. 1975. Duration 5:00
Whina Cooper whips up a storm during the Land March of 1975, using
pause and humour to maximum effect.
TAMA POATA 1981
Patu! (extract)
Awatea Films / Merita Mita 1983. Duration 2:11
Tama Poata shows that the oratorical tradition has street credibility. The
talking stick gives way for the loudspeaker, the choice of words hint of
the speaker's semantic roots.
DAVID LANGE 1985
David Lange at the Oxford Union Debate (extract)
BBC 1985. Duration 4:54
One of New Zealand's best political tongues in action. In this case there's
a mixture of prepared debate and off-the-cuff responses to interjections.
The Oxford Debate is an annual event, Lange being the first Prime
Minister (or international leader) to be invited to speak. The topic was
one which had captured the headlines around the world - New Zealand's
declaration of Nuclear Free status, and subsequent refusal to allow US
nuclear armed or powered vessels into our ports.
WINSTON PETERS 1996
1996 Party Political Broadcast
[1996] Duration 1:43
Winston Peters on behalf of NZ First uses all his personal gravity and
charisma, not to mention an immaculate suit, to drum up votes. He
copies the old Muldoon trick of eye-straight-at-the-camera.
ELIZABETH II 1999
Her Majesty the Queen’s Christmas Message 1999
BBC 1999. Duration 10:11
The Queen’s messages to England and her Commonwealth have been a
Christmas institution since 1953. The style has loosened over the years
without of course going too far. There are the occasional contractions
like can’ or haven’t slipping in, and a preparedness to dish up some
different contexts each year but plenty of elegant phrasing and tried and rue homilies remain. A true professional.
SYLVIA CARTWRIGHT 2004
The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior (extract)
TVNZ 2004. Duration 6:52
The Governor-General’s speech at the site of the Tomb of the Unknown
Warrior. Notice that every vowel and phrase conveys a sense of authority
and history.
HELEN CLARK 2005
A Celebration of the Life of the Right Honourable David Lange
(extract)
TVNZ 2005. Duration 4:32
Helen Clark’s understated speech covers the bases with clarity. While it
cannot compare to the speeches of David Lange, she delivers it with a
style that is ultimately effective.

Source: http://www.filmarchive.org.nz/resources/content/downloads/teachers_booklets/Oratory.pdf