22054 BADC5B
Dominant imagery took place pre 9/11. Imagery used to represent Islam then were often excessive, meaningless and unjustified. They are often one-dimensional characters with secular goals - to purge the world of non- believers.
Dominant
Imagery
In this analysis, three movies are sampled to conduct a further study of the visual and verbal imagery used to represent Islam.
مهيمن
The
Antagonist
The following are stills taken from three movies released between 1993 - 1998:
True Lies (1994),
Executive Decision (1996)
and The Siege (1998)
1994 - 1998
Keywords: Terrorist, Islam, Films
Analysing the antagonist from these three movies, it can be deduced that there is a distinct ethnicity used to portray cinematic terrorist. Actors used for these roles are often times of Arabic ethnicity driven by Islamic beliefs. Visual tropes in these portrayals are the use of guns, brown skin, thick beards and a Keffiyeh (traditional Middle-Eastern headdress).
These cinematic terrorist are categorised in the Dominant imagery as their actions and violence are driven by fundamental Islamic beliefs. They lack any sense of humanity in their actions whatsoever.
​Salim Abu Aziz (True Lies 1994)
Nagi Hassan (Executive Decision 1996)
Sheik Akhmed Bin Talal (The Seige 1998)
خصم
The
Backdrop
The backdrop of these movies refers to where the action takes places, setting the tonality of the movies as well as the message it conveys to the viewers.
Hijacked plane, bombs and more guns.
In Executive Decision, much of the action transpires in the confines of a hijacked aircraft, with the cinematic terrorist threatening to crash the plane into America, killing thousands. Some imageries found in the movie are guns, bombs and killings as well.
In Siege, two main backdrops can be identified that causes a negative portrayal of Islam. The first is the association of explosions in the name of Islam caused by Islamic terrorist.
In Siege, two main backdrops can be identified that causes a negative portrayal of Islam. The first is the association of explosions in the name of Islam caused by Islamic terrorist and the second is the concept of desolation in a barren state such as the desert.
