Edward Said on Orientalism

Edward Said on Orientalism is a relevant and informative film that hits home with many issues of Otherism and difference that exist today. I went into watching the film without understanding what the term “Orientalism” meant, but now I feel more educated on the topic. It is essentially the way in which other countries view Arabs and the Islam world and the discourse that surrounds these constructions. Film creators do a good job implementing Said’s interviews to strengthen certain points. Because Said is Arab himself, his insight on stereotypes from that part of the world are really valuable. A high point of the film is hearing Said’s responses to such horrific events as the Oklahoma City Bombing and news reports that vilify his entire culture. Said’s intellect and calm nature seem to drive the movie’s pace and he looks at the statements made about Arabs as a cultural phenomenon rather than a personal jab. He isn’t saying there is something fundamentally wrong with Americans for having the views they do about the Middle East. It is a construct that has been building up over time which is a huge take-away from this film.

The demonization of Islam in the popular culture is something many Americans are aware of, but the birthplace of such intensely negative generalizations is not often clear. Images of the sensual gypsy woman and the mysterious, secretive Arab world actually began showing up in artwork, as Said points out. The homogeneous and repetitive information the West received about Islam through literature and art barely changed over time, which helps to explain why the ideas we have about the Middle East are so engrained in our culture and so difficult to change. Arabs are portrayed as “villains and fanatics” as the movie puts it, or as a race that needs to be exterminated completely And because many Middle Eastern countries are dependent and subordinate to the U.S., they let these horrible stereotypes persist. Edward Said on Orientalism was made in 1998 but even today in 2012 the movie Acts of Valor shows different races as barbaric and inhumane.

Terror and violence surround the Arab image, while the mistreatment of Islam people are tolerated and sanctioned more than any other race in America. This film does a great job at explaining why. When difference is “respected and understood without coercion,” as Said says, we will really be making some progress. This quote was a great choice for a final send-off.