Not Just Entertainment - Assignment Example

A main topic of colonization seemed to be a dominant issue in several of the films. Female oppression and gender categorization was another situation discussed in several of the films. Cultural traditions and beliefs were intertwined throughout many of the films as each group practiced traditions in various ways from Western culture and traditions. Some cultural traditions have made their way into Western society as people have immigrated to Europe, America, Canada, and South America. Traditions that seemed acceptable by the mainstream society were openly practiced, while others were kept confidential because of their unacceptable practices (WHO, 1996).

The film Keita carried the issue of education by the government to be the most important part of a young person’s life (Kouyate, 1995). In comparison to mainstream cinema, Brooks (1955) depicted how education is handled in an inner city all boys school in the film titled Blackboard Jungle. In La Bataille d’Alger the rules the government were placing on the people were portrayed as the only acceptable way of life, even though the people of Algiers had their own traditions and beliefs that they had been practicing for generations (Pontecorvo, 1966).

The comparison to how the Indians were treated by the government in the film titled Dances with Wolves is not much different. One group is trying to coerce the other group into something that is not wanted (Costner, 1990). The traditions in the film Moolaade that had been carried out for generations were being questioned and dismissed by some, while completely supported by other members of the community (Sembene, 2004). The oppression of women was depicted in a similar fashion, but not to the extreme in the film Maid in Manhattan (Wang, 2002).

In each of these films, one group was trying to force another group to accept something that was different from the other group or individual’s belief. The similarities and differences can be determined in the opinion of the viewer. Many mainstream films are created for and considered entertainment, while African cinema seemed to expose oppression, injustices, and real world experiences that may have remained hidden knowledge from the rest of the world. The function and art of the traditional griot portrayed in the film Keita was the teaching of the youth of the community through stories passed down through generations (Kouyate, 1995).

It was the griot’s responsibility to make sure that everyone learned the history and origin of their family and community. A comparison between the African filmmakers and the griot could be that both have a job to disseminate the truth about the history and traditions of a community according to the culture and beliefs of that people. The difference between the filmmakers and the griot is that the filmmakers try to provide different opinions of the situation and allow for the view to decide how to interpret the outcome of the film.

A griot taught the story from knowledge passed down from generations and allowed the person being told the story to choose their own beliefs, without providing any other scenarios or versions of the story (Kouyate, 1995). A good example of the opposing views of a story from a filmmaker is provided in La Bataille d’Alger. In this film, the police were shown as one way and the script was written to