| Since the advent of cinema, the Arab has served as the quintessential Other in American films, different and inferior in most respects. American cinema produced hundreds of films with major depictions of Arabs, which presented a wide array of stereotypes associating Arabs and the Arab culture with exoticism, hedonism, sexuality, and violence. Hollywood construction of Arab stereotypes has reflected the myriad influences that have shaped the interactions between the West and the Arab world. I analyze the Arab image in relation to the historical, political, and cultural dynamics between the West, particularly the United States, and the Arab world, discussing the influences of the construction of Otherness and the Enemy, Orientalism, anthropology, literature, travel writing, reader response, and Arab-Americans.;Hollywood images of Arabs reflect the longstanding Western dichotomous attitude of fascination and disgust with the Arab culture. Early American films associated Arabs with exoticism, fantasy, and sexuality in the numerous films of belly dancers, exotic performances, tales of the Arabian Nights, and harems. Since then, the Hollywood-Arab image has grown progressively worse, evolving from functioning as the Other to functioning as the Enemy as well, illustrated by Hollywood films of the 1980's and 1990's with prevalent depictions of Arab acts of violence and terrorism.;I provide contextual readings of three of the most significant Hollywood films of Arabs---Algiers (1938), Protocol (1984), and True Lies (1994). Algiers demonstrates the dynamics of Orientalism and Colonialism, the feminization of the Arab world, and the absence of any unqualifiedly positive portrayal of Arab characters. Protocol, is unique since it engendered strong protest from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination committee leading to direct negotiation with the producers during production, which I examine closely in relation to protest and reader response. True Lies is a good example of the representation of the Arab as the Enemy in the American culture. I analyze this film in relation to politics, Arab terrorism, propaganda, protest, and the failure of the Arab-American protest. Finally, I argue that Hollywood's unfavorable depictions of Arabs will persist unless the dynamics between America and the Arab world change, and Arab-Americans gain political clout. |
