Americans and Cinema Essay Example for Free

Americans and plastic film EssayDespite America as a country encompassing by different glossinesss and social background, the historical significance of the American Indians are still unfelt and given recognition in the modern times. (Martin) In the United States and in Canada, the term Indians has established a connotation of some hegemonic designation which implies a culture that is truly different from the perspective of the American Indians. In modern times, primordial Americans are depicted as a culture with savage and barbaric background, implying an image of the natural Americans as dangerous and unacceptable to carriage of European decent. (Drinnon) American Indians today are struggling to correct the misconception about their culture, they seek to achieve a balanced and truthful portrayal of the great deal who were first to call America as their home. In the media, the Indians were pictured as mostly villains with unacceptable behavior. The availability of the c asting roles for natural Americans has been prioritized for the Westerns and has this stereotyped image that is always shown in films and movies. In the movies, there are four distinct tribes of native Americans used to be portrayed, the Apache, Cheyenne, Comanche and Sioux.During the 1950s and finished the 1960s however, there were more sympathetic native characters that even American Indians prepare to act by themselves. Jeff Chandler is one who won the Academy Award for his portrayal of an Apache leader in the movie Broken Arrow. (Singer) During the 1970s when the Vietnam War erupted, the country was greatly divided by social opinions by the war and this has seen the opportunity for the movie industry to highlight a more culturally inclined film.Little Big Man produced in 1970 featured Dan George as a intrinsic American chief as a main character. (Singer) However, it was Dustin Hoffman who accepted the most attention for his role as the lead protagonist. The movie became a breakthrough film as it features a Native American as a lead character. During the 1960s on the other hand, when the U. S has some upheavals form antiwar protests and civil rights issues, the Native Americans saw this as an opportunity to raise awareness of the people regarding destructive colonial policies that in their own culture brought harm.A group called the American Indian front (AIM) led the protests in front of theaters which depicted the Native Americans wrongly. Commercialized films mentioned are A Man Called sawhorse and Soldier Blue (both in1970) and Billy Jack in 1971. (Bataille) Another breakthrough portrayal of Native Americans came forward in the release of Dances with Wolves in 1990. (Singer) The movie starred Kevin Costner and included many actors and props to make the position early western looking. There include buffalos, Indians and horses in the plains of South Dakota, the homeland of the Sioux.The film upheld original Native American custom, from the lan guage, features of the actors, behavior and others. Dances with Wolves has repeated the painful endurance of the Native Americans, as once again, the culture and tradition of the native settlers were resigned in defeat from the colonial powers. (Singer) Modern society today are confined with cunning what almost e rattlingbody knows about the Native Indians barbaric and unusual. There are many accounts of growing children that has suffered the misconception of cowboys chasing the Indians.(Freeman) There are many stereotypes for the American Indians from costumes, head dress, dances and chants. However, there lies the failure to receivedize that the message to children who has this misconception is an implicit disagreement to the real culture and background of the Native Americans. Most of what children today know about the American Indians is brought about by history books and other things they learn about in history that is why there are many stereotypes attached to the culture.Tw o predominant stereotypes of Native Americans is their physical appearance moccasin-wearing people with feathers on their head, and second low-powered cultures defeated by the white mans weapon. (Freeman) With regards to personal traits, Native Americans are viewed by non-natives as savage or wild, lazy, gets drunk quickly or drinks a lot, very soft spoken or quiet, and has no sense of humor. Other misconceptions also entails Native Americans having no money sense, makes little effort to get education, close to nature, adheres strictly to Indian time, and do handcrafts all the time.More over, in terms of how they view society, Native Americans are often misunderstood as a culture who wants their land back badly, always asks for handouts, exile themselves by avoiding the society, lack of unity and tribal factionalism and worship pagans as a consequence to being very close to nature. (nativeamericans) The Native Americans has endured a lot during the past years. As they continue to struggles against discrimination and the stereotypes attached to their name, it is very important for the modern society to also do the needed research and understanding of the real Native Americans.It is not enough that we rely on the portrayal of the Native Americans in movies or history books we must get to know them as a culture, as a community who has always struggled to maintain and stay on their own identity in a nation that has truly forgotten their significance.Works CitedBataille, Gretchen M. and Charles Silet. The Pretend Indians Images of Native Americans in the Movies. Ames Iowa State UP 1980. Berkhofers, Robert. The White Mans Indian Images of the American Indian from Columbus to the Present sensitive York Vintage, 1979.Drinnon, Richard. Facing West The Metaphysics of Indian-Hating and Empire Building. Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press, 1980. Freeman, Andrea. Representing Native Cultures Stereotypes and Inaccuracies in First Nations and American Indian Child rens Literature. Term Paper. Vancouver, BC Canada. Martin, Calvin, ed. The American Indian and the Problem of History. Oxford Oxford University Press, 1987. Native America Portrait of the People. (1994). nativeamericans. American Indians. (2007). January 25 http//www. nativeamericans. com/index. htm. Singer, Beverly R. Native Americans and Cinema Native Americans in Movies. (2007). January 24 http//www. filmreference. com/encyclopedia/Independent-Film-Road-Movies/Native-Americans-and-Cinema-NATIVE-AMERICANS-IN-MOVIES. html. Thomas, Jeffrey. American Indians Seek Greater Understanding, Recognition. USINFO. 18 October ed U. S Department of States Bureau of International Informational Programs, 2007.