As our society has progressed, we’ve seen a significant shift in what is considered acceptable. This evolution is evident in many areas, including the film industry.
A prime example of this is the 1998 movie “Krippendorf’s Tribe,” which features Richard Dreyfuss as a despondent anthropologist. In a desperate attempt to prevent his university from withdrawing his grant, he fabricates the discovery of a supposedly extinct tribe in New Guinea, even coercing his family into impersonating tribes people for recorded evidence.
The film, however, is riddled with issues. It’s not an overstatement to label this movie as one of the most racially insensitive films ever produced. It’s filled with racial stereotypes and clichés, from children and adults performing blackface, to donning what is perceived as “native” clothing, to engaging in “primitive” tribal rituals. All these shocking portrayals of “native” behavior are presented for the sake of humor.
The film’s attempts at humor are not only inappropriate but also offensive. One scene involves a menstruating girl being caged in front of her entire class, only to be “cleansed” with pig urine. This was considered comedic by the film’s creators, including writers Frank Parkin, Charlie Peters, director Todd Holland, and even the Disney management in 1998.
Another attempt at “humor” involves filming people engaged in sexual activity without their consent. According to Todd Holland, the “comedy” lies in the fact that the woman in the scene is intoxicated, dressed in “native” attire, and never gave her consent to be filmed. This fabricated tribal sex footage is then sold to the Discovery Channel for public viewing. The film’s insensitivity towards serious issues such as ‘kidnapping’ and ‘date rape’ is alarming.
While it’s debatable whether we should judge past works by contemporary standards, this film stands out for its egregious racial insensitivity, which was already criticized by audiences in 1998. The film barely grossed over $7 million at the box office. After accounting for the theaters’ cut, this racially offensive film falls into the category of those that fail to recoup even their modest P&A expenses.
One viewer, who was an anthropology major in college, found the film particularly offensive, stating, “The idea that an anthropology professor could fool one person for one second with the ridiculous B.S. he makes up here is ludicrous. I believe this travesty of a movie has probably done irreparable harm to the field of anthropology.” The viewer also criticized the film for its ethnocentrism, lack of humor, and formulaic script, concluding, “Everything about this movie is disgusting — From the bathroom humor to the cookie-cutter characters and formulaic script. Everyone involved should have turned down the money and stayed home — no paycheck is worth being a part of this disgrace.”
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