Introduction - Media and Culture Course & Resources

Introduction

 What is Orientalism
 Orientalism in Bond films
 Orientalism in Disney Films
 American Indians in Films

 Portrayal of the other and the settlers

 Learning Outcome 4: To identify various
representations regarding ‘race’ in film.

 Assignment 2: Explore the notion of
Orientalism in relation to a genre of films.

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Orientalism

 What is the Orient
 Integral to European civilisation
 Associated with power
 How the Orient has been produced, thought

about, written about and represented.
 Difficult to think outside of discourses of

Orientalism -
 Said – how the Arab has been portrayed

 but also applicable to Africans, Indians, Chinese,
Russians, Native Americans and ‘the other’. I

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Orientalism in Bond Films

 Dr No (see trailer)
 Bond projects his gaze onto the

subjected other
 Bond films view Islam/Islamic people as

threatening and demonise the Arab
world
 Derogatory comments about ‘the other’
in different Bond films

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Orientalism in Disney Films

 Lady and the Tramp – cats resemble Asian
culture and are depicted as evil

 Mulan

 Traditions of Chinese people are swayed
towards western ways of life

 Chineseness is presented as exotic

 Aladdin

 Villains are portrayed stereotypically
 Associated with the ‘East’ and mysterious

 See clip of racism in Disney films

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American Indians in Film

 Massive output of westerns from
Hollywood

 Misrepresent American Indians
 Bhabha – compulsiveness of the lies may

reveal their falsity
 Intentions – ignorance or conscious design
 Enduring myth

 Hordes of bloodthirsty savages (see film clip)
 Bent on massacring the white peaceful settlers

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Summary

 Orientalism as discourse
 Orientalist ideas in film
 Hollywood and Orientalist discourse –

how these seep in unnoticed perhaps
 Applying these ideas of the ‘other’ to

American Indians in film, particularly
westerns along with other films.

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References

 Benshoff, H. and Griffin, S. (2004) America on
Film. Representing Race, Class, Gender, and
Sexuality at the Movies. Oxford, Blackwell.

 Bernstein, M. & Studlar, G. (1997) Visions of
the East. Orientalism in Film. London, I B
Tauris.

 Georgakas, D. (1972) They have not spoken:
American Indians in Film. Film Quarterly. Vol.
25(3), pp. 26-32.

 Said, E. (2002) Orientalism in (eds.)
Aschcroft, B., Griffiths, G. & Tiffin, H. The Post-
Colonial Studies Reader. London, Routledge

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