That would probably work better if the movie wasn't specifically located in the Caribbean.
Okay, that is a good point - and an obvious one that I missed. Clearly forgetting the name of the film. :-)
I do think that giving this film more power than it deserves in regard to race relations is dangerous, though. I know films have the power to transform and to educate. I happen to think art in general and film in particular actually helped people to start identifying with people of colour in the middle of last century.
I guess the pirate films of the time were racist, though. I would have just hoped that the audience in this day and age would be given more credit. Can you imagine anyone who left "Dead Man's Chest" actually thinking any of it was accurate?
I do think it's a different thing when portraying people who were oppressors versus those who were/are oppressed.
I definitely agree with this in most cases. I tend to think that people would come out of this film thinking that the British were more accurately portrayed simply because they are more "realistic"... whereas the pirates clearly are more mystical and the cannibal characters can't be taken seriously. Again, I don't think people will take any of this as historically accurate - but it's even more unlikely they'll take the highly slapstic cannibal characters as true-to-life.
They clearly make an effort for the female lead to reflect our current ideas about women because she is not just a damsel in distress but a very active character (she even fights with swords!).
Not until very late in the film does she really subvert the cliche, though. Fighting with swords or dressing as a man is a very old trope in this kind of story. Not until she chains Jack to the Black Pearl does she truly become active.
I am having a hard time intellectualising this film because it's bloated and convoluted and there's only one character that is very well drawn, that of Jack Sparrow. I think I'd have more problems with the film if it were trying for realism.
no subject
Okay, that is a good point - and an obvious one that I missed. Clearly forgetting the name of the film. :-)
I do think that giving this film more power than it deserves in regard to race relations is dangerous, though. I know films have the power to transform and to educate. I happen to think art in general and film in particular actually helped people to start identifying with people of colour in the middle of last century.
I guess the pirate films of the time were racist, though. I would have just hoped that the audience in this day and age would be given more credit. Can you imagine anyone who left "Dead Man's Chest" actually thinking any of it was accurate?
I do think it's a different thing when portraying people who were oppressors versus those who were/are oppressed.
I definitely agree with this in most cases. I tend to think that people would come out of this film thinking that the British were more accurately portrayed simply because they are more "realistic"... whereas the pirates clearly are more mystical and the cannibal characters can't be taken seriously. Again, I don't think people will take any of this as historically accurate - but it's even more unlikely they'll take the highly slapstic cannibal characters as true-to-life.
They clearly make an effort for the female lead to reflect our current ideas about women because she is not just a damsel in distress but a very active character (she even fights with swords!).
Not until very late in the film does she really subvert the cliche, though. Fighting with swords or dressing as a man is a very old trope in this kind of story. Not until she chains Jack to the Black Pearl does she truly become active.
I am having a hard time intellectualising this film because it's bloated and convoluted and there's only one character that is very well drawn, that of Jack Sparrow. I think I'd have more problems with the film if it were trying for realism.