I want to spotlight today, how what's foreign in American Cinema could be, at the same time, funny, realistic and a true stereotype! This remark is to the point to movies like Indiana Jones, Slumdog Millionaire, Kung Fu Panda or Lawrence of Arabia. Sometimes associated with imperalism, the fun in foreign visions by American movies could arouse diplomatical polemics in Kazakstan with Borat or in India with Slumdog millionaire. Actually, I think abroad is a trick in the screenplay: it always deals with the USA
Not really foreign? The historical Fictions
Except for Mel Gibson's films (Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto), the American Fictions deals with foreign lands as well as it was American Landscapes. In 300, Kingdom of Heaven, Cleopatra, Gladiator, Flesh and Blood, Troy or Alexander, everyone speaks English! Foreign means powerful old European Countries and heroes are naturally like Americans today! The geographic stereotypes are erased and replaced by universal objects and passions: love and vengeance. Finally, the war fiction depicts American in devastated countries bringing their own civilisation: Saving Private Ryan, Path of Glory, Apocalypse Now, Jarhead.
Mainly postcards? The spy and adventures movies
In spy and adventure movies, what foreign boils down to a list of the world's main famous monuments.
1/ The foreign lands deal with American or English Diplomacy, threats or allies. The most famous places are depicted: Venice, Nassau, Eiffel tower, Niagara Fall, Honk Kong Towers in movies like James Bond or Alias.
Very different? The Eastern case
Over time the treatment of Asia is becoming real conundrum, presented the countries differently since China, Japan or India are getting international recognition.
2/ The foreign lands own some special items that Americans want to preserve in the name of World Culture for museums in Indiana Jones. Here, the nature is wilder: recognazable jungles, deserts, Pacific islands...We can infer from that statement that foreign lands could be a postcard in catastrophe movies as Armaggeddon, Tranformers or Independance Day.
3/ More than postcards? American filmakers wants, sometimes want to depict precise culture in Lawrence of Arabia, Chalie Wilson's War, The Bourne Identity or Seven Year in Tibet but the hero is, still, a white man...
Very different? The Eastern case
Over time the treatment of Asia is becoming real conundrum, presented the countries differently since China, Japan or India are getting international recognition.
Slumdog millionaire, Kung fu Panda, Lost in Translation, Borat, Book of the jungle, Memoirs of Geisha, Kundum, Empire of the sun are some of them. This cinema underlined wisdom figures, the beauty of Asian mythology and the legacy of colonialism.
All in all foreign landscapes in cinema are still dealing with stereotypes of the noble savage.
This is an important inclusion. A very egocentric vision of the rest of the world that you've described quite well.
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