Section 6: The Angry Hawaiian

   


Since the late 1960's many movies made in or about Hawaii have depicted the native or local people as angry, threatened/threatening and violent in relations with Euroamericans, or haole, as well as each other.  Movies such as Aloha Summer, set in Hawaii during statehood, depicts a coming of age story for a group of young men and their families visiting Hawaii.  Interactions with locals did not always go well between the males in the film, with racism still clearly seen between both cultures as well as within the classes of the haole who are visiting.  

     In 1987, the movie North Shore depicts another non-local arriving in Hawaii with the main theme of cultural differences between the locals and the haole and rights to the ocean, the land, and what is still perceived as inter-racial as well as a inter-class relationships.  Hollywood uses films such as North Shore as a negative representation of locals as very territorial, a much different perception from movies such as Blue Hawaii which served to invite outsiders in.

     With 1998's Beyond Paradise, the anger that the locals are depicted as having extends more towards each other than towards the haole.  The other consistent theme we see is in how the locals live:  typically in poor, undeveloped areas which could now be viewed as sustainable living, but back then and especially to outsiders, was viewed as a class division clearly marking locals as poor.

     This "angry Hawaiian" theme ties in with the Hawaiian sovereignty movements that began in the 1970's.  While the era saw the revival of interest in Hawaiian music, dance, language and culture within the State of Hawaii, Hollywood chose plots that depicted the people as selfish, uneducated, violent, poor and aggressive much more than did the earlier films such as Bird of Paradise.

Section 5: Tiki Tacky Too!

   

     The year 1958 brought another fantastic (insert sarcasm) film to the big screen in Roger Corman's She Gods of Shark Reef.  This fascinating tale of two brothers, wanted by police for the crimes by one brother, wash ashore after a shipwreck on a uncharted island populated by beautiful island women.  Lest anyone think they had died and went to paradise, there is much mystery and suspense surrounding the customs of the women and their shark god.

     The island women are shown dancing a relatively authentic hula, with the exception of young Mahia, whom one of the brothers falls for.  As is typical of these movies, there are many scenes underwater not only including the shark, but also a very ominous looking tiki that marks the area where the young virginal women are sacrificed to the shark god.  The movie poster (seen above) also displays the tiki artwork. Tiki is present in many movies and television shows whenever Hollywood wants to indicate something as taboo or forbidden.  Yet the tiki itself spawned an entire culture as a theme that represented an escape for people in the 50's and 60's.

     In another example of tiki in film, The Brady Bunch took their viewers to Hawaii in in 1972.  Among all the different aspects of Hawaiian culture encountered by the Brady's in Hawaii, Bobby finding a tiki at work site they were visiting.  At first believing it was a good luck charm, the Brady boys quickly decided it was actually bad luck when one accident or incident happened after another, especially to those wearing the tiki.

     In an effort to rid themselves of the bad luck, they visit Mr. Hanalei, who tells them the legend of the tiki and how it must be returned to its rightful place in order to stop the bad from happening.  As a local who grew up on the legends of Hawaii, I am always frustrated when visitors would take for granted the stories of Hawaiian culture and believe themselves immune to such warnings of bad luck. It shows a  disrespect for the culture.

     In 2008 the article "Tiki Doen't Have To Be Tacky" in the Wall Street Journal shared the history of the tiki culture and how it had waned by the mid-80's but has since experienced a resurgence in popularity.  Writer Eric Felton identifies "good tiki" as grace and elegance and "bad tiki"as steel & glass totems, plastic lei, in other words "camp".  I think campy tiki is unavoidable as it represents an escape to those who need to be away from their 9-5 worlds and imagine themselves in a place where the alcohol flows freely on a beach in Waikiki.  I can appreciate the appeal tiki culture has, the value of the art of tiki, but it is still important to understand and respect the culture it originates from.
   

Section 4: Hawaii: State of Fantasy

      In 1958, Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific came to the big screen.  This film, based on the Broadway play, has many different story lines taking place including reflecting the racism of the era.  While the movie is set in the South Pacific during World War II, as with many island-living movies, it is associated with Hawaii. While the tropic scenery is already beautiful, strangely filtered lenses indicate when a scene is meant to be dream-like.
 
     The filtered lenses are used in the enchanting musical scene "Bali Ha'i",  making the off-in-the- distance island even more alluring and attractive.  This magical fantasy island is given feminine attributes as it beckons and calls to the men who lay eyes on it.  In adding to the femininity of the island, it is explained that this is where the planters daughters as well as the young island women are housed so as to save them from the desires of the American military men stationed in the South Pacific. This type of taboo placed on the island perpetuates the Hollywood practice of depicting the islands and its people as enticing but off limits.  The women of the island range in depiction from young to old, thin to heavy, attractive to unattractive.  The American woman who are military nurses on the island are all attractive, fit and "off-limits" to the enlisted men making the idea of the island women of Bali Ha'i even more enticing and appealing to the Euroamerican men.

     Blue Hawaii, introduced a new era of Hawaii to movie goers.  Taking place shortly after Statehood, Elvis brought sex appeal to a man who while Euroamerican, had strong ties to the island.  Despite his parents wishes that he carry on the family business, Chadwick Gates had plans to open up his own tour business on Oahu after his two year stint in the army.  The beautiful, brightly colored scenery (as well as clothing) and million dollar photography of Blue Hawaii is a selling point to encourage the idea of travel to paradise.

     Despite the beautiful scenery, the locals in the film are portrayed as not having responsible or respectful jobs.  The Gate's houseboy/bulter is named Ping Pong. Maile, Chad's girlfriend is not respected as a proper choice for Chad according to his mother.  Despite her clearly racist opinions of locals, Chad marries Maile in the films stunning finale, showing an inter-racial relationship finally coming to fruition (marriage).  Still, getting to that point (the iconic wedding photo shown below), Maile is depicted as bending to Chad's every will, including having very little say to his marriage proposal.