Instead of being alarmed, Sami attributes this turn of events to genuine bad luck and trusts in what he knows America to be a haven for good jobs and a road to success. In an amusing reaction, Sami meets this news with a certain bafflement and disbelief.
The audience is confronted with the manifestation of the façade of U.S. This conflict is exemplified when Sami goes to his American company and discovers his engineering job is no longer being offered. The audience witnesses this myth of opportunity play out in the daily lives of the characters and how the characters struggle against the structural conditions that “Other” their existence. Furthermore, these discourses cause potential migrants to have certain expectations and are shocked when those expectations are not met. However, because of the meritocracy that the United States is built on, in conjunction with the “hard work equals success” discourse, immigrants have quite a small margin for error. Historically, the United States has promoted itself as the global beacon of freedom and the “land of opportunity”. At its core, The Tiger Hunter exposes the intricate ways migrants perceive the “American Dream” in contrast to their lived experiences pursuing it. Much of the film revolves around one man of great character who struggles with the unforgiving truth of the “American Dream” it is a façade. The Tiger Hunter’s actors’ character development is on full display, relaying a depth to each of the characters’ story, even if they had little dialogue. That the film portrayed complicated and flawed characters is essential because it disrupts the notion of the model minority. The cast was charismatic, relatable, had aspirations, idiosyncrasies, and humanity. A significant victory for this film was its ability to portray the entire Southeast Asian cast as people. The film surprises the audience when it makes them laugh and reels them in when it moves them.
It is no small feat to unpack the complex situations of the everyday experience of an immigrant and The Tiger Hunter magnificently accomplishes this. This is particularly pertinent because there is a vacuum of media that engages South Asian diaspora experiences. It demonstrates the struggles of the South Asian diasporic immigrant experience. Overall, The Tiger Hunter does a remarkable job combating the discourses of success in the United States. Released in 2016, the film stars Danny Pudi as the protagonist amongst a great supporting cast of other Asian actors/actresses. The film tells an immigrant love story surrounding a young Indian man named Sami who is seeking the opportunities America promises so that he can marry his life-long crush. Set in the year 1979, The Tiger Hunter is an independent comedic film directed by Lena Khan. The Tiger Hunter and the Myth of the American Dream: A Film Review
0 kommentar(er)
