Reel Injun

I watched documentary film, Reel Injun, for my film viewing. The director, Neil Diamond, travels across the country telling the story of Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans on the big screen throughout the century. I agree with Avi Offer’s review, found at bhttp://www.nycmovieguru.com/june14th10.html#reelinjun.  He says that it effectively and engagingly tells the story of the Native Americans through Hollywood’s portrayal. I agree with him in that it gave me a new perspective on Native Americans. I knew that movies had portrayed Natives in a certain light, but wasn’t sure exactly how, and didn’t understand the history behind it before watching the film. It highlights stereotypes we’ve given Natives. These include the noble savage, which was created through films in the early 1900’s. As the century went on they were transformed in a derogatory way as worthless and very savage.  In this way the history highlighted the transformation of their view through Hollywood.

                This film is very revealing and prompts me to change the way I think. A major way is to be weary of stereotypes. The movie shows how people outside of a group can greatly influence the general view of that group that we take. We need to be more weary of the media, and test things that we take in. In the movie, the young native children played “cowboys and Indians” just like other children, and are influenced as much by the outside as we are. This shows just how much influence the media has. I think the documentary is also calling us to listen to the voices of the minority. When we listen to outsiders, we aren’t hearing the voices of the people within.  We need to be more attentive to hear the stories of people, to get an accurate picture of the lives.