The Sheik - 1921

In George Melford’s The Sheik (1921) the viewer is presented with a wealth of western orientialist clichés and stereotypes that must have appeared standard for the era. This silent adventure-romance, though set in the desert town of Biskra, remains vague as to its exact location within the French Middle Eastern colonies. The film unabashedly bases it’s wealth of generalizations on negative and often absurd portrayals and Arab culture or dress. While the actual town of Biskra sits in modern-day Algeria, a former French colony, the town itself lies within a complex region dominated by Berber, Turkish and Arab influences. None of these complexities fit within the simplified image placed forward in the film, which simply refers to all the explicitly non-western peoples as Arabs.

The portrayal of so-called Arab culture within the film may appear comical to some modern viewers, yet it is representative of an orientalizing impulse that appears throughout western literature and the arts of the time. As Edward Said, within the introduction of his groundbreaking work Orientalism writes: “…there emerged a complex Orient suitable for study in the academy, for displaying the museum, for reconstruction in the colonial office” This display, as illustrated in the film, could include harshly negative views of Arab culture as being barbaric, uncivilized, or cruel. The antagonizing forces within the film are Arab leaders and their henchmen. Furthermore, the Arab tribes never live within the city, and camp in the desert for no explicit purpose.

Sexuality and gender roles play a pivotal role within the film, driving the characters into their actions and defining their positions of power or submissiveness. The film largely capitalizes on the romantic, erotic and supposed barbaric elements within Arab culture, as defined through an orientalist framework. As Said makes note, cultural and racial generalizations on sexuality lead to “a great many Victorian pornographic novels [such as] The Lustful Turk”. The Sheik fulfills this orientist role as a lustful character, and he clearly asserts this along with a startling sexual dominance. After capturing Diana, the Sheik says to the distraught Diana :“I could make you love me”, clearly asserting his power of seduction and sexuality over the independent western woman.

The entire narrative revolves around this gradual shifting of power and gender roles, with the Shiek eventually re-affirming male dominance. Within the opening section of the film, Diana sees herself as clearly superior and more civilized than the Sheik, and at one point in the Casino, she draws a gun on the Sheik with a stern face and rigid posture. Within Biskra, she believes herself to be above the Sheik, yet after her capture by the Sheik in the desert, the roll reverses and Diana stays at the mercy of her captor, begging and crying before him, while eventually succumbing to his authority.

The Brotherhood of the Wolf DVD UNIV 204

The Brotherhood of the Wolf was not what I expected. I knew very little about it and had made my own judgments based on the fact that I knew it was 1) about Werewolves and 2) French. I had formulated an opinion that because it was French it would be a smarter better film than one about werewolves made in America. Wrong. I also assumed it would be about werewolves. Wrong again. Right off the bat I thought the movie was lame because the editor had slowed down the film so as to better see the crazy fight scene. But then I decided to stop being a snobby jerk and enjoy the movie. It was very entertaining and was a smarter than your average wolf/revenge of god movie. PLUS! Guess who plays the kick ass better than the stupid French Native American! Guess! THE CROW! That is right everyone who loved or pretended to love The Crow the TV series, Mark Dacascos has taken time out of his busy angsty schedule to help restore the balance between good and evil in 18th century France. All in all it was a good movie; it had good fight scenes and was deeper than your average mysterious beast slaughtering movies. I give it 3 out of 5.

Yellow Brick Road: A True Heartwarmer

Yellow Brick Road
DVD NVG 132

If watching a group of mentally disabled adults work to put on a stage production of The Wizard of Oz does not melt your heart, then I don’t know what will. And if it indeed does not, then I just have to say that you are a cold person who needs to spend more time with stuffed animals and rainbows. But I digress.

The film Yellow Brick Road, which has received a wide variety of awards at various independent film festivals (thereby proving its excellence), documents the four month-long process of Long Island’s ANCHOR (Answering the Needs of Citizens with Handicaps Through Organized Recreation) organization in their efforts to stage an extravagant production of the Wizard of Oz. Beginning with the announcements of everyone’s individual roles (which includes many joyful tears, excited jumps up and down and frantic phone calls to mom), the movie then goes on to depict the challenging rehearsals and the personal obstacles and triumphs that each actor works through, finally ending with the much-anticipated opening night.

Yellow Brick Road is certainly a film which will just make you feel good about life, which I think everyone needs once in awhile. Especially those cold-hearted people out there.

Written by Sarah

Cute Overload

The Film “Etre ed Avoir” or “To Be and to Have” DVD NYV 023 is perhaps the cutest film in our collection. This is as a result of our not having “Milo and Otis” which is the trump card of cute films. The film revolves around George Lopez, a teacher in a one room school house, and his students. The reasons it is so darn cute are as follows:

-The children, 3-11, are French and consequently speak French. Thus cuter being that is a well know fact that children speaking a language other than your own is cuter than children speaking your language. French speakers fear not these kids are cute enough on their own and do not need the heightened cuteness.

-One of the kids name is Jojo.

-One of the kids name is Axel.

-Lopez talks to the kids like they are adults.

-Kids driving tractors.

-When the kids are sledding one of them runs into another in a cute way not in a sad way.

-In the extras the children recite poetry. Cuteness ensues.

All cuteness aside this is a beautiful documentary about a wonderful teacher who is sure to inspire all those who work with kids especially those in the teaching field.

Reviewed by Anna

King Corn (DVD BFI 051)

I had been meaning to watch this documentary for a while, but I didn't get around to it until I stumbled upon its screening at the Media Center's Dawg Daze's film festival in Allen Auditorium.

It's a nice little film depicting the history and lifecycle of corn, sometimes with the use of cute animations. The film follows two friends as they return to their roots and explore the significance of corn in their lives. It addresses the following questions:

• How long will it take to plant 30,000 seeds of corn?
• How can I make my own high fructose corn syrup?
  
• Should cows be fed corn or grass?
  
• What is the relationship between Iowa farms and fast food restaurants?
  

I've been wary of high fructose corn syrup in beverages for a while, but I didn't realize how many other food products corn gets into. While almost anything is fine in moderation, it does seem that Americans tend to overdo it with the corn. I just came back from the Netherlands where colas were made with sugar instead of corn syrup. I'm not sure if that's actually better or not ... but it does make me wonder if there's a correlation between corn syrup and height/weight proportions. The film doesn't address how corn is used in other countries, though.

Immediately after watching King Corn, my co-worker pointed out the following commercials that were just put out by the Corn Refiners Association. There are some pretty good spoofs on YouTube.

Reviewed by Cecilia

The Worst Job in the World (FMG On Demand)

Work have you down? Feeling underpaid and overworked? Perhaps a bit of global perspective will improve your outlook.

What if it was your ”destiny” to clear excrement out of public latrines--with your bare hands? Maybe what you are doing right now would seem, um, not so bad. "The Worst Job in the World", an online documentary provided via FMG On Demand, profiles two Dalit families who are charged with such dehumanizing tasks. This 30 minute streaming video gives the viewer an overview of both public health and caste/class issues in modern day India. Though the film does open with a gut-wrenching look at the work done by these Dalit families, it ends with an interview with Bezawada Wilson—a hereditary latrine cleaner-turned-activist determined to free all Bhangis from what is arguably the worst job in the world. A hopeful end to a truly depressing story.

To view this movie click here. Note: this is a UW Restricted resource.

Reviewed by John Vallier

Rocket Science (DVD HBO 071)

I remember when the film “Rocket Science” came out. I remember because I stole a poster off of the wall of the HUB and then promptly lost it. I didn’t know anything about it I just liked the poster. Then as I was checking in items one day I came across the film and decided that in order to justify my stealing of the poster (it was really nice card board and everything) I should at least watch the film. So I did. Come to find out that the poster I stole was not that of the film “Rocket Science” and my remembering of when it came out was 2 years too early. Ignoring this fact after watching the film I felt better about both the stealing of the poster and my crappy High School Speech and Debate career. The film is about a kid, Hal, who has a bad stutter and is recruited by, Ginny, whom he has a monster crush on, to be her debate partner. Wonderful awkward High School drama ensues, including but not limited to: an awkward make out scene in a janitor’s closet, an awkward spying, awkward other peoples parents, etc. I would recommend this film to anyone who ever did policy debate, stuttered, or went to high school. You could even make it a High School double feature with the film “Welcome to the Dollhouse” (DVD CTHV 001) which is approximately 2.5 times more awkward than this film.

Reviewed by Anna