Robert Stam and Louise Spence, in the article “Colonialism, Racism, and Representation: An Introduction,” make observations about European colonization of the “unsophisticated” rest of the world and attempts to convert, urbanize, and “civilize” Asian, African, and Latin American natives. The authors make the point that stereotypes imposed on natives by the Europeans often stemmed from the behaviors of the European conquerors themselves:
Amerindians were called ‘beasts’ and ‘cannibals’ because white Europeans were slaughtering them and expropriating their land; blacks were slandered as ‘lazy’ because they were being exploited as slaves; Mexicans were caricatured as ‘greasers’ and ‘bandidos’ because the United States had seized half of their territory; and the colonized were ridiculed as lacking in culture and history because colonialism, in the name of profit, was destroying the basis of that culture and the memory of that history. (Film Theory and Criticism, page 879)
This concept can be applied to Greville’s 1935 film, Princesse Tam-Tam. Alwina is a beautiful but flighty North African beauty, given to childish behavior and darting about with animals. Max de Mirecourt is a Parisian who embodies the French goal of “civilizing the uncivilized,” and Alwina inspires him to write a novel about grooming her to join Parisian society. He finds her capricious and delicious, and does not believe that she is capable of understanding deeper issues than simple love of animals and beauty. This is because Max himself is incapable of appreciating anything deeper than Alwina as a plaything, something to spruce up and show off, just like one of the pets she so treasures.
In the novel, when Alwina arrives in Max’s home in Paris, she sees fake flowers and remarks on the number of “imitations” present in his home. Max replies, “Many of the imitations are prettier than the originals.”
This comment sums up the European practice of giving an “extreme make-over” to the culture, appearance, and outlook of colonized natives. Yes, the original might be acceptable, but the imitation, the perfected replica of the original, is “prettier” and superior. The Europeans attempted to wipe away the natives’ culture, creating a tabula rasa, then impose a new culture, language, and so forth. When Max has successfully perfected his “imitation” of Alwina, through piano lessons, speech lessons, make-up, and a new wardrobe, he introduces her into Parisian society as a princess. She is a hit with Max’s social circle. They see her as exotic, but also poised and tamed enough to fit in with them.
However, an interesting thing occurs when Alwina, a bit tipsy, sheds her urbane guise and performs a rousing African dance in front of a huge crowd of Parisians. One would think that her alien, lively style of dance might cause embarrassment or discomfort among the reserved French society folk. Far from it—her dance is met with joy, praise, and applause. Alwina is best loved in Paris at the moment when she ceases to be an imitation of her former self, when her suave act falls apart and she is her native self in front of the crowd.
