Post-colonialism is sometimes described as an intellectual direction or post-colonial theory. The approach developed during the 20th century in the time after colonialism was brought to award, when the former colonial countries became independent. Recently, post-colonialism has developed. In the past, post-colonialism had been used to explain historical, literary and political aspects, but nowadays the concept is also used to give an access to culture and identity. In this case identity focuses on the positions of at least two cultures involved in the colonizing process. On the one hand, the country which has been colonized has to be considered as well as the powerful colonizing country. When it comes to culture, cinema plays a crucial part in reflecting upon aspects of (post-)colonialism and its aftereffects.
When we speak about Post-Colonialism, in general, it can be characterized as the “study of the cultural interaction between colonizing powers and the societies they colonized, and the traces this interaction left on the literature, arts and human sciences of both societies” (Bahri/ Vasudeva 1996: 137-8, cited in Stam 292). The term of ‘decolonization’ is an important issue here. Decolonization refers to the process by which former ideas of colonial countries are replaced through changes of the collective images which dominated people‘s minds. It tries to deconstruct old-fashioned ideas and understandings, mostly from people living in a colonized country because they were forced to adopt supposedly ‘civilizing’ Western values and norms. This leads to the most important problem in Post-Colonialism. Natives involuntarily adjusted so strongly to imposed Western values because they got punished if they had refused, which caused an increasing loss of own traditions. Even after they gained independence, it is no exception that former colonized people act as if they were still under the suppressors‘ power. Decolonization means in this case that both parties, the natives and the suppressors, have to accept the postcolonial situation. Natives need to reactivate their traditions and mother tongue, to live in their own culture and to be aware that they just regained their lost power and the suppressors have to acknowledge that they lost their power. That is what decolonization is all about; mental and physical procedures, concerning the loss and the regain of power, the related acceptance, and the acclimatization of the new situation (cf. nilsole.net).
Additionally to the term of decolonization the following ones have a high importance likewise. A significant difference exists between the terms „Third Cinema“ and „Third World Cinema“. Third Cinema (First Cinema is Hollywood and Second Cinema explains European art cinema) is a project, guided by principles to challenge power structures. Films which are described as Third Cinema films are often created by producers who live in Third World areas and who address people living there as well (see Kim Dodge. “What is Third Cinema?” In: Thirdcinema.Blueskylimit.com. 2010. Web. July, 2013.). Recently, many films which are made by filmmakers coming from the Second or the First World, are entitled to be Third Cinema films as well. That is possible as long as the films get involved with the “guiding principles and are made in support of the Third World perspective.” Guiding principles are for example the aim of liberation, regardless to kind of oppression (race, gender, religion and class), or the background of power, especially “in colonialism and its legacies” (idem: Dodge 2010). Third World Cinema on the contrary (interesting is that the term ‘Third World’ is used, although it is a creation of the First World, that immediately discriminates the nowadays called ‘developing countries’) is a much broader term. Films are called Third World Films when they are produced in Hollywood, but depict a Third World country. In this context, Third World Cinema is a good example for a concept called “hybrid identites,” invented by postcolonial theorist Homi K. Bhabha. Third World Cinema as well as hybridity both reflect on the loss of clearly defined national identities and the blending of features of two different cultures into one identity. As soon as people from “First World” countries produce a movie about a “Third World” country, a hybrid identity is established as the director creates a certain image about the depicted country that is influenced by his subjective perspective and values, experiences and personal commitment. At the same time, he or she tries to illustrate typical aspects of the featured culture which leads to the previously mentioned interfusing of the “real” attributes of the country that is represented and the ones that are ascribed to it by the producing nation.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008), is a perfect example for discussing Third World Cinema and Post-Colonialism. Even if Slumdog Millionaire is about life in India, the background is completely British and American. Danny Boyle, the director of Slumdog Millionaire, is British and even if he tried to make his impression about India as objective as possible, his view is influenced by his British origin. This interaction between director and film is like the relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed. In this case, Danny Boyle is in the position of the oppressor and India in the oppressed one. Just as Britain and India back then when Britain ruled over India. Accordingly, Post-Colonialism is not over. Furthermore, Slumdog Millionaires‘ plot is influenced by Hollywood. Jamal, “[a] Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?. He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers.” (see Imdb.com. Web. July, 2013.) That is the main story and what the film should be about. Since the film has Hollywood co-producers–who are always looking for the best possible economic profit–, the story’s appeal is owed by a love story. Jamal finds his lost girlfriend Latika with the help of the show, they defeat the bad, however, and live happily ever after. Actually, the movie would also work without the love story but maybe, it would not have been such a commercial success then. Another important fact showing that Slumdog Millionaire is more a First or Second World Cinema film than a Third World Cinema film is that Warner Independent Pictures, an American production enterprise, is one of the co-production companies. What elsewhere has been criticized about the movie is, for instance, that the living situation of the young actors, who performed as the young Jamal and Latika, has not changed through the movie. They still live in the slums of Mumbai and did not get anything of the advantages resulting from the film. The big companies which have enough money get the whole benefit while unknown actors are supposedly exploited, which again leads me back to my previous statement that colonialism is not over yet. Althoug India should be independent by now, the country still suffers from being oppressed or at least displaced by powerful Western imperial powers. Only those who can help to increase the commercial success are of major interest and child actors definitely cannot be seen as such.
After having a deeper insight in the concept of Post-Colonialism, I would argue that it is rather a draft or an intermediate form of our contemporary cultural understanding that still develops. If, as stated above, decolonization is about mutually accepting the loss and regain of power, about redifining national identities, then it is only logical that all cultures are arranged in a status of advancement. This is also true for Postcolonial Cinema. No matter if we talk about Third Cinema or Third World Cinema, it always comes down to power relations and creating identities. The only thing that is new about Post-Colonialism in contrast to the colonial past, is that by now cultures are influencing each other reciprocally, at least to a certain extent. Of course, we are not at the point yet, at which the former colonizers and colonized countries are equals and affect each other similarly. But in acknowledging the shifting power relations, we are getting there. In the whole process, hybrid identities are created, based on mutual inducements yet again. Howsoever, even these identities are far from being fixed. As long as formerly colonized countries try to redefine their own identities, the intermingled hybrid identities change likewise. Accordingly, Post-Colonialism is an on-going ‘do-it-yourself’ process. Despite all the talk about reciprocal influencing and aspired equality between the different nations, it still needs to be kept in mind that Western or “First World” countries probably will always feel superior to others and might suppress them in whatever kind of way, at least as I think. It is true, that compared to colonial times, all nations are more independent in the 21st century, but they are still far away from being equals. As seen exemplarily in Slumdog Millionaire, this applies as well for post-colonial cinema.
Franzi Zerau
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Works cited:
Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. Routledge, 1994. Print.
“Post-Colonialism: Definition, Development and Examples from India“. In: Nilsole.net, 2008. Blog. (Date of Access 17 July 2013)
Stam, Robert. Film Theory. An Introduction. Blackwell Publishers, 2008 [1999]. Print.
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