A psychoanalytic reading of two Hollywood films, Hotel Rwanda (Terry George:2004) and queen of Katwe (Mira Nair:2016)

Abstract

Using Psychoanalytic film theory, this study investigates the two films made by Hollywood about Africa. These films are Hotel Rwanda (Terry George: 2004, and Queen of Katwe (Mira Nair: 2016). The study examines the Hollywood gaze of Africa in the two African-themed films, the gaze in these two films focuses on the prevailing calamities as spectacles that are featured in the movies screened. The spectacle of detail analysed is the humanitarian crisis cast on the screen that is devoured by the audience. The study examines the fact that when film industries like Hollywood choose what to cast or not to cast, they are, in fact arraying gazes. The arrangement of gazes has been read as representation, which is an act of selecting from reality to project or show. This study argued that when putting together a representation, things, are not presented as they are because of the dictation of the writer’s psyche in the movies that the audience watch. This is done to appeal to several possible pleasures of film spectators. Further still, this research explores the idea of film and fetishism. This idea focuses on a discussion of Hollywood's presentation of the fetish of the other and commodity fetishism as an aspect in Hotel Rwanda (2004) and Queen of Katwe (2016). The fetish notion in this study dwells on the argument done by several scholars’ like Laura Mulvey (2000), Tim Dant (1996), Susan Hayward (2001), who define the term fetishism as a relative quality of desire and fascination for an object that is not intrinsic but is nonetheless part of it. Concerning this research, the two movies Hotel Rwanda (2004) and Queen of Katwe (2016) were viewed as classic examples of objects with very low production value, but with high fetish value that is created by the Hollywood model of filmmaking. The study examines how this mode of filmmaking attaches to these films a high market value through advertising, packaging, personal approval, and recommendation. Hence making the films and the messages portrayed as fetish objects of desire to be revered by audiences for high market return.