Laforgue as Priest of the French Colonizers

As we know Europeans came into the new world in search for riches and new discoveries. But it as all due to the fact they wanted to reach India. Laforgue as priest of the French colonizers plays a crucial and important role throughout the entire film. He is in the mission to teach Christianity to the Indians. Accompanying Laforgue we have Daniel. A Frenchman that was bored of building house, is allowed in the journey Laforgue and the Indians are about to make. For these two men they thought of the Indians as savages. They did not believe in God more of Gods. They found it extremely odd to believe in many Gods. In some point of the film Laforgue has a conversation with one of the Indians and realizes that they are more interested on tobacco than understanding Christianity. At this moment of the film Daniel has fallen in love Annuka. She is Chomina’s daughter, chief of the tribe. Now, Daniel falling in love with Annuka indicates to us that some change is about to happen with this character but we are not certain of it.  Meanwhile Daniel undergoes his life, Laforgue is left alone in an island with scarce resources only because Mestigoit thinks that Laforgue is the devil. Mestigoit is some sort of walking spirit has the rest of the tribe calls him. Apart from Laforgue many Frenchmen believe that Indians are ignorant and some how ridiculous.

After overviewing the French’s perspective over the Indians we can know invert roles. How did Indians view the Frenchmen or invaders? At first sight when the film begins we see how Indians are obeying freshmen orders. But the night before the journey begins, the French chief hands supplies and goods to the Indians. Indians are not content with the goods. In other terms I believe that Chomina, Indian chief, was not happy. He was expecting guns and other supplies that would help them through the journey. In other terms, he referred to them as arrogant. As Laforgue shared experiences day by day, the Indians referred to him as black robe, priest and the devil mostly. But the Indians found it unusual and extremely unmanly not to have intercourse with other women. There is another aspect that Indians find confusing. The way Indians based their day-to-day lives is by sharing as a big family all the resources they had. As compared to the freshmen they lived more as a private and individualistic approach. Throughout the entire film black robe was referred as evil. Resulting in the drastic decision of leaving him stranded on a territory. But it was not all about the energy Frenchmen portrayed the Indians. Indians viewed the French as ugly individuals. As when Annuka and Daniel where having intercourse, Chomina later on tells Annuka that there are more men welling to marry her. That she had to stay away from the ugly French guy. Even in their facial expression they would criticize. And of coarse it is normal since for both group it was something new. Where always new discoveries might result challenging to adapt or accept.

 Now we have seen two total different cultures in every way possible. Beliefs, customs, clothing and even in the way of expression all at the end are different. But could they have possibly learned something from one another? Interesting questions to be analyzed. Well in fact they did learn from one another. The biggest and simplest example relies on Daniel. He falls in love with Annuka. He dresses like an Indian. He fights like one and earns the respect of Chomina. It is the biggest cultural clash there is in the movie. Now what about Laforgue or Chomina? Well in fact they did undergo cultural clash and understanding. Let’s beginning with Laforgue. At first he positions himself as self-centered on his mission and why was he in this journey. But as time goes he first learns to share space and personal objects with the Indians. If we remember back, Laforgue took away from an Indian the flute he used for recreation. But further on he lends it to an Indian and shows them how to use it. He started to appreciate natural life as it was. Indians heavily relied on preserving nature and be guided by it. It goes even further. Indians believe that dreams were visions to their reality in a future. Laforgue could not understand dreams, as been a vision. At the end Laforgue understood and came up with an interesting quote. Where he mixes dreams, nature and God. It is a clear understanding that Laforgue somehow learned from the Indians.