Movies
There are many films made that feature orientalism. From animation to live action, sci-fi to romance, none of them are free from using orientalist ideas. In the modern age, orientalism has evolved a bit in terms of creative works. Many movies will use the history and “aesthetic” of eastern countries without properly including Eastern people. Many want to look Eastern without truly being it.
Orientalist Films
Aladdin (1992) & Aladdin (2019)
Aladdin was an animated film made by Walt Disney Studios. It encapsulates nearly all Orientalist stereotypes and may be the most well known orientalist film. It portrays Eastern people as violent and dirty with racist features. All of the outfits of the characters are drawn from older racist films and are a bastardization of Indian culture. All of the women in the film are hyper-sexualized and lean into the “exotic girl” stereotype. When Disney made a live action remake they still leaned into these racist aspects, even having white actors in brownface.
Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
This is an action movie that follows Indiana Jones, an archeologist that hunts for treasure. When he goes to Egypt, it is portrayed as backwards and undeveloped, with the people living in dirty mud huts and fighting violently with swords. They are seen as idiotic and mystical compared to the white protagonist, and in some cases as an obstacle that is easily overcome.
Dune (2021)
Dune was a sci-fi movie adaption of the novel Dune. Both the novel and movie feature many aspects of eastern cultures and history. From denouncing prophets, to a hostile desert environment, and the bloody conflicts, it both steals Islamic history and villainizes it. The props, set, and costumes are all based on stereotyped ideas of Islamic culture and the Middle East. The real history of a people are turned into world building for a fictional story, reducing the gravity of these people and their history.