Historical Representation and Identity Politics in Seediq Bale: Against a Simple Dichotomy between Civilization and Barbarism

This article examines historical representation and identity politics in Wei
Te-sheng’s film Seediq Bale. I argue that the movie’s historical representation
of the Musha Incident is interwoven with its identity politics to deconstruct
the dichotomy between civilization and barbarism both in and beyond the
Incident. Whereas the historical representation has to do with its use of film
genres and interpretation of the Incident, the latter entails identity politics,
particularly regarding its portrayal of the Seediq tribesmen’s self-identity or
split identity as well as their relationship with the film’s implicit Taiwanese
consciousness. The first section traces the historical, literary, and filmic
representations of the Musha Incident in the past, which make it possible
for the film to adopt a view closer to those of the Seediq tribespeople. The
second section discusses the film’s historical representation by focusing on
the contrapuntal relationship between the two sets of cultural signifiers
surrounding the Sun flag and the Rainbow Bridge. The third section deals
with how the film debunks the dichotomy between civilization and barbarism
by its depiction of the relationship between identity politics and the Seediq
tribespeople’s struggle between life and death. The conclusion addresses the
film’s portrayal of Seediq community’s environmental consciousness and the
contemporary significance of the Incident the film brings into focus.