Savagery and the American Indian

750 Words3 Pages
English Essay – Savagery and the American Indian The documentary Savagery and the American Indian, produced by ‘’gives a view as to what happened when the Europeans tried to make a settlement on America, which was home to Indians. The documentary takes a bias view towards the Indians showing how the Europeans stole the Indians land and made it theirs. The director of the documentary uses many techniques to make viewers feel sympathetic towards the Indians rather than the Europeans. The techniques he uses are Music and SFX, interviews (list rest). These techniques create the director’s view and are used to influence viewer’s responses and how they feel towards this situation. The director uses the technique selection of detail to make viewers feel sympathetic towards the Indians by showing many examples of Indians being massacred by the Europeans. Music and SFX is used during these massacres like screams from the Indians as they’re being shot, and in all these massacres not one European is shown to be killed. Many techniques are imposed during these scenes and all of them are giving viewers the feeling of sympathy towards the Indians. Despite the documentary many Europeans were killed during these massacres as well as Indians. The director not showing the Europeans being killed is a form of selection of detail. This takes away our traditional views of Indians from the old Cowboy and Indian movies where Indians kidnapped women and children and the white people were there savior. When the Europeans settled in America they tried to recreate Britain in this land but the climate, plants and animals were totally different so they were upsetting the natural ecosystem of the land. Whereas this is what the Indians had successfully not done by harvesting only what they need. Whereas the Europeans were shown to take large amounts of food, water and crops form the land
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