A couple nights ago I watched the movie Reel Injun. In this movie, filmmaker Neil Diamond takes a look at the Hollywood Indian and explores how these Native Americans have been portrayed and stereotyped throughout the history of cinema. The movie explains how these inaccurate portrayals have influenced our misunderstanding of Native Americans by showing interviews with non-Native American and Native American film directors, actors, and activists. The movie also displays many clips from different films, both old and new, involving Native Americans. From silent films to present day films, we see that the depiction of the average Native American has shifted immensely and affected how our culture views these Natives Americans. In the 30’s and 40’s, Hollywood films portrayed Native Americans as peaceful, emphasizing the unity of family. However, the stereotype of Indians dramatically changed in the 50’s when Native Americans became viewed as ruthless savages. In addition, according to these films, all Native Americans were supreme horsemen who wore headdresses. Finally, in the 70’s, Indians were viewed as “cool” and thought of as hippies, and today Native Americans are portrayed in the media as poor and drunken. As statistics show, many Native Americans are in fact poor or suffer from alcoholism. But is it ethical for a filmmaker to portray them that way? Do filmmakers need to show a positive view or just the truth? My film group discussed these questions, and how the media highly influences our culture and shapes the way we view others. We often accept the reality with which we are presented without even questioning it. For example, a clip from Reel Injun shows a Native American camp for boys. During the camp, the boys get face painted, scream Indian war cries, and violently pound on the tables. Overall, from the noble savage to the drunken Indian, the movie Reel Injun shows us that the cinema highly affects how we stereotype groups of people. It is indeed a ““entertaining and informative documentary” as critic James Adams explains in his review. This movie made me realize how poorly Americans have portrayed Native Americans in films, and how we easily buy into everything we see on the media. Reel Injun has prompted me to think differently about Native Americans, and to not so easily give into the so-called “truths” the media constructs as reality.
"As statistics show, many Native Americans are in fact poor or suffer from alcoholism. But is it ethical for a filmmaker to portray them that way? Do filmmakers need to show a positive view or just the truth?" Good questions, Kendra. My initial response is that it's irresponsible to reinforce these stereotypes without asking WHY this is the case--what has happened throughout history to cause such widespread addiction and poverty in Native communities? And how is today's dominant culture complicit?
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