5 - Stereotyping: "The Celluloid Closet" and "Reel Injun"

Stereotyping: "The Celluloid Closet" and "Reel Injun"
By Chris, Christophe and Nathalie

Stereotypes in Movies
     Over the years, people have evolved their ideas and views and society has for the most part become more accepting. We may not always realize it but everything around us greatly impacts how we view the world. In the last hundred years, movies have created stereotypes surrounding different groups of people. For the purpose of our blog we will explore two social minorities that are still prominent today, the LGBT and the Native American community. The documentaries being discussed explore stereotypes in films surrounding people belonging to these groups.

"The Celloloid Closet" - Exploring Sexuality  
     The American documentary film that we saw last week in class was “The Celluloid Closet” directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman in 1995. The movie discusses how Hollywood motion pictures present homosexuality in the movies produced between the years 1920 and 1981. Different actors explain how homosexuality is seen in movies during the 1900’s by giving personal interviews. We can see how homosexuality evolved in time through different scenes from different movies.
     Through these movies, the audience saw how gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender actors were shown and treated in different periods of the 1900’s until today. In the 1920s many films presented homosexuals as comics, which made the crowd laugh. This brings about the first stereotype surrounding homosexuals in movies, the sissy. A stereotype is an idea about a person or group of people that is widely agreed on. The sissy is a male character who acts very feminine, and it is never outright said that he is gay. Most people felt uncomfortable seeing characters of the same sex having emotions towards one another on screen. During the same time period, the Hays code was set up with a set of rules in order to respond to the community values and these rules could not be violated by any way. This code made certain elements in movies restricted: open-mouth kissing, lustful embraces, sex perversion, seduction, rape, abortion, prostitution and white slavery, nudity, obscenity and finally profanity. In the 1900’s, the Catholic Church had such a powerful control over the opinion of population that everybody was under their control. They were deciding on how people had to live their life, like going to the church every Sunday, how many children a family should have, etc. This is defined as hegemony through ethnocentrism, because it is a catholic group that decides the rules that everyone is obliged to follow. Hegemony is defined by the influence a group has on society and how it reflects a way of thinking by showing that it is the only possible resolution. In 1934, the Catholic Church rated movies not only based on the content but threatened a massive boycott against movies which included some of these restricted elements. In the 1950’s, two other prominent stereotypes emerged. The homosexual was presented as the victim and the villain. Characters playing gay or lesbian roles were presented as the bad guy, they were being killed and even some committed suicide. In society at this time, homosexuality was tolerated as long as it stayed behind closed doors and that it was not obvious to the public. For example, in one of the movie we see two lesbians coming out of a room when the husband of one of the women appears in front of the door and we can feel that the two women seem very close to one another. We feel the proximity and intimacy between them. These movies made it seem like all homosexuals would be condemned to a hard life, such as having trouble to find a job, trouble in founding a family, ostracism and exile from society etc.
     People’s views on homosexuality have been greatly influenced by the opinion of the Catholic Church and this impacted the stereotypes in film. In 1961, Hollywood producers were tired of producing movies with all the restrictions considered as taboo. Therefore, all restrictions for movies were removed except sex perversion. In early 1970, in movies, homosexuals were seen as people who were sad, because they denied their sex orientation and suffered from a low self-esteem. Even worse, it was showed as a mental disease. At the same time, homosexuals who frequented bars and displayed their sex orientation could be arrested for their disrespectful act. The first movie that celebrated homosexuality was ''Cabaret'' in 1972.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYZ8cqMLuQg
      In this movie we can relate to the notion of “gayness can be a fluid position”, because the three main characters are very happy with their relationships, even if two gay men are together and one of them is also heterosexual because he as relations with his wife. This movie presented images of gays who were having a normal life and were happy, just like any heterosexual couple. In the 1980’s, when actors played homosexual role, people began to question their sexual orientation. This type of double standard continues today. In the 1990’s, the movie “Philadelphia” showed homosexuality should as something normal and that it is a personal decision to choose who to love. The movie is about two gay men in love and one of them has AIDS.
     Today, Hollywood producers and some people are still uncomfortable with homosexuality on screen. Some movies have started to integrate the LGBT community more and more, portraying them as being no different than everyone else. Today, more and more actors and famous people do not hesitate to proclaim their sexuality, like Elton John, Ellen DeGeneres and a lot more. Although homosexuality is more accepted today and the Churches influence is decreasing, many countries still do not recognize gay marriage. Even a country like USA who claim to be so advance and developed, same-sex marriage is only legal in 9 out of 50 states.

     "Reel Injun” is a 2009 Canadian documentary film, directed by Cree Native, Neil Diamond. The film documents the stereotypical images that we have come to believe as “true”, about the Native North American Indians. “Reel Injun” depicts a century of Hollywood’s cinema and media shaping the way people all over the world view the Native American Indians from “Sitting Bull” to “Crazy Horse” making them into legends on the screen, but at what cost?

The film opens as Neil Diamond explains how he watched Cowboys and Indians on their reserve in their church basement as a boy, “Cheering for the cowboys, never realizing we were the Indians”. Diamond drives a “rez car” to the North of Canada and travels across the United States on his way to Hollywood.
The world is in love with the Hollywood Indian shown as spiritual, noble and free. In the late 1800’s, Thomas Edison makes the first silent penny machines with movie images of Indians. The Native American population starts to decline and the 7th cavalry attacks at Wounded Knee where they kill 300 men, women and children. The Indian becomes a Hollywood Hero during the silent era in the 1930’s. The movie “The Silent Enemy” (1930) is made to show the starvation and the death of the American Indians. It stars Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance, who shortly after commits suicide when Hollywood finds out he’s part black. Hollywood glorifies ceremonies of Indians giving animal names to their tribe members and summer camp leaders glorify Hollywood’s hegemonic ideals of savagery to young boys. Henry Ford produces “Stagecoach” (1939),





one of the great western movies of all time. Hegemony is shown throughout history with the savage portrayal of Native American Indians in cinema, further condemning the Natives by modeling all movies to depict the same thereafter. Jesse Wente, Ojibway Film Critic, talks about the strong impact that “Stagecoach” had on the American population.
Many movie stars played native roles like John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Elvis Presley and Burt Reynolds. “We couldn’t find a real Indian to play the part” (Clint Eastwood). In reality they were looking for the Hollywood image or myth of an Indian, not a real Indian, maybe that’s why they couldn’t find one. Pocahontas was another Hollywood myth created for Americans. In the 30’s Indians were treated like props, stereotyped with Head Pieces, Head Bands, Indians Clothing and Wigs in every movie. It became the norm for Indians to wear Head Bands when in reality it was to keep their wigs from falling off.
The Cowboys like John Wayne, “The Duke”, ichnographically one of the greatest actors of western movies, played extremely violent parts, yet it was accepted by American’s as normal behavior towards Indians. John Wayne symbolized the idea that Americans were unstoppable. It was believed by Americans that they were the true Americans, not the Natives and it was the Natives that stopped them from settling in their own country. Iron Eyes Cody was another iconographic symbol in Hollywood films because he fit the Hollywood images of what an Indian was supposed to be. Even though he lived his life as a Native American, his nationality was Italian. In the sixties, westerns were out and hippies were in, trying to imitate Natives living like free spirits. Sacheen Cruz, Littlefeather, arrives in San Francisco, mistaken for a hippie. John Ford produces “Geronimo” in 1962. Native Americans started to assert themselves more politically and more forcefully. John Trudell, Lakota Activist and Poet, speaks for Native Americans, “This is a country where all men are created equal. It’s the land of the free, and the home of truth and justice and liberty for all. We want to know why that doesn’t apply to us?” (John Trudell, 1970).
Indians were ashamed at the way Americans looked at them. Native Americans were examined by the world through an ethnocentric perspective. “The Born Losers” (1967) fought back with Billy Jack fighting for the right kind of justice for Native Americans. Shortly after, the Native American’s took a stand and fought back at Wounded Knee in 1973 against FBI. At the same time, Marlon Brando made a stand when he asked Sacheen, Littlefeather to represent him at the Academy Awards, refusing to accept his Award in protest of the mistreatment of American Natives in Hollywood and to make a stand for the Natives at Wounded Knee.
Using marginal voices from “Little Big Man” (1970) to “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975), Natives started changing the way the world viewed Indians. “Smoke Signals” (1998) and awards won at the Cannes Film Festival for “Atanarjuat” (2001), portraying an iconic image of a Native American running naked and free.



Neil Diamond’s “Reel Injun” takes a subtle look into the evolution of Native Americans going back to the days of silent films up to present time. He tries to shed light on the stereotyping in cinema, and the misled worlds understanding of the Native American Indians, which perhaps, has condemned their culture forever. Facts were given, myths revealed, but the next time you sit down and watch another Western, will you even think about this documentary or will you just watch a western with an ethnocentric perspective, the way Hollywood has wanted you to view Native Americans? Hollywood’s dominance in the world will make this myth very hard to shake.
“The mightiest nation in the world tried to exterminate us, Anglicize us, Christianize us, but we just keep going and going”. Charlie Hill, Cree Comedian.

Reflecting On Stereotypes
     Throughout the years, documentary films have evolved. At the root, they teach us about life. This is seen in both “The Celluloid Closet” and “Reel Injun”. These movies explore popular stereotypes that have been around for many years and are still predominant today, encouraged by the filmmaking industry.
     “The Celluloid Closet” shows us how movies from the last century have created a wrongful image of what it is to be homosexual or transgender. The three main stereotypes of the sissy, the victim and the victimizer have subconsciously affected people’s views on the LGBT community. Many of the movies mentioned in this documentary associate being homosexual or transgender as a death sentence. Either you will hurt or be hurt. We know that too many times, when children come out to their parents, their parent’s initial reaction is concern for their child. Our society has created a negative view on homosexuality, where being LGBT will lead to suffering and hardship. “The Celluloid Closet” opens the viewer’s eyes to many stereotypes that we unknowingly think about when watching homosexuals on screen. It was interesting when they mentioned how we always question whether or not the actor playing the homosexual is actually gay in real life. But we never second-guess actors playing straight roles. This movie shows us how easily we are influenced by what we see in movies.
     Neil Diamond’s documentary “Reel Injun” explores stereotypes surrounding aboriginal people. Similar to “The Celluloid Closet” this documentary brings forward many issues that most people didn’t know about. This documentary also talks about how movies portray natives, which is mostly as warriors or very spiritual people. Although this information is not false, it separates native people from everyone else. These stereotypes categorize them as beings different from humans.
     Both documentaries make several links between movies effect on views of homosexuals and Indians. Movies have a great influence on their viewers. When people go see movies or read books it is natural for them to link themselves to certain characters, based on similarities they notice. For people belonging to LGBT and Native community it can sometimes be hard. If most of the perceptions of them are negative or false, they themselves will start to believe it. This can be very destructive for youth who are dealing with discovering their sexuality. In contrast to Native American children who watch these movies and can only identify themselves with other Natives, when in reality they are just like any other children.
     In the last couple of years, homophobia has become a major issue within youth and schools across the world. Suicide among children and young adults facing homophobia from their peers has become much too prominent. Not only do fictional characters in movies affect societies views on homosexuality but as well as actors and other celebrities that we look up to. Although more and more celebrities have started “coming out” it is still considered a taboo.
This article is very interesting as it explores how some of the biggest names in Hollywood are still resisting exposing their sexuality:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/homophobia-in-hollywood-why-gay-movie-stars-still-cant-come-out-of-the-closet-8455751.html
     We know that stereotypes are ideas that are generally agreed on by the people in society, created from fear or hatred or ignorance. If we know stereotypes are for the most part false and generalizations, why do people continue to accept them as fact? However, what is a world without stereotypes? People make assumptions and judgments all the time. These documentaries show us, that without even realizing it, many of our stereotypes come from the movies. Hollywood has created an industry that to this day is still is “uncomfortable” with eliminating many of the stereotypes they have created. The most shocking is that even the movies that try to break away from the unjust perception produced are for the most part made by people directly affected by those stereotypes. Movies continue to portray the gay as a sissy and the Indian as a warrior. And viewers continue to laugh at them, cry for them and hope for them.

Looking Back
In conclusion, both these documentaries were very successful in exploring stereotypes in movies. We tend to overlook what is presented to us in movies, because technically they are fictional. But as we all know, and as we have discovered by watching “The Celluloid Closet” and “Reel Injun”, movies can greatly impact their audience. We all like to relate to the characters we see on screen. But what happens when the only characters we can relate are portrayed negatively or falsely? It is important to recognize the progress that has been in eliminating discrimination and prejudices towards certain people. However, we must also think about what still has to be done to create equality.