One great thing about classic films is that they can offer a glimpse into the societal prejudices that existed in decades past and offer some perspective on conventions that have remained in a culture.
This month Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will present its fourth installment of “Race in Hollywood” with this year’s theme being “Native American Images in Film.” TCM host and noted film historian, Robert Osborne, will present the films along with Professor Hanay Geiogamah, UCLA’s director of American Indian Studies.
Tuesdays and Thursdays in May, Osborne and Geiogamah will introduce the films with a different themed discussion each night, including the evolution of their portrayals by director John Ford, Native Americans facing racism, and Native Americans as enemies.
Thirty films, including the independent movies “Smoke Signals” and “Black Robe,” as well as Best Picture Academy-Award winners “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Dances with Wolves,” will all be a part of TCM’s on-air event.
“Movies have always had such a tremendous impact – both positive and negative – on how different minority groups are viewed,” says Osborne on the TCM Web site. “Utilizing our expansive library, we have the opportunity to dig into such subjects more deeply than anyone else on television.”
Previous installments of “Race and Hollywood” have examined Hollywood portrayals of African Americans (2006), Asian Americans (2008), and Latinos (2009).
For more information on this month’s series, visit the Race and Hollywood: Native American Images in Film Web site.
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