Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 20:36:08
Subject: Re: East is east


I want to point out that the playwright, Ayub Khan-Din is not of
Bangladeshi background, his father was Pakistani.  If you have seen the
Hanif Kureishi/Steve Frears film, Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, you'll remember
him as the title character, Sammy.

I haven't seen the film, but I have seen the play which for the most part,
I liked. I felt the father wasn't the "typical" negative stereotype.  I
found there were glimpses of decency in his character, such as when the
kids secretly watch him as he breaks down in the chip shop.  He appears as
a profoundly confused man, although Khan-Din, who has said the character
was based on his father (and not as a "Pakistani everyman"), would admit to
the character's hypocrisy.  

I also liked how the play was grounded in a very specific time and place.
War does lead to chauvinism for some people, especially if it is viewed
only through television.  Of course, I don't know how this was handled in
the film.  

Piali Roy

>attention. Certainly, I question the value of someone from outside
>Bangladeshi cultures using Spivak to deconstruct Ayub Khan Din's film. (Joe,
>I'll happily retract this if you are close to Bangladesh culture).
>
>On the other hand, I think people more literate in cinema than i am could
>find much to criticise about the handling of the genre, in terms of
>character depth, pacing, and "dramatic tension".
>
>Clarkejnc-AT-aol.com wrote:
>
>> Greetings all:
>> has anyone out there seen the film "east is east?" Its a British film
set in
>> the 70's. It is the story of a mixed race family (she is English, he is
>> pakistani) and the struggles of the children who are "in-between." What I
>> found repulsive was the demonizing of the pakistani husband. He was a
>> polygamist-wife-beater-nationalist-patriarchal etc...
>> I couldn't help think of that spivakism : "white men saving brown women
from
>> brown men." The spivakism doesn't directly apply since the producer is
Asian
>> (I believe) and the focal point of the film is the young sons but
still....it
>> felt as if a kind of "feminism lite" was the cover for the easy
stereotyping
>> of the muslim asian. In other words the progressive anti-patriarchalism
>> sereved as a screen for a very non-progressive, simplistic, easily
digestible,
>> ugly carricature.
>> 
>> And
>> 
>> Has anyone ever been to the annual Association of Caribbean studies
>> conference? This year its in Guadelouope and I'm wondering if I should bend
>> over backwards to go. If anyone has been could you contact me off-list.
>> 
>> Best
>> 
>> Joe Clarke
>> 
>> 
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>> 
>
>
>
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