So White Zombie was not what I was expecting. The zombies weren't oozing from any of their orifices, they weren't gnawing anyone's arm off! How boring.
I've been interested in the religion of voodoo since I took Musics of the World. We listened to music associated with voodoo and we also learned that voodoo is not what Hollywood has made it out to be. It is not all about voodoo dolls and evildoing. Much of it is about goodness and well being. But that wouldn't make an exciting Hollywood movie. So of course, in White Zombie, we see the result of voodoo, zombies.
The natives are obviously not represented positively in this film. We really only see them in the beginning funeral ceremony and as zombies themselves. When this film was made, the United States was occupying Haiti. However, that is not presented in the film. The American leads are obviously the heroes of the film. The foreign Legendre is the evil zombie leader. So creepy.
I totally saw the Dracula side of Bela Lugosi in this film. His crazy eyes and wacko eyebrows, as well as the sinister facial hair.
I was reminded of Stagecoach at one point. Madeline's body was discovered to be missing from her grave and Dr. Bruner suggested that she may have been kidnapped. And then Madeline's new husband, Neil, replied, "Surely, you don't mean she's alive? In the hands of natives? God, no! She's better dead than that!" This is just like when Mr. Hatfield would rather murder Mrs. Mallory, rather than let her be kidnapped by the Native Americans. This shows the stereotype held for natives, considering them all to be savage and apt to rape the white women, and rob them of their virtue.
It is ironic, though, as we discussed in class, that it is the upper class, white American man who captures Madeline and makes her his zombie love slave.
I didn't agree with Tony Williams' assertion that Neil had necrophiliac impulses. Just because Neil said "I kissed Madeline when she lay in the coffin and her lips were cold", does not mean he wanted her sexually when she was dead. Neil was obviously overcome with grief. He kissed the lips of his new bride, they were cold, he thought her to be dead without a doubt. A suggestion that she might still be alive confused him. I really don't think he was a necrophiliac.
Mr. Beaumont, on the other hand, was a weirdo. At first, I thought he was kind of sweet. He was feeling down because of unrequited love. He tried to show Madeline how much he loved her and all the happiness he could offer to her. However, I'm pretty sure they had just met on the boat days before... so I don't think it was really LOVE he was feeling for her.
The fact that the freak was willing to turn the "love of his life" into a zombie just so he could have her was dumb and gross. And obviously using her as a lifeless vessel was not satisfying to him after all. It was kind of cool that Beaumont missed Madeline's real personality and wanted to give her soul back to her. However, it was still totally screwed up that he turned her into a zombie in the first place.
Overall, the movie was pretty bizarre. Zombies were just freely walking around Haiti and everyone seemed to know about it. And everything got crazy really quickly. Everyone was turning into a zombie, Neil was a blithering idiot. And then suddenly, Madeline is human again, Neil is coherent, Legendre is dead, as is Beaumont. And then everything is happy and well!
Bizarre and abrupt, but nonetheless, happy, was the ending.
OK I don't think the natives are being portrayed poorly in the film, true we really only see them at the beginning of the film when they are burying their dead, but what is wrong with that? They are trying to protect the remains of their loved ones from turning into Zombies. In fact its not even a native who is causing the troubles... those are all caused by Lugosi's character. Lugosi stole all his powers from a witch doctor who was probably a native.
ReplyDeleteAlso the idea that Beaumont doesn't love Madeline doesn't seem to fit for me. Yes he has only known her for a few days but that doesn't mean there was no real love, come on haven't you ever heard of love at first sight? I don't think Beaumont would have minded Madeline as a mindless Zombie if he just wanted her as a pretty trinket he could take out and admire whenever he wanted. No I think that he truly loved her but was so desperate to claim her he thought that even if she was turned into a Zombie his love could bring her back and when it didn't and he saw what she had become he was reminded of why he truly loved her...he liveliness. So he was willing to give her back to Neil and risk her hating him forever just to see the lively sparkle of her eyes once more.
Alright I’m going to try and respond to both people here.
ReplyDeleteFirst, Maggie, if we look at this film from the view that the article takes, do you think it’s significant that Beaumont, “a white American man”, decides to try and take back what he has done? The article mentions that Neil (which I believe is the American lead you are referring to) is in some ways the hero. But from a historical perspective, he is just as much of the villain because he is part of American colonialism. Do you think the film recognizes this in any ways or do you think they cover up this particular fact about his character? Also, I just wanted to say that I agree with your statement about necrophilia. When I read that, I felt as if the author was reaching for connections that really didn’t matter and were overall not well supported.
Jackinthebox, I think it was really good that you clarified that Lugosi’s character, the one who was doing the most evil throughout the film, was not native at all. In my post I mentioned that it was obvious to me that he represented American and European colonialism (including control and forced slavery). As far as how the people of Haiti, or the “natives”, are portrayed, I’m a little bit torn. I would agree that they are not exactly being show in a negative light but do you think that they are being represented positively? They are shown as being zombies throughout the entire film. In my opinion, I don’t think it was the filmmaker’s goals to show the native people in a positive or a negative light. Rather, if they were trying to show something beyond a piece of entertainment, I think that they could’ve simply been trying to show the unfortunate and unfair treatment that they had to experience. But I guess the question is: If we sympathize with the people of Haiti, does that mean they are being shown positively or negatively? Overall though, I want to recognize that this debate really doesn’t matter that much.
"Overall, the movie was pretty bizarre. Zombies were just freely walking around Haiti..."
ReplyDeleteYou know what, i had that same comment. Why was their no law enforcement or "army" coming after these zombies? and it did seem as though they were just all over the island.
"However, I'm pretty sure they had just met on the boat days before... so I don't think it was really LOVE he was feeling for her."
I also agree with you on this. Infatuation must have driven him to some crazy things. Have you ever seen The Phantom Of the Opera? Beaumont Reminded me of the Phantom in many ways, was infatuated with the woman yet knew nothing about her, would go to endless lengths just to be with her, resorts to vengeful acts when he cannot have her...
I really like the comments here--the whole discussion is getting more interesting and complicated.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that zombies are everywhere and nobody does anything about it makes more sense when you quit looking for the shuffling flesh eaters of recent zombie moves, and realize that the zombies are slaves. Nobody does anything about it, because that's how things are in this movie. The bad guys aren't the zombies, but the rich Europeans and Americans who run things. For me, that's what's most interesting.