Immediately, as a specialist in anthropology, I could tell that the intended audience for this film is students and scholars. Additionally, I also had the opportunity to watch the film without the use of narration and for a moment I was confused and not really sure what Rouch was explaining. For this reason Asch “never adhered to the 'no narrative' orthodoxy. Even before many ethnographic filmmakers embraced the observational style, Asch realized that the problem with narrative-free observational films about cultural behaviors exotic to Western audiences was that viewers simply lacked the knowledge needed to understand what they were seeing. Without assistance, they are more likely to use racist stereotypes” (Ruby 1975, 119). Therefore, both visual routine and narration go hand in hand to help the audience understand what is happening in the film. Without storytelling, audience members rush to judgment and become more ethnocentric. While watching Les Maitres Fous (1955) by Jean Rouch, I was also able to learn that Accra is a British colony, thanks to the display of union jackets and the color of the flags held by the army. The music in the film was also traditional and played a vital role throughout the film. As an anthropology major, you are taught that films are used to communicate cultural ideas and perceptions. In this regard, it is necessary to become aware of the context and content presented in a film, analyzing and observing the ideology, audience and intentions of the director. Furthermore, the director's background is ethics,
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