International Film Critique

Use the following format for your international film critique; answers must be typed below the
questions and all questions must appear in full on your final copy. You can use this document as
your template. Pay careful attention to the required number of words for those questions that
have them. Failure to follow the instructions here and on your syllabus will result in a
substantially low grade. Minimal answers poorly written are a D grade or less. Elaboration of
points, excellent arguments, and good writing garner higher grades.

Name _Elaine Vandenhazel___ Class period/section ___1st___

1. Title of Film: Moodlaade

2. Year of release:___18 February 2005____
3. Language of original film: French and Bambara
4. Director: Ousmane Sembene
5. Actors: Maimouna Helene Dairra, Salimata Traore, Fatauma Caulibaly, Mah Compaore,
Amina Dao, Dominique Zeida, Rasmane Ouedraogo, Dembele Habib, Ousmane Konate,
Theophile M. Sowie

6. Give a brief plot summary {150-250 words. DO NOT plagiarize from the web!]:
This movie surrounds the idea of female genital mutilation, and how horribly women were
treated and
Still continued to be treated in the world today. In the beginning of the movie you open to see
four
young girls run to meet a lady of the village named, Colle. These girls are running from the
“purification”, which is when a female (in this case at a young age) has her clitoris and other
parts cut off to destroy any impure enjoyment she might have during sex. In the movie many
of
the girls who are cut die from infection and bleeding. Colle has had two daughters of hers
die from it, so she refuses to have her third daughter cut. Her third daughter is to be married
to a French man, but when his father finds out she is not cut he will not let his son marry
her. Colle protects the girls with a spell called, “Moolaade”, that no one can break
on the punishment of death, except for the one who cast it. Colle’s husband is forced to beat
her in order to get her to udder the word that breaks the spell, but she resists and does not say
it.
One of the four girls is kidnapped by her mother and taken to be cut, she dies. Her mother
vows that no other woman should ever be cut, and is given a baby girl by a co-wife of hers.
The men of the village take the woman’s radios and burn them to keep them from being
influenced by the outside world. Eventually, the spell Moolaade is taken down and all the
women from the village stand up against purification. Colle’s daughter marries the French
man despite not being cut.
7. Analyze the social and philosophical issues the film addresses. Make sure you
include the point of view of the movie, the context of the movie, what audience
the movie is targeting, and why. (i.e. you should address and reflect upon the
“argument” or “meaning” of the work. This should be analysis, not just summary
of issues in the movie). {at least 500 words}
The point of view of this movie is from all of the women from the village, specifically Colle
and her family.The audience would have to be all of the people in the world who have
freedom and have the ability to change what is going on in these countries. The main issue
that is addressed in this movie is woman genital mutilation, and whether or not it should
be allowed. It was an old tradition in the Islamic religion, but now since the world is
changing, so has that law. Some agree with it, others think it is impure and that all
women do not deserve the satisfaction of sex. That they are not worthy of feeling the same
thing
that man feels that they should be beaten for having a sharp tongue, being disobedient,
or doing anythingto the husbands disliking. Women are often considered, “the weaker sex”,
so why has that changed? Because we as a people have evolved into something smarter,
and human right have become more and more apparent as time moves on. Slavery was
once legal in the United States, but now that it is not legal it has doubled in people that
are traded and brought into slavery around the world every day. We can change this, not all
at once, but over time just as slavery was abolished over time. Another issue addressed
in this movie is that parents of children get to choose who the children get to marry,
the children should be able to decide for themselves. In countries all over the world young
girls are married away to older men to pay away debts and to satisfy their fathers, often
against their will. Should a father be able to sell away his daughter just because he holds a
part in her creation? She is her own person, with her own mind, her own heart, and her
own soul. Now if we say that it is improper for a father to possess the ability to do this,
should a mother be able to do this just because she is a woman? The answer to this is not
as simple as it seems, most can agree that selling children is wrong. But what if that child
was sold in order to save an entire city, than how wrong is it? When a husband beats his
wife for being disobedient and she fights back, but he ends up dying who is in the wrong?
Can a man beat his children if they decide to steal from a local shop when they is starving?
In the movie, Moolaade, when Colle is being beaten by her husband in public, all of the men
are shouting, “Harder! Harder! Beat her harder!” And the majority of the women are
shouting
“Don’t say the word that ends Moolaade! Stay strong!” But just before Colle is about to fall,
the mercenary of the village comes and stops the husband from beating his wife. This is an
example from when local laws challenge our moral beliefs, and when we decide to act upon
those beliefs. That mercenary was later slaughtered by the other men of the village for
protecting
a woman being beaten in public. So, if laws come contradict with our moral compass
should we choose to act upon those unjust laws or should we just sit back and watch and
people get hurt?
8. What is your response to the message of the film? Why do you respond this
way? Show that you are thinking about your own thinking here and the biases/
assumptions about the world you bring to your viewing. Did the film change the
way you view the subject? Why, or why not? {at least 250 words}
This film made me more aware about what was and still is going on in other countries. I
never would have encountered something like this if it hadn’t been for this class.
I could not stop crying by the end of this movie, how can someone watch this movie and
not cry? Especially when things like this are still happening in today’s society. I had to
pause the movie several times, due to the fact that I could not read the subtitles through
my tears. It is sad and quite disturbing, but people need to see what is going on in the
outside world. I could not help but feel the urge to share this with people; they need to see
what is still going on in other countries. Before I watched this I wouldn’t have thought
twice about what was going on in Africa or any other country but here. It is being stuck
in the mythic mode of thinking, getting out of that mode is scary. I didn’t know it would
be, it is quite horrifying to see how the world is outside of where you live. I never knew
that women could even be cut before this movie, and especially die from it. When
these women grow up and have sex it is not pleasurable for them in the slightest,
it is painful, because their protection of their vagina is gone; it is just bone with some
skin over it. The knives that are used to “purify” these women are often old and rusty,
not to mention that they have been used on many other women before them without
the proper cleaning so disease is very likely.
9. What cultural differences did you notice in the film (philosophical outlook, humor,
architecture, customs, clothes, cities, weather, food, music, dancing, lifestyles,
etc.)? What did you learn about history, economics or politics? (There are
always differences; look for them). {at least 250 words}
In the movie, Moolaade, the wear very different fashions than we do here. They seem to
care less about fashion and more about covering up the proper parts of the skin. The men
wear hats or wraps, occasionally, they do not. And the women wear their hair all in a similar
style, pulled back, and frilled on the back of the head. Unlike the United States, this village
allows the practice of plural marriage, where one man is married to more than one woman.
Having kids with all of them, usually. The wives can be married off very young by their
fathers, sometimes even their mothers. If you are not “purified”, you will not be married.
They live in somewhat of mud and stone houses that are grouped together with their
families around a lot. They joke about women, sexualizing them to the furthest extent.
A lot of the women own radios before the men take them and burn them, they like to listen
to whatever is broadcasted where they are, since there isn’t much. It is often poppy,
dancing music that the people enjoy grooving too. To keep themselves updated on the
outside world they listen to people talk on the radio, discussing local and national news.
The majority of the population is Muslim and they practice what they are taught. The men
are the ones in charge, women are too inadequate to be in charge of the village. This is
quite different from where we live today, where women are fighting for more equal rights.
they can wear what they please, and worship who they choose.
10. What techniques did the filmmaker use that were different from what you see in
 the films you normally watch? Think about lighting, dialogue, atmosphere,
setting, music, and how the filmmaker might play upon your own biases, etc.
Read “How to View a Film” on page 49 of your Humanities text and incorporate
what you learn in the reading in your analysis of the filmmaking process. {150
words}
When the film first begins, you notice that it is not up-to-date with today’s standards of how
movies and television should be. Along with the fact that most of this film was likely
filmed in a limited space location, with limited money to do it. Many of the actors and
actresses appear to be wearing what seems to be hand sewn clothing. Many of their outfits
are also similar in style and fabric, which adds to the limited budget theory. The film was
likely
shot outside in a bright sunny area, but still some lighting is needed for shadowy places
such as, the homes of the villagers and their gathering areas. The dialogue is very extensive
and creative, I was impressed. The music used in the movie came generally from the
radios that were on, on the set. Besides that you could hear crickets chirping and people
talking in the background. Much of this is reinstated in the reading How to View a Film, with
the exception of a few simple rules on lighting.
11. Discuss how what you saw in the film relates to one of the assigned readings or class
discussions we have had. Be specific! {150 words}
This movie closely relates to several readings that we have gone over in and out of class. One of
the more important ones that I found was the reading Introduction to Human Rights and
Global Justice on page 209. In this reading it discusses how if we do not speak out to save
others from evil and we allow them to be hurt or taken advantage of, what will happen when
someone attempts to take advantage of us? There will be no one left to speak up for us. In the
movie Moolaade, Colle’s co-sister does not agree with the “purification” that is being done
to these girls but she does not do anything to stop it. Her daughters end up dying during
the process and she is deeply saddened for years by it, now she is ready to stand up and
fight for these girls. In the reading it also discusses that every life is worth saving, no matter
how big or small. There was a study done (referenced to in the reading) called Why Good People
Do Evil by Philip Zimbardo. His hypothesis was that the majority would not do evil when
instructed to do it at first, he estimated roughly 1.2% would go through with the experiment.
The results were shocking, 65% of people go through with the experiment (choose to do
evil) when they are commanded to do so from someone of authority. His theory to this
was that this is a response to our human features in our social environment. The woman that
“purify” these girls can’t possibly be happy to kill off so many of the young girls of the
village, but they do it under the command of the men that rule the village.
12. Why do you think I assign an international film?

Honestly, I believe that you are trying to expose us to something new that we would likely

not see otherwise in our lifetime. International films may be really great, but they are

not very popular. Not enough people are exposed to know about what great things are
out there. And if they do know, maybe they just do not care to go and see. I will definitely

continue watching international films and I hope to complete the list of all 100, even though

the school year is coming to an end. I watched Moolaade on your recommendation and I was

not disappointed, so I doubt I will be disappointed when watching any of these other movies.