Transgression
and Subjectivity
Ricardo
Favela
VSAR 422
Representation and Subjectivity of Colonized Peoples
Towards Anti-Colonial Film Production
Through the films, Attica (1980), Clearcut (1991), and Panther (1995), will
explore how the struggles of colonized people have become subject to
interpretation by the individual who is telling the story. In the film Attica, directed by Marvin
J. Chomsky, the Attica prison rebellion is subject to interpretation by a white
middle-class New York Times Journalist. The writer who represents the
objective, somewhat sympathetic white man, eventually condemns the prison
rebels for their own action of taking hostages. Thus he justifies the
massacre that ended the rebellion as a product of violence on both sides.
A white middle
class individual ultimately sums up this critical event in history, which
negates the summation of the colonized peoples themselves. The film Clearcut, directed by Polish
director Richard Bugajski is a fictional film about a white middle class lawyer
who is sympathetic to
the environmental struggle of the indigenous people. In the film, Arthur
(who represents the militant stance of the indigenous people) kidnaps the
lawyer and the CEO of the local lumber mill. Through their escapade,
Arthur attempts to justify self-defense and revolutionary violence as a means
of struggle. He does so by constantly tormenting the CEO. When the
lawyer eventually builds up the courage to defend himself against Arthur's
attacks, Arthur feels he has accomplished his mission and decides to commit
suicide. This film does a good job
of getting the viewer to understand militant struggle. Yet the struggle of
indigenous people serves as subjects to be interpreted according to the will of
the film producers. Panther, directed Mario Van Peebles, is a film based on the
experience of a black working class man called "Judge". He
represents the black person who is
very careful about what stance to take. Seeing the honest intentions of
Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, he becomes a loyal member of the Black Panther
Party. Thus, the Black Panther movement is subject to interpretation by a
black working class individual, which is a very unique type stance not seen in
Hollywood to often. The film has been criticized for idolizing Huey
Newton and the Panthers. Yet I believe this is exactly the type of film
that represents the change that is overdue in Hollywood and in film production
itself. This film represents an anti-colonial, black working class point
of view.
> > Sources
> > Films
> > Attica (1980, Marvin J. Chomsky)
> > Clearcut (1991, Richard Bugajski)
> > Panther (1995, Mario Van Peebles)
> > Books
> > Overturning the Culture of Violence, Penny Hess, Burning Spear
> > Publications, St. Petersburg, Florida, 2000
> > Film Reviews
> > 'Clearcut' by Hal Sinson, Washington Post Staff Writer August 14,
1992
> > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/clearcutrhinson_a0a79e.htm
(5/10/01)