Depiction of Cultural Differences in Hollywood: Some Thoughts and Observations

chillibreeze writer — Jitaditya Narzary

Samuel P. Huntington, in his magnum opus “Clash of Civilizations” observed that most of the international conflicts of the present times are due to cultural rather than political and ideological differences. The events over the succeeding years have proven the statement to be more or less accurate.

There is hardly any need to explain the present political scenario to anyone, as even toddlers swear by Laden and Saddam nowadays. But the interesting aspect is the attitude of the media, especially that of the film media in the West.

The “popular culture” as it is generally called, has often showed cross-cultural intolerance in the recent past consciously, unconsciously or most probably, subconsciously. They have reinforced already existing stereotypes with cutting edge visual effects and shrewd marketing.

The two most glaring examples that come to my mind at the moment are ironically the two most entertaining movies of recent times— Apocalypto and 300!

To be honest, I liked Apocalypto so much that I watched it twice in the multiplex, shelling out hard earned money. The breathtaking manhunt through the deceptive Yucatan rain forests and the simultaneous bonanza of gut-wrenching ultraviolence made it a perfect sadistic fiesta. But still, throughout the film, one question kept creeping up. Was it really so? Can someone be really so sadistic and insensitive, that too towards their own people?

It is known that some references to human sacrifice in the Mesoamerican cultures have been uncovered, but it definitely takes a superlatively creative being like Mel Gibson to imagine such a mass beheading orgy. Also, as the experts have pointed out, such practices, even if they existed, were more characteristic to the Aztecs rather than Mayans.

We all know Gibson’s attention to details and love for perfection. He made the entire film in Yucatec Mayan for the sake of authenticity. So, how did he miss this basic fact? Is it not a result of generalizing all of them together and looking from a stereotypical white man’s point of view? The film ends with the arrival of European ships and the conquistadors making their entry as angels of peace. This is definitely a strong symbolic depiction of White man’s superiority. The fact is that all those Cortezes and Pizzaros were mere fortune-seeking bandits and marauders, who brought about the end of those thriving civilizations.

Coming to 300, it was probably the most eagerly awaited film of my life. Those were probably the most power-packed trailers ever. But after the show, though I enjoyed it, the question struck again. Why should all the Greeks have six pack abs and all the Persians have pot bellies and deformed faces? What was the need to make Xerexes a gender-confused entity? And I had never seen anyone riding a rhinoceros before!

Aggressors are in general seen as villains, but then did not Alexander do the same thing after a century or so? It also reminded me of Oliver Stone’s “Alexander” where the great Macedonian’s Indian counterpart, whose story has been an integral part of Indian folklore, was relegated to a strange and savage looking fellow without any dialogue—almost as though the only good thing Indians ever knew was to tame elephants!

Actually, everyone has some kind of preconceived notion about other cultures. In India also, it is no less prevalent. Even among Indians, people from different states do have certain outdated notions about the others. The same holds good for the Americans and the British.

However, the media and the entertainment industry have to be more careful in this regard, considering their sheer power to influence people and their ability to bring about social changes. It has to be harnessed in a positive direction, or at the very least, be prevented from taking a negative turn.

It is easy to point fingers at others but very few have the courage to analyze themselves. In that sense that song of Denis Leary, which is a cult smash-hit across all college campuses, and whose title I dare not utter lest I risk censorship, is an example worth mentioning. He has very bravely taken on his own society and mercilessly massacred the American stereotype. In today’s world, the need is for such people who can see through themselves rather than superficially looking at others.

As the war in Afghanistan and Iraq are not showing any signs of abating, people are slowly realizing that superior technology and political clout alone cannot win you the war. Jingoism is a very powerful weapon that can keep people going even without food or ammunition.

Hopefully, the media too will take a clue from this and help heal the past wounds rather than inflict new ones, and make better attempts at bridging the cultural divide rather than broadening it.

 

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Jitaditya Narzary write for Chillibreeze