Hidalgo Hopkins Mustang
Hidalgo (2004), is set both in the American West and in the sands of the Middle East at the end of the nineteenth century. It is a story of self-discovery, determination and of cultural difference and struggle. It takes the legendary story of Frank T. Hopkins, a ‘half-breed' American, and places him in a land so dissimilar from his own, yet it has some of the same prejudices, only exhibited in different forms.
The story line for this film provides themes of otherness and exceptionalist attitudes. As a historical dramatization, it begins with Hopkins working as a courier for the U.S. Army on the Western Front. He witnesses the massacre of Native Americans at Wounded Knee, of people who were his kin. Hopkins, an expert rider, mentally and emotional falls apart after this incident. While destroying himself with regular intoxication he holds employment with Wild Buffalo Bill's travelling circus—ironically re-enacting the same battle as one of courage and triumph, rather than as the slaughter it was. He was struggling with the ‘otherness' attitudes of the white man against the native American, while he tried to disguise his identity, posing as white when actually part native American. He was coping with has been described by Michael Foucault as the West's habit of classifying others, “to know what properly appertains to one individual is to have before one the classification—or the possibility of classifying—all others,” (Said, 2003, 119). Thus, the civilized people were ‘white men' and the indigenous savages were the ‘red men' and were subsequently treated as a lower class of human.
Hidalgo, Hopkins' mustang had achieved repute as the finest horse on earth, due to the many endurance races that Hopkins' had won riding his horse. This reputation even reached the Middle East, and a Sheikh sent his messenger to challenge Hidalgo's title, in the belief that purebred Arabian horses were far superior to any crossbreed horse. With his life in shambles, Hopkins made the trip to participate in the race across the Arabian Desert that lost most of its competitors in death. It was here he faced a different sort of hostility—that of being a heathen imbecile and a white man. He was consistently
harassed and became nearly lost his manhood after being falsely accused of touching the Sheikh's daughter. He experienced the question of whether one can “divide human
reality, as indeed human reality seems to be divided, into clearly different cultures, histories, traditions, societies, and survive the consequences humanly…Is there any way to avoid the hostility of the expression, say, of men into ‘us' (Westerners) and ‘they' (Orientals),” (Said, 2003, 45).
Towards the end of the race, Hopkins is struggling to survive against the elements and he has a spiritual reawakening. In this experience, he reconnects with his Native American heritage and with the strength of this, is able to overcome and win the race. Upon returning home, he endeavours to save the mustang herd from being shot to extinction by the U.S. army. He then frees his beloved Hidalgo to run free with the mustangs that he rescued.
The Motorcycle Diaries
The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), is a biographical account of a journey made around South America by Ernesto Guevara, the man who later became known as the revolutionary ‘Che'. It is taken from the accounts of diaries maintained by Guevara and his travelling companion Alberto Granada. The story shows the experiences that help to shape the thinking of Guevara, which later spurred him on to his revolutionary activities against the establishment, helping to form his ideal of the way things should be.
Guevara was a medical student, close to completing his education when he and his friend, Granada decided to take an eight month adventure around South America. The object of this trip was two fold: to seek adventure and knowledge the continent and to seduce as many beauties as possible. They embarked from Guevara's middle-class family home, among well wishes and admonishment to mind his health, as he suffered from asthma. The story is full of the usual mishaps that occur on such ventures—running out of money, vehicle accidents and doing anything for a meal. In spite of his own lack of funds, Guevara carried some American dollars from his girlfriend that were earmarked for a special possession she wanted. He refused to use her money even when they had nothing else.
The sites and situations they encountered greatly impacted middle-class Guevara's mindset. He finds it difficult to cope with the social realities of most of the indigenous people of South America, people that were once part of strong and proud civilizations. They had become beat down by the system imposed by imperialism of the West. Upon their travels, the happen upon a couple on the run and looking for work. They had been chased from their home-because they were Communists, and they feared for their very lives. As part of the bourgeois social class, Guevara and Granada were unable to admit that they weren't also looking for work. This was followed by a scene at a local mine, where they saw the workers being exploited and underpaid so the mine could make a profit. This led Guevara to be similar to Marx in that “An end to alienation, exploitation and estrangement was Marx's main political aspiration,” (Burchill, 2005, 113).
The also spend several week volunteering at a leper colony. Here the unwell were segregated from the well and learned by a large river. They are treated as social outcasts and untouchable. Guevara ignored the rules of the colony and moved among them as if they were ordinary people—even touching them to the dismay and shock of many. He felt as is their isolation and exclusion was an injustice to humanity. “It is recogonized that the development of a universal communication community requires the removal of all ‘asymetries' in society,” (Burchill, 2005, 132). At the final night with the colony despite his asthmatic condition, swims the large river to spend the night with the lepers on the other side. This became indicative of him casting aside his middle-class background and jointing the plight of the common man.
Blood Diamond
Blood Diamond (2006), is a set in the civil war torn African country of Sierra Leone during the late 1990's when the control of the country was being fought over by the government and military mercenaries. This strife made it possible for dubious characters to gain control of the mining of diamonds in the country. The high cost of the operation of mining for these diamonds in human sacrifice is where they acquire the name of ‘blood diamonds'.
The film tells the story of several main characters, each with their own purpose, eventually crossing paths and working together to achieve their goals. These characters are Solomon Dandy, Danny Archer and Maddy Bowen. They are each in the country for different reasons. For Dandy, it is the need to survive, for Archer it is the pursuit of wealth and Bowen is there for humanitarian causes. The story shows the problems of anarchy, national security and humanitarian issues that are dominant in the realm of international relations.
Solomon Dandy is a local fisherman, just trying to provide for his family and see that his children receive a good education. When there village is attacked by the military rebels, his family is dispersed and he is sent to become a slave in the diamond mines. Here he finds a very large diamond, but manages to bury it before it is noticed by the overseers. He later manages to escape.
Seeking to find a fortune and retire, Danny Archer is in the pursuit of diamonds to sell in Europe, which he acquires by from the militia by exchanging arms for diamonds. He is caught smuggling in a neighbouring country and his diamonds are confiscated. While sitting in jail, he overhears the rumour of the large diamond buried by Solomon and decides to find it. When he is released from jail, he arranges for Solomon's release and makes a pact with Solomon. If Archer gets the diamond, he will help find Solomon's family.
At a bar Archer and Maddy Bowen cross paths. She is a journalist in the hunt of a good story about blood diamonds and realises that Archer could have her story. He agrees
to give her information, providing she uses her connections in the humanitarian field to find Solomon's family.
Meanwhile, Solomon's son has been trained as child soldier and is being specifically hardened to kill his father on sight, as rumour has reached the mines that Solomon has buried this large diamond. Archer uses his private military connections to set up the destruction of the mine and the slave camp that operates it. They are just able to save Solomon's son from the destruction and the diamond is also recovered. Unfortunately, Archer is fatally wounded in the end of the story, but humanitarian message that Maddy was seeking is delivered through Solomon in Europe, where his family seek haven. Here they are able to bring the plight of the inhabitants of Sierra Leone being caused by the greed for diamonds in Europe to the attention of the media, industry regulatory officials and to the government.
The Last King of Scotland
The Last King of Scotland (2006) is a dramatization based on a novel telling the experiences of a Scottish doctor who worked for Idi Amin, dictator of Uganda. It fully depicts the rampant evils, brutality and corruption that occur in despotic regimes. It shows the transition of a democratically elected leader, who lets power go to his head, turn into a monster destroying the lives of many—following the adage that ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely'. The story is about the reign of Idi Amin as seen through the eyes of Nicholas Garrigan. Garrigan is a young, newly trained doctor who decided to go to Africa for adventure, wishing to be free of Scotland for a time and out of idealism, thinking he has the possibility to really make a difference in the world.
Garrigan first sees Amin giving a speech in a village where he is doing some medical work. He is impressed with the promises, rhetoric and presence of the leader and his ability to woo the crowds. He leaves the villages, but is soon after chased by some of Amin's guards, who demand he return to the village, as there has been an accident. The victim of the accident is an unsuspecting bovine. Realizing he is unable to treat the animal simply pulls out a revolver and kills the animal. The security guards nearly shoot Garrigan for pulling a weapon around the President commands for them to stand down. Impressed with the doctor, the Amin commandeers him to become his personal physician.
As Amin's new favourite employee, Garrigan become confidant in personal and matters of state. His advice is rewarded with luxury goods and accommodation and becomes the director of the main state hospital. While working in the hospital he is soon required to cover up for Amin's ‘sins' by performing dubious medical procedures and falsifying records. He also has an affair with on of Amin's lesser wives and she becomes pregnant. She begs him to perform an abortion, but they have already been discovered and she is murdered.
Garrigan now realises too late that Amin is a lunatic and tries to leave Uganda. He tries to solicit the help of the British consulate, but they refuse to—agreeing only to help if Garrigan assassinates Amin. The plot is discovered and Garrigan is taken into custody
by Amin's henchmen and is nearly tortured and beaten to death. He is only saved by the circumstances of airline hostage situation, where someone distracts Amin—convincing him that it is his change to show the world what a great leader he is for Uganda. Garrigan is smuggled onto the airline and is able to escape.
The Last King of Scotland shows the fear society that those under dictatorial regimes must deal with. They live under fear and repression; there is no respect for human life nor acknowledgement of individual human rights. These types of humanitarian crises are of great concern in the field of international relations as it is highly important for a state to be subject to the needs of its people; if it is not, it is not only a threat to the well-being of its citizens, but also a security threat to other parts of the world.
Bibliography
Burchill, Scott, 2005, Theories of International Relations, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, Hampshire.
Said, Edward W. 2003. Orientalism. Penguin Group. London.
Machiavelli, Niccolo, 1998, The Prince, Oxford University Press, New York.
Prentki, Tim, 2007, Any Colour of the Rainbow: as Long as it's Grey, University of Winchester.
Sharansky, Natan, 2006, The Case for Democracy, Public Affairs, New York
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