Melodrama: a drama accompanied by music, having deep emotional or theatrical qualities. This week we took a look at melodrama both as a genre and as a modal for making films. Watching the silent melodrama Redskin (1929) characterizes quite a few aspects of melodrama, two are the emphasis on the emotional through close-ups and highlighting a political issue.
In light of the silent nature of the film a heavy responsibility is placed on the actors to convey emotions through their facial expressions and body language. The film Redskin often brought close-ups of faces to magnify their feeling. One scene in particular that I am thinking of is prior to the dance, Corn Blossom (played by Gladys Belmont) being summoned home by her parents Wing Foot (Richard Dix) is begging to go with her. He is torn by the responsibly to stay and she wanting to be with her mother and the love of her life is torn as well. The director, James Young Deer, cut from his face to her face to dialogue and then back and forth again. Because we cant actually hear what they’re saying its extremely important that we are to feel the struggle that both our main characters are feeling through their faces.
Melodramas often take on a political stance and attempt to shed light on the injustices of the world. In Redskin the harsh realities of Indian Boarding schools and the assimilation of Indians into the “cultured” world is shown as failing, Wing Foot unable to relate to either the white world or his own Navajo culture. Redskin promotes the joining of two Indian cultures, the Pueblo and the Navajo, through the union of Corm Blossom and Wing Foot. It also shows both the good and evil sides of white interactions with Indians. The evil, in the altercation at the dance between Wing Foot and the jocks; and the good in the school teachers reluctance to love the ranger unless he can respect the Indian children also he and her helping Corn Blossom escape from her parents refusal to let her be with Wing Foot.
Over all I loved the movie Redskin, it’s the first movie we have seen so far that has true character progression following Wing Foot and Corn Blossom from their childhood beginnings to a fully formed relationship that brings together two tribal nations and triumphs over their oppression in the city. The advancement in color, showing beautiful scenes of New Mexico and intricately woven fabrics, was outstanding for the time.
Brie, I'd agree with you on both counts: the closeups that show reactions are crucial to our understanding of what's being said, and the schoolteacher's refusal to marry John unless he shows the same sensitivity to Native culture that she's trying to exhibit is also important. (By the way, James Young Deer directed _White Fawn's Devotion_; the director of _Redskin_ is Victor Schertzinger.
ReplyDelete