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Misunderstandings about racial discrimination in films
Toney 2021-12-08 08:01:40
When it comes to vilifying indigenous people, I always reflect to the searchers. I wonder if you have included this part in the scope of vilification. Although many westerns contain racial discrimination, I think it’s a misunderstanding that searchers have such content. Ford did not package the protagonist role of John Wayne as a positive white image, but rather objectively presented his personality characteristics and way of doing things. The typical American white image of that era held a kind of treatment of Indians. The general national attitude. Therefore, the slaughter of Indians by the whites represented by him is the best objective presentation of history, which is more real and thought-provoking than the treatment in Dancing with Wolves. It would be far-fetched to deliberately cover up the attitudes of whites in that particular era, or to impose some romantic stories between whites and Indians. If the protagonist is regarded as the incarnation of justice in the director's mind, then Wayne in the film will naturally become the executioner of Ford's racist thinking. This understanding is obviously biased. This is clearly mentioned in Ford’s memoirs. He has always been a defender of national equality. At least AFI members have always believed that, otherwise they would not openly support such a serious "racial discrimination" film.
Extended Reading
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Annabelle 2022-04-20 09:01:41
The heroes of the west are entangled in racism, and there is no heroism of good and evil in the past
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Dasia 2022-03-26 09:01:05
Before "racism" and "sexism" became "ism," American spirit was built with shameless male ego/narcissism and pretentious barbarism. Maybe it still is. Western is an outdated genre that should die, and die hard.
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Reverend Clayton: Well, the prodigal brother. When did you get back? Ain't seen you since the surrender. Come to think of it, I didn't see you at the surrender.
Ethan: I don't believe in surrenders. Nope, I've still got my saber, Reverend. Didn't beat it into no plowshare, neither.
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Ethan: Figure a man's only good for one oath at a time; I took mine to the Confederate States of America.