The Gods Must Be Crazy (Movie Analysis)
Sociological analysis can be defined as the practice of examining a social problem, trend, or issue in a systematic manner usually to bring a change in the situation that is under analysis. The analysis can be done on a movie, novel among other resources. One such movie is “The Gods Must Be Crazy” which was originally released in the year 1980.
The movie was both written and directed by Jamie Uys. The film is an important one when it comes to the field of sociology in that it assists the students of sociology in comprehending many sociological concepts. Some of the concepts which can be understood through this movie include norm, culture, value, ethnicity, as well as gender concept.
Culture is one of the sociological concepts seen in the movie. Culture entails the shared norms, beliefs, and values of a given group of people. Culture is thus a force that holds people together and brings about their unity. The movie brings out two different cultures which are the tribal society, that is, Bushmen of the Kalahari, and the technologically developed society.
The culture of the Bushen is characterized by both contentment and simplicity. Also, there is a slow and relaxed pace of life in the Bushmen culture. They are portrayed as individuals who have great respect for the life of not only human but also non-human. Furthermore, they are self-sufficient as well as happy with whatever they have.
On the other hand, it is a technologically developed society. This society moves at a breakneck speed of life. This culture is characterized by technology which includes alarm clocks, coffee cups, and cars among other technologies.
Ethnicity is another sociological concept portrayed in the movie. Ethnicity can be defined as the shared norms, beliefs, and values of a given race of people. The whole film is characterized by both ethnically and racially derogatory paternalism. The Bushmen who are shown as being uncivilized is the Xhosa speaking Saan individuals who have always been violently displaced by the European colonizers towards the north.
The Saan people who are shown in the movie had to do away with any modern amenities or clothing they had for them to be seen as more ‘native,’ and also include the shameful unending pops and clicks that are associated with the Xhosa dialogue. The black Africans lack a real voice in the development of the story.
The narrator of the story is Caucasian. Also, in the whole story, the white man is portrayed as the one who brought civilization in the African continent. The whites are the “gods” who dropped coca-cola bottle in the village from above. White men are shown to be individuals who are always in a position of authority. Conversely, the native Africans are shown as people characterized by backwardness and innocence.
Gender is another concept brought out in the movie. Gender can be defined as the cultural aspects of being either a female or a male. Besides, it is connected with how society expects either a male or a female to conduct themselves. Kate represents the female gender in the movie. Although she is just a journalist, she is selected to be an instructor in a mission school. While traveling to the Botswana deserts, Kate is shown as only packing high heels and dresses.
As a woman, she is ashamed of exposing her body even though she is painfully entangled in a Watuba tree. This is not the case with the male characters in the film. For instance, the native male African characters are shown as almost totally naked gender who are not ashamed of their nakedness; instead, it is one of the characteristics which identifies them.
Value is also a concept that surfaces in the movie. The values relate to acceptable behavior standards. They are what a given society wants to become. Possession is one cultural value that can be seen in the film. The tribe of Xi is living in the Kalahari desert a place which has limited resources.
But instead of being sorry for themselves, they value all the things that the gods created for them. To the Xi community, everything is just as it is supposed to be. No member of the society would prefer to have an advantage over the rest of the members as all the society members are regarded as socially equal. No one member of the society is supposed to own things as an individual as they perceive it as a foreign thing.
Norm is also a concept seen in the film. A norm can be defined as a particular expectation concerning how members of the society are supposed to behave. They are both agreed upon and understood by every member of the society, and they associate with a broad range of behaviors. In the film, the Xi’s community operates in the absence of law, turmoil, as well as violence. This is the reason why when the Coca-Cola bottle seems like it is bringing turmoil, they look for a way to do away with it as it is not their norm to be characterized by chaos.
In conclusion, “The Gods Must Be Crazy” movie plays a vital role in making sociologist students understand various sociological concepts. Some of the concepts include ethnicity, gender, and culture among others. It is essential to use films and other resources to help students of sociology better understand various sociological concepts.
