Foreign Affairs

In film and television, the portrayal of foreign actors varies, but they are often viewed through a very stereotypical viewpoint. Often times when watching American-made films, non-American actors are seen negatively. It’s become more and more common to see foreign actors portraying the bad guys in film. A recent film that I immediately think of is the film, No Country for Old Men. Javier Bardem plays the evil character in the film and is one of the very few non-American actors in the film.

It’s also becoming very common in films to see foreign actors speak in an American accent. Actors like Isla Fischer, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman rarely act in their native Australian tongue. Even I was surprised to discover that Christian Bale isn’t American. And I’m not alone in this, many Americans never realize that these actors aren’t from the United States.

Often times in film, we are interpreting international characters and places through an American gaze. We are either looking at international characters as something evil and negative or we look at them as either beautiful, exotic and untouchable. In films shot in Paris, London and Madrid, you never see the impoverished areas of town. You all see the glitz and glamour, which is not always the reality. And when we aren’t making international characters and places look perfect, we make them seem scary and negative. There never seems to be a happy, realistic medium.