Scholarly Work - Indigenous Research Initiative
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/15852
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Item Escaping suburbia : the return to nature and the noble savage(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2014) Maddaus, Ian Frederick; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Theo LipfertNoble Savage mythology appears in many films that depict Native Americans. In these films a character or characters will represent the wild, natural and savage side of this myth and other characters represent civilized society but also moral corruption. The natural and savage character will clash with members of civilized society and will be threatened or killed. In this paper I will show that the events and characters in some suburban films draw from these same Noble Savage myths and cultural beliefs. I will discuss these tropes in the films E.T. The Extraterrestrial, The Ice Storm, American Beauty, and Ordinary People. In these films the wild and savage side is valorized and the civilized side is denounced. I will show that this mythology has permeated into our cultural beliefs so thoroughly that it appears in films that have little to do with the original cultural, geographical and historical context that first produced this mythology.Item Mythologizing the history of Easter Island through documentary films(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2005) Boyd, Laura Jean; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Dennis Aig.Documentaries have the power to rewrite history and perpetuate myths in our society. In the case of Easter Island, documentary filmmakers have sensationalized the history of the Rapa Nui people, dwelling on dramatic concepts such as eco-disaster, cannibalism and mysteriously vanishing cultures. As a result of poor filmmaking, we have a mythologized history of Easter Island. In my attempt to create a science-based documentary about an issue affecting contemporary Easter Island society, this mythologizing of history became a major obstacle. It became apparent that I had to first inform audiences to the fact that they had been misinformed by previous documentaries about Easter Island and I had to change their interpretation of the alleged facts. In my thesis paper I examine the documentaries that created sensational statements about the island and reveal why documentary filmmakers rely on dramatic elements. I also examine my approach to the process of making my graduate thesis film, Caballo Loco on Easter Island, and review the methods I used to ensure the people of Rapa Nui were accurately represented.