Tuesday, August 27, 2019

British and French Colonies. Claire Denis Chocolat (1988) Essay

British and French Colonies. Claire Denis Chocolat (1988) - Essay Example One of her best memories was about their family’s house help whose name was Protee. He possessed a number of desirable traits which included being noble, handsome and extremely intelligent. This movie has a rich history about the colonial empires and it offers a lot of information about the French racial tensions and conflicts and that is the key focus of the following essay. This form of manipulation was portrayed in form of actions occurring in the fields rather than verbally. The French colonists practiced racism both publicly and privately. This was as a result of different people living in different areas and under different circumstances. The movie portrays a very serene environment where France and her family under the care of their father who was a captain in the French army (Beugnet, 2004). Their servants faced racial discrimination both in the house and in the fields. This was clearly manifested by the way the servants, who were all black Africans, were being treated . For example, the servants were forced to do everything in the public, which included taking a shower and eating among others. This was very immoral and unjust according to the societal norms. On the other hand, the whites did everything in private, including sleeping in their bedrooms, bathing in the bathrooms and eating in the dining rooms among others. The French colonial empire also caused unnecessary sexual attraction between members of the opposite sex. This was clearly manifested by Protee, the young boy servant and Aimee. The two were noted to like each other as a result of Aimee always seeing Protee taking a bath in the open field in front of the house. This sexual desire was as a result of the immoral actions brought about by colonialism. This state had both positive and negative effects on the subjects, for the poor little servant, it was a form of humiliation having to be seen naked all the time he decided to take a bath. On the flip side, it also had some positive effe cts, as from it, Aimee developed feelings towards him. The idea of having the power to rule over others led to a lot of conflicts and tensions both within and outside the house. For example, in the kitchen, the black African cook and Aimee had issues due to language barrier and power prevelance. Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players) The film is focused on various aspects that are characterized by social, political and economic elements in India in the beginning of the 19th century. The events that are focused on the movie are mainly drawn from the eve of the rebellion of India against the British powers in the year 1857 (Dube, 2005). These events included appropriation of the kingdom of Awadh by the British powers, politics that surrounded the development of the East India Company which was owned by the British colony and also the inevitable splitting up of the Indian royals. The film is composed of two stories that run concurrently. One is the story of the invasion of the Indian kingdoms by the British colonial powers and the second one is the reaction of two inseparable friends who are deep lovers of Chess. The two friends are so much into the game of chess to a point that they neglect their vital responsibilities including their families. The two go into exile to a village that is untroubled by the rising events caused by the invasion of the British colony so that they can play Chess in peace. The movie brings out various perceptions about the British colonial powers which include their superiority, friendliness and wealthy. The

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