Native American portrayals (group activity)

Classical Westerns (early to mid 20th century)

Native Americans portrayed as blood thirsty savages, bad guys, head dresses, bow and arrows, chases on horses.

Classical Western themes in Back to the Future 3:
We see them the first thing when going back and they were attacking him. They were there to show that he was in the west. Battle between whites and Native Americans were thrown in there to saw they were in the old west. Almost used as a prop.


Key themes/portrayals in Dances with Wolves (1990)

• Portrayed Native Americans as people that could be reasoned with and understood, but required Costner’s character to lower his standard of life to fit in with them.
  
• More complex Native American characters than the basic “bloodthirsty savages” that dominated earlier films.
  
• Music was softer and more appealing than earlier movies.
  
• Actually used Native American actors.
  
• Interesting dynamic of positively portraying Native Americans, but had to use a white man’s perspective to accomplish it.

Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black in Twilight (2008):


Twilight Casting Angers Native Americans

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