The Gods Must Be Crazy (Uys, 1984) is a film that depicts three different cultures- the bushmen, an African tribe, the Afrikaans culture which at the time of this film apartheid was still in effect, and an African culture that has similarities to Western culture. Each of these cultures have their own signs that hold distinct meaning for them. While humorous, the film shows the contrasts of these cultures and the different perspectives they hold. When parts of these cultures accidentally come in contact with another, the viewer is able to ascertain some of the meaning for objects they come across. It shows that the experiences of the people, their values and their culture play a significant role in how they find meaning in these objects as well as the differences in the meanings themselves.
The tribe living in the bush lead a more simple life. They follow the natural rhythms of the Earth, hunting when necessary, using their resources and respecting nature. This respect becomes obvious when Xi, the lead tribesman, hunts a deer and apologizes to it prior to killing it, explaining that he must kill him in order for his family to eat. This apology gives us the idea that the tribe view animals as equals that they must respect even if they must kill them for food. They use all the parts of the animal to show respect and try to interrupt nature and its creatures as little as possible. Even as airplanes fly overhead, they see this as a natural part of their world. These are gods. In stark contrast, Western-style cultures have set their own rhythms and live by the clock. Eight o’clock in the morning means everyone must be busy at work. Highways represent a means to get to work. Money has value and everyone wants more of it. None of these things have any meaning for the bushmen.
The first symbolic difference seen in the film is the appearance of the Coke bottle. The bushmen see it as “a gift from the gods” (Uys, 1984) while Western...