Reel Indians

Picture: The Italian poster for The Searchers (John Ford dir., 1956). The title literally translates to “wild paths.”

I wanted to respond to Dennis’ post about Hell Ride and add a few thoughts to the discussion of Native Americans and popular culture. I have not seen this film but from the way it’s being marketed and the attachment of Quentin Tarantino’s name it looks like an example of a style currently popular with many young directors. Very self-reflexive, heavily alluding to film history and generic conventions, Hell Ride seems to be drawing on the numerous Westerns, especially Westerns made in the 60s and 70s by filmmakers like Sam Peckinpah, Sergio Leone, and Walter Hill. The addition of well-known Western actors (Dennis Hopper and David Carradine), the use of revolvers and arrows, and substituting motorcycles for horses makes for a superficial Western parallel. But by associating the characters with Native Americans, specifically Comanches, one can argue a more interesting reading. Using Indian names and imagery is a method of efficient characterization. Within moments of viewing the characters and making the associations with Native Americans, the viewer can establish expectations and assessments based on previous depictions of American Indians in film.

This begs the question, how have Native Americans been portrayed in film? Since the silent era, Indians have frequently been depicted as either “noble savages” or “bloodthirsty savages” played by white people in make-up. They were subject to dated caricature; one only watch this controversial sequence from Disney’s Peter Pan (Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske dir., 1953) for a catalogue of racist Indian stereotypes.

“What Makes the Red Man Red?”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_at9dOElQk&feature=related

In the 1950s, there were some attempts at presenting a more complex version of Native Americans, although some argue that these attempts were complete failures. Take for example The Searchers (John Ford dir., 1956), a film relevant to our discussion of the Comanches and the taking of captives. Often cited as the greatest Western of all-time, this classic featured the quintessential Western actor, John Wayne, and director, John Ford. Based on a novel by Alan Le May and the 1836 abduction of Cynthia Ann Parker, the film chronicles an Ahab-like Civil War veteran’s vengeful search to find his niece who was captured by Comanche raiders. Ford maintained that The Searchers came about as an effort to examine issues of racism and genocide towards Native Americans. Compared to the violent, faceless representation of Indians in one of Ford’s earlier films, Stagecoach (1939), this effort is obvious. Despite Ford’s attempt at making the Indians seem like real people, the film contains undeniable stereotypes (across several cultures), an unsatisfactory handling of the theme of miscegenation, and a problematic ideology. Imperfect as this film is, I find it to be very interesting and dark, rightfully recognized for its significance and influence.

Sometime after The Searchers the Western evolved. Red Westerns, made by the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries, were from the point of view of the Indians as they struggled against villainous, capitalist whites. American revisionist Westerns challenged the genre, calling into question many of traditional elements including depictions of Native Americans. Even with this shift toward racial sensitivity some scholars criticize “Indian Sympathy Films” such as Dances with Wolves (Kevin Costner dir., 1990) and lament the lack of Native American voice in Hollywood. S. Elizabeth Bird wrote, “Indeed, popular culture does reflect White concerns, while trivializing and marginalizing those of Indians.” Two exceptions, Smoke Signals (Chris Eyre dir., 1998) and Pow Wow Highway (Jonathan Wacks dir., 1989), were made by Native Americans and offered unique perspectives.

The historical American West is hardly ever depicted accurately in film. The Western genre is a product of exaggeration and myth that has changed over time. The fantasy we see in film can sometimes be more interesting and have more to offer than reality. But it is crucial that a viewer educate himself/herself to be able watch critically and to distinguish fact from fiction. The racist depictions of Native Americans found in some films are unfortunate but important. They represent an opportunity to better understand the historical and social context from which they were produced. In one way or another film teaches us history.

I feel like I’ve painfully oversimplified this topic, so here are some much better texts:

Celluloid Indians - Jacquelyn Kilpatrick

http://books.google.com/books?id=C_fb9G-L4qYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Jacquelyn+Kilpatrick

Dressing in Feathers - S. Elizabeth Bird

http://books.google.com/books?id=eX8BKlFSYDUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Dressing+in+Feathers+-+S.+Elizabeth+Bird

Hollywood's Indian - Peter C. Rollins, John E. O'Connor

http://books.google.com/books?id=kd4QPhUnvAcC&pg=PP1&dq=Hollywood%27s+Indian+-+Peter+C.+Rollins,+John+E.+O%27Connor

The Searchers: Essays and Reflections on John Ford's Classic Western - Arthur M. Eckstein, Peter Lehman

http://books.google.com/books?id=BcQiOl0z2McC&pg=PP1&dq=The+Searchers+-+Arthur+M.+Eckstein,+Peter+Lehman