Anthropology In The Emerald Forest

Anthropology is the study of the development of humankind within their different cultures. When one looks inside a culture, they can see the true aspects and meanings behind a societies behavior and traits. By following the principle that is cultural relativism, one can also determine that no culture truly surpasses another culture, and that each society has key differences that are important to its culture and location. This is a method that can also be seen in many intriguing films from this semester, one in particular being The Emerald Forest. Throughout this essay, this film will be analyzed around one character who greatly represents what it means to truly immerse oneself into a different culture to gain a new perspective, and many key terms in anthropology will be explored through 4 different films from the semester.
1) a) In the classic 1985 film, The Emerald Forest, the dam built at the beginning of the movie poses a prevalent problem to the culture of the Invisible People. A part of

the land that the natives had loved and built their culture upon had been occupied by an industrial structure used to stop the forces of nature to make way for more usable land. I can distinctly remember a scene where one of the Invisible People says “When I was young, the edge of the world was very far. But every year it comes closer.” The dam was primarily built to provide more land for construction, which shows how the forest only is temporary, simply waiting for more land to be consumed by urban civilization. A strong scene that shows how the dam had a direct effect on the Invisible People is the scene where they are praying for great rain, a specific tribute to their culture, which could not possibly happen due to the dam.
1) b) At the beginning of this film, Bill Markham, also known as “Daddee,” viewed the building of the dam as beneficial to the community by creating more jobs and greater opportunities for growth. One could say that his view was representative of the Brazilian community and Western culture as a whole, simply because Markham can only see the positive impacts of the dam. Prior to building the dam, he has no inside perspective of the native people and their culture. While Markham could have taken the destruction of the rainforest into consideration, I strongly believe that he was simply trying to help represent the community by creating jobs and industrial growth.
1) c) It is quite obvious that Daddee’s perspective of the dam he helped construct at the beginning of the film did a complete one-eighty towards the end of the movie. Once Markham saw the strong negative effects that the structure had on the Invisible People’s culture, as discussed in question 1-a, he decided that the only way to fix the dam’s negative effects was to take matters into his own hands. The dramatic scene where Markham turns his feelings into actions and rebels against his former mind set by destroying the damn using dynamite is a scene that specifically shows his change of perspective.
1) d) In my opinion, Daddee’s choice was not completely responsible due to the consequences he probably experienced after ruining years’ worth of work and millions of dollars of resources used to build the dam. This being said, the decision he ultimately made by destroying the dam was one of courage and heart. Even though the choice may not be viewed as a responsible decision, it was one filled with a passion to change the lives of a group of natives who simply do not have a say in the way their environment is impacted. I definitely respect this decision, because Markham spent time and effort to create it and found the strength within himself to tear it down to fix his mistakes and to protect the Invisible People.
2.1 ) The term feral child describes a child who has grown up with little to no genuine human interaction, and has had no knowledge of human language, care, or manners. A film that represents this term perfectly is the 1994 production of Nell. In this movie, Jerome Lovell (Liam Neeson) helps a feral woman called Nell, who has only ever interacted with her deceased mother and sister, adjust to her surroundings and begin interacting with the outside world. Nell had lived alone in a cabin with her mother who had suffered a stroke, which distorted her speech and taught the young feral child to speak in their own language. The first scene that I feel displays how Nell is a feral child is when they first find her secluded in the log cabin in the North Carolina woodlands. An audience can tell from the second Lovell enters the room that Nell is not your ordinary girl simply by the way she reacts to another human. Nell immediately screams out a mix of jumbled speech and hisses at Lovell, and then proceeds to climb up onto a shelf to distance herself. These actions are obviously unlike normal human behavior, and her isolation from the world is understood immediately. Another scene that accurately describes a feral child is the scene where Nell is singing the song her mom once sang to her while mimicking a tree in the wind, as both psychologists are trying to decode the message. Her unique language and actions explain her lack of knowledge for human language and behavior, and point to the definition of feral child.
2.2 ) Participant observation is a method used for anthropologists to gain access and acceptance into a different culture a group in order to gain a better understanding of their customs, actions, and overall, society. This idea is an underlying theme of the 1990 movie, Dances with Wolves. In this film, Lieutenant John Dunbar puts in the effort to hopefully be accepted socially and culturally by the Sioux people who roam the plains of the Dakota territory. Dunbar does this in many ways, and is eventually accepted to the Sioux due to his continuous effort and determination to learn more about this culture. A scene where this method is displayed well is the scene where John Dunbar is scene trying to communicate the word “buffalo” to the Sioux People. He puts in tremendous effort to communicate with them by documenting their language into a journal, and eventually, learns it completely in order to effectively communicate with the native people. Another scene where we see Dunbar putting in effort to gain acceptance to the culture is the scene where he participates in the buffalo hunt, and aids the Indians in killing many buffalo for the well-being of the tribe. Dunbar goes as far as biting into the heart of the buffalo to show the Sioux men that he is dedicated to becoming accepted by their people. Through these actions, Dunbar slowly, but surely gains acceptance into their society and is able to better understand their motives and behaviors, so much so that he chooses their way of life over his own.
2.3 ) The term “Nanawatai” is a word in the code of the Pashtunwali people meaning sanctuary. No matter who the person, this can be asked by anyone and the Pashtun people are obligated to provide the person, friend or enemy, with hospitality and care. The Pashtunwali people are also required to protect and fight for the guest that comes to their door seeking such refuge. The first time I learned of this term was very recently, in the 1988 film The Beast. In this movie, the Mujahedeen and the Soviet Union are locked in a ferocious battle, and a T-62 Soviet tank is on the run from a group of the local mujahedeen. A scene that perfectly shows this term in action begins when a cynical Soviet named Daskal banishes one of his tank men, Koverchenko, and leaves him for dead tied to a rock, a group of mujahedeen women stumble upon the helpless man. They begin to throw stones at the Soviet, but as soon as Koverchenko speaks the word “nanawatai,” the women are instantly commanded to stop by the Mujahedeen men. These people take the Soviet man in and feed him, even though he is part of the enemy who attacked their small village. The code of the Pashtunwali people is strongly displayed in this specific scene, and it truly shows how loyal they are to the Pashtun code.
2.4 ) Cultural appropriation is the taking of a belonging that belongs, and is important, to another culture without permission.

This can include valuable elements or artifacts belonging to a different culture, and can easily be a violation of their rights. In the 1981 movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Dr. Indian Jones seems to be a master of appropriating cultural artifacts coveted by other cultures. A scene that portrays this idea is the scene at the beginning of the film where Indy is determined to steal a golden idol from a South American Tribe. It is obvious by the many booby-traps that protect this idol, that the tribe members do not want this item out of their possession. Though its importance to the tribe is quite clear, Indy dodges the traps in order to retrieve the idol for his own motives. While he does not successfully get away with this mission, his little disregard for the tribe’s important artifact is definitely noted through his reckless attempt to retrieve

it.
Through a semester in anthropology at the movies, I have truly gained a completely new perspective on how to view different cultures. While also having the opportunity to see many new movies, I was also able to use these cinemas to gain real insight on key aspects of cultural anthropology. From participant observation in Dances with Wolves, to cultural appropriation in Raiders of the Lost Ark, anthropology at the movies has taught me negative and positive ways to view and treat different cultures than my own.