MovieChat Forums > Clearcut (1992) Discussion > Portrays native Americans as being sadis...

Portrays native Americans as being sadistic...

posted 13 years ago by SpaceGirl7
8 replies | jump to latest

I watched this for the first time the other night, and I felt uneasy while watching it because it really seems to portray native American Indians as though they are violent and sadistic. Perhaps it wasn't the intention of the writer or filmmakers to allow the main Indian character to represent native American Indian culture as a whole, but I still felt that they were wrongly represented in this film. I also felt that it lacked real depth in the dialogue, etc. and failed to really bring across any message or moral that it may have intended. I would be curious to know what actual native Americans think of this film... and would actually be surprised if any agreed with the way it portrays their culture.

[–] p2pat 13 years ago

You must have had your eyes closed while watching it theres alot of important dialogue and there is no Arthur the Native Canadian Not INDIAN with the two of them its his own anger which manifests itself as an imaginary Arthur. Who really doesnt exist at all only in the lawyers mind. Are you starting to get it ????

[–] Sillyhuron 12 years ago

I think the point is that Native American tradtion CAN BE sadistic. There's lots of stories about ritual executions, etc. in the history books. Try watching "Blackrobe" for an example. The thing about Arthur, though, is that he's clearly nuts. (Remember when he sits down & imitates a doctor or shrink - "Lard Jasus, we got a thunderin' great Indian here" or something like that. Probably something that happened to him).
Thw whole point of this film is that Native "Indian" culture is inherently inimical to whitey, that we should'nt even try to understand it. Perfect symbolic scene - when the lawyer says something about Native Oral Traditon -

and Arthur bites the head off a snake and snarls
"THAT'S Oral Tradition"!

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ashevilleveedub 11 years ago

I disagree, I don't think it shows natives as sadistic at all... I see it showing a peaceful people who have exhausted peaceful means for decades to no avail, who have finally had enough. They have been punished for the way they were born, living by another societies rules, and relegated to impoverished reservations. Bud Rickets says in the film, "well pick up your phone, call your congressman!" Answer; phones busted, everythings busted. Nothing works. This is a theme here, we've played by your rules. We abide by them, you break them. Look at us, see where being peaceful and playing by your rules has gotten us? Would a Jewish concentration camp survivor who takes a Nazi commandant and a lawyer who tries and fails through peaceful means to free the Jews both into the woods in the same way be seen as sadistic? I think that Jew would be seen as one who is saying "enough is enough, neither one of you is doing any good." I think it is saying "Don't tread on me."

C'ante Was'te

[–] tmarple1 10 years ago

C'ante Was'te, indeed sir!

Point for point dead on! Call our congressman...why, that sounds about as productive as signing a treaty! If more people truly knew what Native American's feel like they would understand that backed into a corner happened a century ago and 100 years later we still get empty words. A touchy subject that should be avoided by those who don't know the whole stories behind dynamics of Native/White relationship. Great description ashevilleveedub!

Mitakuye Oyasin

[–] Zuffal 10 years ago

And, as a white man, I see yet another (hidden) aspect in this really disturbing and remarkable horror-story. Like: We (the white ones) are monsters living in a monstrous society, creating technical monsters that eat earth and soul. We can't stop this. There is nothing powerfull enough to stop us. Please somebody stop us!! All means allowed! Stop us, anybody...
Btw: in the end, Arthur and Rickets have more in common than the lawyer.
The lawyer is the most tricky part of the monster...

[–] WolfWindDreamer 11 years ago

It is a ghost story. If you really pay attention to the little girl and Arthur real close you might get a better understanding of the story.

We shoulda rented a car.
We have my pony.
Your pony is an old nag.

Powwow Highway

[–] gimenez-michael 8 years ago

Hi everybody,
your comments about Clearcut are very insightful and I am also sharing your interest in the movie.
I started a documentary about the making of Clearcut and the issues that the movie brought up, and I am also in contact with a DVD publisher to try to issue a nice DVD/BlueRay release of the film.
In order to prove that there is an audience out there for this movie, which stands as a cult independent and underrated film in lot of film-lovers hearts, I made a Facebook page to gather likes. Each like is a vote for a release!

So don't hesitate:

https://www.facebook.com/clearcutmovie

Thanks!