Abstract
Based on mainly the perspectives of three thinkers, Walter Benjamin, Edward Said, and Jean Baudrillard, in this study, beyond the general perception and “Barbarian” and “Berbers,” the film The Wind and The Lion, which was written and directed by John Milius in 1975 and inspired by a “real” life event that happened in 1904, and the transformation of the man kidnapped in real life, Ion Perdicaris, into a woman, Eden Pedecaris, in the film, and the relationship of this transformation with the “orient” perception, the economic and political infrastructures of this relationship, its roots in Orientalist painting will be discussed through intertextual reading and discourse analysis. The analysis of this film's discourse sustains its importance since not only film scholars but also audiences can receive the discourse of the film via new media presently.
TopIntroduction
Cinema, as a work of art and a mass communication product, is influenced by the former arts and cultural products, directly through the perspectives of the artists and indirectly through social and cultural dynamics. The works of different thinkers in the 20th century guide the reading of films which are cinematic products such as works of art and cultural products. In Walter Benjamin's work titled, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, it is claimed that as a result of the reproduction of art with the possibilities of technique, art loses its aura and thus its political side comes to the fore. On the other hand, when we consider the perspective of Orientalism studies, which gains important place in social sciences with Edward Said’s works, it is possible to say that while the work of art cannot be reproduced with the possibilities of technique, the Eastern and Eastern female representations in Orientalist painting are also political. Similar to the reproduction of the work of art with the possibilities of technique, Jean Baudrillard also stated that history is reproduced as a retro scenario via cinema.
Based on mainly the perspectives of these aforesaid three thinkers, in this study, beyond the general perception and “Barbarian” and “Berbers”, the film The Wind and The Lion, which was written and directed by John Milius in 1975 and inspired by a “real” life event that happened in 1904, and the transformation of the man was taken hostage in real life -Ion Perdicaris into a woman- Eden Pedecaris in the film, and the relationship of this transformation with the “orient” perception, the economic and political infrastructures of this relationship, its roots in Orientalist painting will be discussed through intertextual reading and discourse analysis. The analysis of this film's discourse sustains its importance since not only film scholars but also audiences can receive the discourse of the film via new media presently.
Benjamin discusses the work of art in different periods, and with the mechanical reproduction and so with loss of aura, he states for art “Instead of being based on ritual, it begins to be based on another practice – politics” (Benjamin, 2006: 23). However, given that art had a political function in the period when it was actually a part of ritual or when it was not reproductionable. So that orientalism was a political stance rather than an artistic movement - as is often stated –. Hence it is possible to think about that whether the “aura” lost in the cinema since the work of art can be “reproduced with the possibilities of technique” to be considered already lost in the orientalist painting or not.
In this context, beyond the general perception of “Barbarian” “Berbers” on the movie The Wind and The Lion, which was written and directed by Milius in 1975 and produced based on a “real” event that happened in 1904, the situation of real life inspiration: the hostage of Ion Perdicaris. The transformation of Ion pedecaris (Mr. Perdicaris) to Eden Perdicaris (Mrs. Perdicaris), whether there is a relation of this transformation with the “orient” concept or not, and if there is a relationship, the economic and political infrastructures of this relationship will be discussed. Moreover, discussions about whether the “aura”, which is said to have been lost in the cinema, had already lost in the painting will be remembered.
In a proceeding called “The Cultural Representation of the Cooperating Arab in Pre- and Post-9/11 American Cinema” the film and this transformation has been analyzed and it is argued that with the gender shift, film gains “possibilities of both romance and suffering”. One of the reasons of this shift is “carefully handled to create the opportunity of including a romantic subplot, without which the political and military intrigues would not have been sufficient to attract American audiences.” (Chaouch, 2013: 29).
On the other hand, the representation style of the Barbarian is interesting in the film, and the relative heroism of the “Barbarian” chief is emphasized more than the question of what the “Western” man is doing there.
However, Raisuli’s roles change during the film and every change in his role addresses the change the discourse about the Other that Raisuli represents (Chaouch, 2013: 30).
(…) the filmmakers had to assign different roles to Raisuli, who is then to play, first, as an opponent to be defeated by the American heroes, then to act, afterwards, as an adjuvant against all the other corrupt opponents (the Moroccans, the Germans and the like), so that by the end the only good heroes are the Americans. Raisuli comes out as a cooperative figure since he is a rebel and he shows some love, understanding and fascination towards Americans, both as captives (Eden and her children) and as leaders (President Roosevelt).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Representation: Representation is an act of expression that takes place in a way that can work for or against the represented. A group can be represented politically or socially, or through media texts. In social sciences, especially with the tradition of cultural studies and discourse analysis, how representation is constructed through media texts has been an important area of research. As mentioned before, representation may turn into the misrepresentation, so “the construction of concepts relating to issues of gender, race or sexuality are questions of representation” (Sedgwick, 2003a: 225-226).
Other: Although it does not correspond to a certain singular response; We see that this concept, which can be encountered in various approaches such as philosophy, epistemology, cultural identity problems and psychoanalysis, has an important place in the works of Hegel, Lacan, Sartr, Derrida as well as Said. In these terms, the Other can be called a form of cultural representation of concepts. This representation constructs the identities of cultural subjects through a relationship of power against the Other (Sedgwick, 2003b: 177). “The construction of the Other in Orientalist discourse, then, is a matter of asserting self-identity, and the issue of the European account of the Oriental Other is thereby rendered a question of power” (Sedgwick, 2003b: 178).
Aura: Aura, which is literally “a distinctive atmosphere surrounding a given source” (Merriam Webster, 2020a) has become a concept related to the reception process of the artwork with Benjamin's definition. According to Benjamin, before the mechanical reproduction era aura is about the uniqueness, originality, and authenticity but with the mass production and film industry “could create a new kind of ideological magic and aura through the cult of celebrity and techniques like the close-up that fetishized certain stars or images via the technology of the cinema” (Durham & Kellner, 2006: 5).
Discourse: As a term, “Discourse” refers to a systematic and relational set of meaningful expressions such as speech and text, and semiotic elements such as signs and symbols that affect practices and express the values, behaviors and worldviews of social groups. On the other hand when taking into the consideration in social sciences the term can be discussed with the works of Ferdinand de Saussure, and the works of Michel Foucault. Meanwhile Ferdinand de Saussure approaches the term as focusing internal mechanisms of the language, Michel Foucault approaches the term in terms of external relations as focusing the effects of it in culture, society and politics (Munif, 2011: 159).
Orientalism: Orientalism can be discussed within perspective of the former artistic and cultural production traditions that build the orientalistic discourse and the critical approach to that discourse with the works of Edward Said and following thinkers. According to academic perspective Orient is constructed by Europe as an Other in order to construct the self-Europe.
HyperReality: The term is used by Baudrillard in order to explain the new kind reality that is not real in fact but fiction and simulated but still takes place of the reality. According to Baudrillard, in postmodern era and with media gaining importance, simulations and perceptions have become more important than facts and truth. Moreover, “Baudrillard (1991) could notoriously claim that the Gulf War did not take place. Behind this rhetorical flourish is a claim that the Gulf War was conducted, not simply under the gaze of television cameras, but rather that it was conducted for those cameras” (Edgar, 2003: 276).