The Ax Fight- film analysis

Different characters in the movie express themselves differently through gestures and body language. Different gestures are visible in various situations that represent passionate disputes. Initially, several of the group members purse their lips, which is an obvious indication of anger. They also blame each other, which is a factor that makes the fight worse. At the same time that they are defending Mohesiwa’s brother, the male participants shiver with restrained wrath. This action facilitates the conflict being reduced to verbal abuse.

The community has a distinctive style of attire in which people only cover a small portion of their bodies. The women’s chests are also left bare. They wear a small piece of clothing that is only sufficient to cover their genitals. Nanokawa, however, is an exception as he wears green feathers on his upper arms.

Taking eye contact into consideration, the members of the community use eye contact differently during various situations. For example, two angry opponents- Mohesiwa and Uuwa – maintain eye contact with each other during their unfriendly encounter. This acts as a strategy to detect an opponent’s next move.

Language is used as a tool of expression in the film. It is essential in all interactions in our lives (“Importance of Language”, 2017). Even though the speakers use an unfamiliar language, they make good use of enunciations and inflections which give a good idea of what they are talking about. The most outstanding feature of the language is that the speakers raise their voices in most instances. This mode of speaking implies that they are either arguing or hurling insults at each other. Additionally, the language is accompanied by facial expressions and body language which show that the participants are angry.

Social hierarchies are evident in the film. Nanokawa is one of the leaders who intervenes when the situation gets out of hand. Different members of the society have different levels of authority. The men are superior to the women in this society. This becomes clear when Mohesiwa orders plantains from a woman, Sinabimi. Also, elder people hold more power, as is evident when Mohesiwa leaves his brother to meet any new attack from his assailant.

The Male and female gender in the film behave differently. The male gender is more physically aggressive as opposed to their female counterparts. The extent to which Uuwa defends his sister shows that the male gender is protective of the female gender. The female gender, on the other hand, supports the male gender in the event of misunderstandings. This is especially evident when Mohesiwa’s sister brings him a bigger and heavier club during the fight to help him win. His mother, on the other hand, rubs his hand to ease the pain when he is hurt by his opponent. The female gender in this society also provoke the men to greater violence. Their verbal insults seem to make the situation even worse.

The Relationship between the Film and our Society

Some aspects of the movie seem familiar. One of these aspects is the family structure. A typical family has a husband, a wife, and children. Mohesiwa’s family is a good example. Another aspect is the importance of family and the role of family members. As we have established, the conflict arises when Uuwa stands up for his sister. Secondly, even though Mohesiwa’s brother is infuriated by Uuwa and intends to cut him with the machete, he attacks with great caution not to injure his own brother. This aspect of the community is similar to our society.

The conflict between different groups is another thing that does not come in short supply in our own society. The fight is mainly between the visitors and the residents of the village. A fight between only two members from each village escalates into a fight between the two villages. Our society is dominated by conflicts between religious groups, ethnicities and nations.

iii.) The Real Story behind the Incident

Anthropologists in the film simplify the fight as a controversy between members of three lineages. However, a deeper analysis of how the events unfold in the film brings the explanation into question. To begin with, the presence of the film crew does not seem to have any influence on the fight. The crew, despite being visitors, do not face any form of conflict while recording the video.

Additionally, clubs seem to be the primary weapon in the society. However, the fight escalates gradually as the angry opponents progress from using the clubs to more lethal weapons such as machetes and axes. Only few individuals are in possession of the lethal weapons. What’s more, the fighters display less skill while using the lethal weapons as opposed to the less lethal weapons.

With that said, I am of the opinion that the visitors and the original residents of the village were fighting over certain commodities of interest to both parties. The commodities were brought to the village by the westerners who seem to enjoy the fight from a distance. This is a possible explanation as to why the fighters show less skill while using the lethal weapons – the ax and the machete. In fact, Mohesiwa’s brother is unable to use the machete efficiently and drops it during the fight.

Reference

Importance of Language (2017). The Importance of Languages. Retrieved 19 September 2017, from http://www.importanceoflanguages.com/