In honour of honesty, I will declare that my primary interest in Blackie’s Netflix produced series was – beyond my blatant interest in anything historic – Jason Momoa. However, the six episode first season, and upcoming second season, of Frontier are somewhat revolutionary due to Blackie’s fearlessness in portraying native communities and shedding light upon often disregarded cultures, resulting in an example for the masses of diversified television.
William Belleau serves as a primary example of such blatant and proud cultural representation of indigenous populations within Frontier: native himself, his portrayal of the Cree Dimanche is given not only validity, but sincerity. Nonetheless, many may query why Frontier – and indeed Blackie and Momoa – is so keen to crush boundaries and stereotypes in regards to native American culture.
The answer lies within the protagonist, Declan Harp, almost a doppelganger of the actor who plays him and Momoa’s unique native heritage. His native Hawaiian and American ancestry likely pushed the actor to develop national cultural awareness of overlooked communities, which he does successfully. Much like Belleau, Momoa’s portrayal of such a complex character, capable of experiencing a spectrum of emotion, is formidable. Furthermore, the use of actors with native heritage is vital in order to provide credible portrayals of key figures, which Frontier achieves, thus alluding to a growing diversity within Hollywood and a desire to recruit actors who are justified in playing such challenging roles. Hopefully portrayals such Mickey Rooney in Breakfast At Tiffany’s, or Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder, will become a shunned, disturbing act of the past, resulting in more opportunities for minorities to represent their cultures in popular television and cinema.
Many directors and producers are, quite frankly, intimidated by the proposition of conveying unrepresented cultures on screen, especially on the budget and scale as Frontier proposes. And they should be: as Western thought develops its sensitivities and starts to reward diverse and ethnically accurate projects – consider Moonlight at this year’s Oscars, a rather belated nod to the efforts of black communities to the film industry – the public becomes more astute and attuned to what is just and proper onscreen. Shows such as Frontier provide yet another metaphorical kick up the backside to the viewing public, challenging perceptions and garnering respect for these neglected communities.
Past and Modern Societies 