Barriers to Diversity in Film – A Research Review – Aug 07
Barriers to Diversity in Film – A Research Review – Aug 07
Barriers to Diversity in Film – A Research Review – Aug 07
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national stereotyp<strong>in</strong>g such as funny foreigners and crazy blacks,<br />
such as <strong>in</strong> What a Crazy World (1963). The crude stereotyp<strong>in</strong>g of<br />
this period <strong>in</strong>cluded images of the feckless Irish, the canny<br />
Scots, the devious Welsh, amus<strong>in</strong>g servile Indians, or onion-<br />
<strong>to</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g Frenchmen.<br />
• Integration and blend<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> phase. These portrayals were more<br />
ambiguous. For example, Flame <strong>in</strong> the Streets (1961) showed<br />
liberal equal treatment <strong>in</strong> the workplace, but not socially,<br />
whereby the marriage of a white daughter <strong>to</strong> a black teacher is<br />
not condoned. In Saturday Night Sunday Morn<strong>in</strong>g (1960)<br />
m<strong>in</strong>ority ethnic issues are <strong>in</strong>visible, despite these themes be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
part of the book.<br />
• Ethnic self-exam<strong>in</strong>ation/self-confidence. This phase represents<br />
a more critical and affirmative view of the Asian experience, for<br />
example My Beautiful Launderette (1985) and Sammy and Rosie<br />
131<br />
get laid (1987). The white world is portrayed as marg<strong>in</strong>al <strong>in</strong> films<br />
such as Bhaji on the Beach, and romance between Asian and<br />
black people is portrayed <strong>in</strong> Mississippi Masala. The<br />
marg<strong>in</strong>alisation of white culture is also shown <strong>in</strong> films such as<br />
Young Soul Rebels (2002) and Babymother (1995). How <strong>to</strong> live <strong>in</strong><br />
a predom<strong>in</strong>antly white culture was portrayed <strong>in</strong> Bend it Like<br />
Beckham (2002).<br />
In another study, Smelik argued that A Taste of Honey (1961) was<br />
admired for its treatment of homosexuality and later attacked for<br />
C:\Documents and Sett<strong>in</strong>gs\mcorless\Desk<strong>to</strong>p\Intranet\<strong>Barriers</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Diversity</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Film</strong>_DS_RB 20 <strong>Aug</strong><br />
<strong>07</strong>.doc