The Use of Racial Stereotype in Cinema

The issue of racial stereotyping in cinema has largely been discussed by critics over the course of cinematic history. The negative portrayal of the Native American, for example, is rampant in the early Western film genre. Native Americans are, more often than not, portrayed as vicious savages, hell-bent on senselessly scalping and murdering as many ‘innocent’ (white?) American settlers as possible. Individuals of a darker skin colour, such as the African American, are also victims of negative stereotyping in early cinema. They are usually portrayed as stupid, aggressive and primitive, as lesser than the ‘white man.’ Some directors have attempted to revise these inaccurate portrayals of minority groups. For example, Arthur Penn’s cinematic masterpiece entitled Little Big Man (1970) provides the audience with a more accurate depiction of the Native American from the mid-19th century, both visually and historically. Similarly, an effective film which does not patronize individuals of a darker skin color is Mike Leigh’s Secrets & Lies (1996). Hortense, a woman of Anglo-Jamaican descent, is portrayed as more successful, wealthy and intelligent than the Caucasians in the film. Other directors have also attempted to portray these minority groups more accurately, yet seem to fall short of the achievements of the two movies previously mentioned. For example, John Ford’s The Searchers is Ford’s attempt at rectifying the negative portrayal of the Native American, a portrayal which he is partly responsible for introducing to mainstream cinema during the mid-20th century (Nolley, 73). Despite his efforts, there is still an excessive amount of racial prejudice towards the Native Americans within the film. Lee Daniels’ Precious is also an attem...

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...t of Hortense’ in Secrets and Lies, it is safe to assume that too many stereotypes can negatively affect the intended message of the film.

As demonstrated above, stereotypes in cinema of Native Americans, and people of a darker skin colour (African Americans, Anglo-Jamaicans, etc.), have been much a part of cinematic history. While the movies The Searchers and Precious have attempted to portray minority groups in a more accurate, positive or sympathetic way, they ultimately fall short when compared to movies such as Little Big Man and Secrets and Lies, who have masterfully achieved a positive reconstruction of the stereotypical imagery of minority groups found in film. In the end, slightest hint of stereotype can come across very strongly, and ultimately twist the message that the director had intended. They must keep in mind the powerful medium that is cinema.