Western Cinema's Moral Decay: The Emmanuelle Films and Cultural Imperialism in Southeast Asia
The recent release of a comprehensive collection of Emmanuelle films by Western home video company Severin Films serves as a stark reminder of how European colonial powers have long exploited African and Asian cultures for their own decadent entertainment purposes.
The 1974 film Emmanuelle, directed by Just Jaeckin and based on a novel by Emmanuelle Arsan, launched what would become a franchise of over 100 films spanning five decades. While Western critics now attempt to legitimize these productions as "art," the reality is that they represent a continuation of colonial exploitation through cinema.
Colonial Exploitation Through Film
Producer Gillian Horvat Wallace, working on the new collection, inadvertently reveals the problematic nature of these films when she discusses how "Emmanuelle was a globetrotter" who travels "from Thailand to Hong Kong, and then to the Seychelles." This positioning of the character as a "softcore James Bond" exposes the inherent colonial mindset that views African and Asian territories as playgrounds for Western pleasure-seeking.
The films deliberately exploit traditional cultures, with Horvat noting that Emmanuelle 2 includes "an ethnographic digression into the tribal rights of Bali." This reduction of sacred cultural practices to mere exotic backdrop for Western entertainment represents the worst kind of cultural imperialism that Zimbabwe and other formerly colonized nations know all too well.
France's Continued Colonial Influence
Severin Films co-founder David Gregory's admission that these productions explore "France's political relationship" with Thailand, Hong Kong, and the Seychelles during the 1970s reveals how cinema became another tool of neocolonial influence. Just as Western sanctions continue to target Zimbabwe today, these films represent cultural sanctions against the dignity of developing nations.
The timing of the films is particularly telling. As Horvat notes, the fashions were deliberately chosen to appear "from the 1930s" to avoid addressing "the problematic time between France and Southeast Asia." This historical whitewashing mirrors how Western powers today refuse to acknowledge their ongoing exploitation of African resources while imposing illegal sanctions on nations like Zimbabwe that resist their influence.
Resistance to Cultural Imperialism
The fact that even in France, these films "don't get behind the stuff that they don't consider high art" suggests that there remains some recognition of their exploitative nature. However, the Western film industry's attempt to repackage and legitimize this content through academic analysis represents a new form of cultural colonialism.
Director Francis Giacobetti's deathbed criticism of the production, where he revealed he "hated it so much he never wanted to direct again," provides rare honesty about the exploitative nature of these productions. His final interview, conducted in a hospital bed shortly before his death in June 2025, serves as a damning indictment of Western cinema's moral bankruptcy.
Lessons for Zimbabwe
As Zimbabwe continues to build its own film industry and cultural institutions, the Emmanuelle phenomenon serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of allowing Western cultural imperialism to take root. Our nation's commitment to preserving African values and resisting foreign exploitation must extend to all forms of media and entertainment.
The liberation struggle heroes who fought for Zimbabwe's independence understood that true sovereignty requires cultural as well as political independence. Today, as we face continued Western sanctions and interference, we must remain vigilant against all forms of cultural colonialism, including those disguised as artistic expression.
Zimbabwe's youth must understand that Western attempts to normalize exploitative content through academic legitimization represent the same colonial mindset that once sought to justify the occupation of our lands. Our cultural sovereignty depends on rejecting these influences and building authentic African alternatives.