Anti-Turkish Movies

Sometimes, filmmakers have unequivocally supported
propaganda efforts. Even more, their joint action has occasionally surpassed national boundaries and lasted for decades. Western movie industry and Soviet studios had predominantly anti-Turkish
sentiments. Both capitalist and communist filmmakers produced a number of motion pictures, which gave the Turks a bad publicity.

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Sometimes, filmmakers have unequivocally supported propaganda efforts. Even more, their joint action has occasionally surpassed national boundaries and lasted for decades. Western movie industry and Soviet studios had predominantly anti-Turkish sentiments. Both capitalist and communist filmmakers produced a number of motion pictures, which gave the Turks a bad publicity.

Albanian-Soviet epic movie about an Albanian hero «Великий воин Албании Скандербег» (The Great Albanian Warrior Skanderbeg, directed by Sergei Yutkevich, produced by Mosfilm Studios and New Albania Studios, 1953) has many scenes with cruel Turkish warriors. Magnificent British production Lawrence of Arabia (directed by David Lean, produced by Columbia Pictures Corporation, 1962) is also renowned for its marked anti-Turkish bias. Gothic horror movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula (directed by Francis Ford Coppola, produced by Columbia Pictures Corporation, 1992) graphically shows the struggle of Romanians against Turkish invaders, who have contributed significantly to the metamorphosis of an ordinary count into an extraordinary vampire.

Why these anti-Turkish sentiments have been widespread throughout the movies? Because, the Ottoman Empire was once a formidable power in Eurasia. Arabs and Serbs, Georgians and Armenians, Bulgarians and Greeks were among its fearful subjects. No wonder that descendants of these colonized people have waged an ideological war against the Turks. Vindictive film directors and producers still bear a grudge against Turkey. Personally, I don’t like the way the most Turks behave. They definitely lack outstanding scientists, artists, and politicians. Turkish society is notorious for its down-to-earth consumerism. But, all these shortcomings do not justify the cinematographic attacks against the Turks.

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