ABSTRACT
In the spirit of decolonization, Indians decide for themselves what they do and do not want from their former colonizers. While some films of the early 1960s were exploring colonialism through tales set in the past, others focused on decolonization, examining struggles for independence and post-colonial relations. For Westerners unfamiliar with the countries and issues, these films conveyed basic information and helped them come to terms with new realities. Paternalistic images of relations between missionaries and Chinese Christians include a scene of nuns leading obedient children singing “Three Blind Mice” in Chinese. Chinese adults are equally childlike, and the insulting images of Asians recall Hollywood Negroes of the 1930s. During the opening credits the film makes the point with a shot of Jeeps on Freedom Road whizzing by villagers carrying heavy loads, and another pans from peasants crossing a river on elephants to a new steel-and-concrete bridge.
