After an overview on the stereotyped view of American cinema on different cultures, the paper proceeds to explore how Hollywood represents Moroccans and how it perpetuates an orientalist imaginary in the case of the American Film "Babel".
Although on a manifest level this movie represents Moroccans without offending their culture, it approaches them on a latent level through a repertory of denigrating stereotypes belonging to a Eurocentric tradition. Accordingly, due to a racist undercurrent pervading its representation of Morocco, "Babel" fails in conveying a universal humanistic message claimed all along the plot of the film.
Table of Contents
Introduction
I-Hollywood and its others
II-Representing Moroccans in Hollywood
III- Moroccans represented in Babel
III.1 Film synopsis
III.2 Levels of representations in Babel
2.1 Manifest representations
2.2 Latent representations
Conclusion
Works cited
Objectives & Research Themes
The paper examines the historical and recurring tendency of Hollywood cinema to portray foreign cultures through an orientalist lens, with a specific focus on how the film Babel represents Moroccans. It explores the tension between the film's outward humanitarian message and its deeper, latent reliance on Eurocentric stereotypes.
- Analysis of Hollywood as a medium for American political and cultural propaganda.
- Evaluation of historical and contemporary stereotypes regarding Moroccans in Western media.
- Deconstruction of manifest vs. latent representations in the film Babel.
- Investigation of how language and cultural differences are used to perpetuate the "self vs. other" dichotomy.
Extract from the Book
2.2.1 Primitivism
The camera reeling Babel captures Moroccan mountains and their stern callous and hostile barren scenery to scan as many signs as possible of ascetic life details .The village of Tazarine is portrayed to convey a sense of dislocation from modern life and civil society .In such primitive surroundings, there is no least inkling of sanitary institution .The nearest hospital is eight hour’s drive. The only hope lies in the village veterinarian who does not prove efficient with the wounded American tourist. Combined with other symptoms of Euro-centric discourse, the harsh environment coheres to account in a sense for the assumed predispositions of nihilistic drives of which terrorism is an instance.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: The chapter establishes the role of American cinema not just as entertainment, but as a vehicle for shaping worldviews and perpetuating specific American self-images while marginalizing others.
I-Hollywood and its others: This section discusses the historical pattern of Hollywood using film as a tool for political agendas, citing examples like the portrayal of Native Americans, Germans, Russians, and the Vietnamese.
II-Representing Moroccans in Hollywood: The chapter explores the evolution of Moroccan representation in American cinema, moving from a timeless, desert-based exoticism to contemporary tropes of threat and barbarism.
III- Moroccans represented in Babel: This section provides a detailed analysis of the film Babel, contrasting its overt humanistic premise with its underlying reinforcement of orientalist stereotypes.
III.1 Film synopsis: Provides an objective overview of the plot, characters, and the narrative structure of the 2006 film Babel.
III.2 Levels of representations in Babel: Examines the duality of the film, looking at the contrast between what is presented on the surface versus the deeper, often harmful, connotative meanings.
2.1 Manifest representations: Analyzes the outward, positive, and humanistic aspects of the film that promote a sense of universal solidarity.
2.2 Latent representations: Explores the hidden layers of the film that rely on negative cultural stereotypes and pessimistic views of human conflict.
Conclusion: Summarizes the argument that Babel, despite its humanistic intentions, remains trapped within a legacy of denigrating the "other" and perpetuating orientalist imaginaries.
Works cited: A collection of secondary sources, literature, and filmography referenced throughout the analysis.
Keywords
Orientalism, Representation, Stereotypes, Manifest representations, Latent representations, Hollywood, Babel, Eurocentrism, Otherness, Cinema, Cultural propaganda, Morocco, Identity, Humanism, Film analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper fundamentally analyzes how Hollywood cinema constructs and perpetuates orientalist stereotypes, focusing specifically on the representation of Moroccans in the film Babel.
What are the central thematic areas?
The core themes include the intersection of cinema and political propaganda, the history of "othering" in Western film, and the analysis of how movies reconcile humanitarian narratives with derogatory underlying tropes.
What is the primary research goal?
The primary goal is to investigate how the film Babel, despite claiming a universal humanistic message, instrumentally compromises that message through a latent reliance on a Eurocentric repertory of stereotypes.
Which scientific method is utilized in this paper?
The author employs a critical discourse and media analysis approach, examining filmic narratives, visual cues, and structural motifs to deconstruct the film's hidden meanings.
What is the focus of the main body of the work?
The main body breaks down the film's representation of Moroccans into manifest and latent levels, covering specific cinematic aspects like primitivism, violence, and the role of the interpreter.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is defined by concepts such as Orientalism, representation, Eurocentrism, and the cinematic construction of the "other."
How does the film Babel handle the concept of language?
The paper argues that Babel suggests language differences serve as a source of alienation and fear, causing people to view interlocutors who speak different languages as potential threats or sources of evil.
What is the significance of the character Anwar in the analysis?
Anwar the interpreter is analyzed as a figure who is "domesticated" by Western stereotypes; his perceived nobility is tied to how well he mimics American norms, rather than his own cultural integrity.
- Citation du texte
- Hamid Masfour (Auteur), 2016, Moroccans in Hollywood Movies. The Case of "Babel", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/351110
