The Plot
Iron Man 1 distinguishes itself from typical post-9/11 films in that the main villain is not a pack of Arabs, but rather a more sinister internal double-agent. Nonetheless, roughly the first hour of them movie dedicates itself to painting Arabs as villains, leveraging common Islamophobic perceptions and perpetuating stereotypes of Muslims.
Tony Stark travels to Afghanistan to demonstrate his new line of missiles. After the impressive showcase, his troop is ambushed by a band of militant Arabs. Tony survives and is taken hostage.
While not explicitly stated, the Arab group’s religious affiliation is implied during a short scene in which Tony is stationed in front of a camera eerily suggestive of ISIS beheading videos. The film does not linger on the group’s motivation, but this scene is enough to associate the villains with militant Islamic groups. Breaking down Iron Man’s characters and groups, we can reveal the film’s Islamophobic undertones.
Tony Stark travels to Afghanistan to demonstrate his new line of missiles. After the impressive showcase, his troop is ambushed by a band of militant Arabs. Tony survives and is taken hostage.
While not explicitly stated, the Arab group’s religious affiliation is implied during a short scene in which Tony is stationed in front of a camera eerily suggestive of ISIS beheading videos. The film does not linger on the group’s motivation, but this scene is enough to associate the villains with militant Islamic groups. Breaking down Iron Man’s characters and groups, we can reveal the film’s Islamophobic undertones.
The Ten Rings
The Ten Rings is a militant Islamic group present in the film series and not the canon comics. As a whole, members of the Ten Rings are depthless and represent the “brute Arab” stereotype. From their clothes down to their behavior, these Arabs are painted as common, uncivilized lackeys.
Culturally, the Ten Rings provides a stark contrast to Tony Stark’s extravagant, romanticized lifestyle. The film expertly shifts in one cut from the group’s rugged nomadic settlement to Tony’s lavish experience in Las Vegas’ Caesar’s Palace. Their clothing is dirty and camel-colored in comparison to the crisp dark suits Tony wears. Even their conversation sounds angry and rushed, devoid of Tony’s knack for flippant jokes. They cannot communicate with Tony and rely on Yinsen, a fellow captive, to translate. Bizarrely enough, the film attempts to illustrate the Ten Ring’s cultural diversity; Yinsen explains that the group speaks “Arabic, Urdu, Dari, Pashto, Mongolian, Farsi, [and] Russian.” Nonetheless, there is little distinction between members of the Ten Rings, and they are all lumped into one umbrella: those who seemingly oppose America and seek to destroy it. |
Raza
Arguably the only two characters who demonstrate any complexity are Yinsen and Raza, the Ten Rings’ leader. Ironically, both speak fluent English with only slight accents, indicating that they are more cultured than the rest.
Raza is clearly more intelligent than the rest. Most of the Ten Rings are strung along by Tony, who pretends to build their Jericho missile and is instead working on his iron man suit. Raza raises suspicions immediately and pays Tony a visit. He resorts to more cruel torture tactics, threatening to burn Yinsen’s face with molten metal. Raza represents the “sinister Arab” stereotype. He is dedicated to the cause and speaks in didactic metaphors with a mystical trace. “The bow and arrow was once the pinnacle of weapons technology...” Raza’s martyr death also indicates a fanaticism; whereas everyone else has fled from Tony’s overpowered suit, Raza waits with a bazooka, a nod to recent suicide bombers. |
Yinsen
Yinsen is the film’s only Arab protagonist. Like Raza, Yinsen speaks mostly in English and can therefore maintain extended interactions with Tony. A fellow professor and captive, Yinsen remains loyal to Tony to his demise. Tony’s lively is entirely attributed to Yinsen, who refuses to give up the iron man suit plans and provides a distraction while Tony prepares to leave.
Yinsen is almost a positive depiction of Arabs. He is cultured and intelligent, a multi linguist who allows Tony to communicate with the Ten Rings brutes. He explicitly promotes peace and subtly chastises Tony for bloodying the battlefield with his weaponry. Yinsen is Tony’s only ally throughout his captivation and dies helping Tony escape from the Ten Rings. Sadly, even Yinsen perpetuates some Islamophobic stereotypes. With no family or purpose, Yinsen serves solely to ensure Tony’s escape. He is willing to give up his life so long as Tony makes it out alive. Arguably more of a plot tool than a message on Muslims, Yinsen’s death subtly implants the idea that the only good Arab is one who is willing to sacrifice for the white man. |