The Supernatural Across Arabian Nights Literature and Films

This is my final paper for MES 16.07 Arabian Nights East and West with Professor Hussein Kadhim:

The Arabian Nights (or One Thousand and One Nights) is a collection of Middle Eastern folklore originating during the Islamic Golden Age, having been passed down across generations through the involvement of Eastern and Western translators and scholars. One factor contributing to the delivery of the Nights to worldwide audiences is the medium over which it is presented. Media include oral tradition, which may have facilitated the very original stories amongst illiterate audiences. Media also include literature, namely translations like that of French archaeologist Antoine Galland, imitations by Western authors inspired by Arabian works (Clute & Grant 52), as well as poetry, tales, novels, and the like. With the introduction of film in the late 1900s, numerous mythic adventures of the Nights would take to theaters in the form of animated feature films, and eventually live-action movies. This brings us to the modern era, when one may be concerned for how this folklore has stood the passage of time and the apparent advancement of technology. We limit our discussion to its impact upon arguably one of the great allures of Nights, that is, the role of supernatural entities. The supernatural, which includes, but is not limited to, genies, demons, flying carpets, magic/sorcery, and hypnosis, have inspired iconic Disney films watched by young children. We hope to analyze certain Hollywood films in the context of Nights literature to which they supposedly have ties to. In this paper, I argue that while the supernatural evidently plays a critical role in the Nights across different media, it is often overly fantasized in visual media to reflect oriental stereotypes of the West, in comparison to the literary works they are inspired by.

The Supernatural in Literature

The supernatural is exhibited across Nights literature in a variety of both animate and inanimate phenomena, begging concern for how and why it is incorporated in canon. One of the more popularized examples of such is the notion of a genie, a mystical entity with roots in Islamic teachings. Namely, the Qur’an states that the jinn were created from smokeless flame of fire (The Qur’an 15:16), a complement to angels who are analogously created from light (Sahih Muslim). Note that the jinn need not mistakenly be deemed the ‘evil’ antithesis to angels, for all jinn are initially ordered to worship God as are humans (The Qur’an 51:56); it may be, however, that their allegiance to God is suspect, as such is the case with humans (who are either believers or infidels). Though they must believe in the existence of jinn–for failure to do so would seemingly question the word of God–Muslims are particularly wary of menacing jinn such as Iblis (called Satan according to Christianity). The existence of such evil beings may help explain Arabian views of caution and foreboding towards the jinn. Consequently, the apparent similarities between jinn and human beings creates an avenue for Arab storytellers to cast their own convictions over the unseen supernatural, perhaps by depicting issues plaguing human societies via their backstories.

The understanding of the genie as an offshoot of jinn need be emphasized, as certain common characteristics of the jinn reflect fundamental human motivations demonstrated throughout the Nights. In addition to their having faith, the jinn exhibit free will and emotions, allowing them to claim elaborate backstories that instantiate their. Moreover, jinn are said to have once been worshipped by pagan Arabs prior to the arrival of Islam, according to Arabic literature researcher Suneela Mubayi, for they were seen as spirits that mastered the elements of nature (Ettachfini). This raises some concerns; is there such a thing as a relationship with the supernatural that is too radical, ie. one that deviates from obedience to God? Thus, the existence of jinn in folklore may complicate the one’s belief in monotheism itself.

We now touch on specific instances of the genie in the Nights, with the hopes of understanding what message it conveys in the context of a typical Arab storyteller’s faith: Islam. Consider The Fisherman and the Demon (Haddawy, “The Arabian Nights” 67-110), in which a poor fisherman seeking to make ends meet stumbles upon a yellow pot from which emerges a genie amidst a cloud of smoke; observe that the luring cloud of smoke may serve as a nod to Qur’anic origins of the jinn. The fisherman’s struggles in his craft may be seen as an example of the working class’s efforts seemingly yielding little to no success. Moreover, the fisherman’s plea to God for help, and his consequent receipt of a jar containing the genie (Haddawy, “The Arabian Nights” 1) demonstrates a role that the supernatural plays in helping explain the seemingly unexplainable, namely good fortune that characters like the fisherman often receive across the Nights. After all, this lets an author use reason to explain plot details in a story, which is usually a more palatable and arguably easier proposition for a reader to ingest, as opposed to explaining off events as happening by chance. The incorporation of the jinn seems to offer a means to the former, especially considering the character arc of the fisherman, yielding a feel-good, rags-to-riches narrative. The fisherman rises against the odds because he is able to use his wit to convince the genie not to kill him. The way in which he tricks the genie into returning to its pot may be interpreted as the triumph mankind over the supernatural, a feat that would imply man to be rulers of all figments of nature; the actual degree of man’s ‘power,’ in comparison to that of God, is interesting as it is presumably a dangerous line to walk along, according to Islamic teachings. Islamic mythology cites jinn who had once denied faith in God, resulting in King Solomon punishing the rebellious jinn via imprisonment in jars (The Qur'an 27:17). Thus, although characters are often shown in literature to harness the unforeseen (and, as we will see, in films too), religious scripture does not suggest that common man is able to, or should, try to govern the supernatural through magic or the like.

Likewise, The Story of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp (Haddawy, “Sindbad and Other Tales” 100-89) famously features a small-town boy who utilizes a lamp genie, however the motives of its genie differ from those of The Fisherman and the Demon. Observe that the release of the genie is here too an accident, ie. Aladdin mistakenly rubs a ring given to him by a nefarious magician; the apparent spontaneity of the jinn seems to be a common occurrence throughout the Nights, often creating fruitful twists in the fates of important characters. In contrast to the aforementioned fisherman, Aladdin is permitted by the genie himself to have his wishes met; this allows Aladdin to safely return home from captivity by the magician. The shear might of the genie is accentuated in this story, as he transports Aladdin between Africa and China with incomprehensible speed; this specific distance may have been chosen in for this story in order to convey the magnitude of the jinn’s strength to audiences of the time. Similar to how a lack of understanding about the supernatural essentially gives then Arab storytellers poetic licenses, this is perhaps bolstered by the fact that Aladdin was originally set in China, a people whom Arabs could usually only portray via speculation at the time. Though Aladdin is explicitly said to be a good-for-nothing in the build-up of the story (Haddawy, “Sindbad and Other Tales” 100), he observes a reversal of fortune through claiming wishes, enabling him to make the sultan’s daughter his bride, and to vanquish both the evil magician and his conniving brother. Though Aladdin fails to demonstrate his deserving wishes in the first place–given his lack of heroism and apparent greed–such offerings nonetheless helped instantiate a legacy in which he does exhibit wit and ambition. Beyond baring the typical rags-to-riches trope, the story may teach how success is sometimes circumstantial, and need not always be attained by actors rightfully ‘deserving’ of it; but if the actor survives the trek and demonstrates spirit, are they not worthy of being commended for? The supernatural may help convey this message through elements of fantasy, albeit potentially rooted in fiction and folklore.

Demons may take on non-jinn identities in the Nights as well. Of concern to us is the potential role that the general demon takes in literature, in the context of our understanding of the jinn. An instance of a demon is found in The Story of the Merchant and the Demon (Haddawy, “Sindbad and Other Tales” 49-54), in which a traveling merchant is met and threatened by a demon with a sword, who claims to have lost his son to the throw of a stone by the merchant. The audience is made to experience pity for the human-like sorrow of the demon, due to the demonstrated fatherly instinct of vengeance for his child. The delivery of the demon’s emotions creates a dilemma for the reader over whether to trust an entity that is not innately human, or a trader who–albeit accidentally–does commit a crime. The natural terror that an individual associates with the very thought of a demon is complicated by the events of this story, namely by the merchant’s begging to be spared. A deal is made in which the merchant is let to go see his family and property before being killed a year later (Haddawy, “Sindbad and Other Tales” 51); the demon’s acceptance that the merchant will keep the sworn trust reveals an assumption of storytellers: some supernatural abide by the moral compasses of humans. Moreover, the supernatural appear to facilitate the decree of God, for the merchant and onlooking passerbys seem to believe there is no means to avoid fate. Although old men do attempt to postpone the merchant’s death by telling tales of adventures to the demon, it demonstrates the demon’s capability of showing mercy. The involvement of demons in the Nights seem to align with characteristics of the jinn as described in the Qur’an, namely their capability towards emotion, their guidance by God. Consequently, such entities, while meant to instill fear in audiences, are simultaneously held by storytellers to honor and respect, even rivaling that of human beings.

Alongside the plethora of human-like supernatural beings, we observe the complementary use of non-living magical objects in scenes across the Nights. An instance of such is the magic (or flying) carpet. Origins of the magic carpet trace back to 13^th^ century A.D., one of which was supposedly received by King Solomon of Israel from one who’d loved him, the Queen of Sheba; it was allegedly crafted by a brilliant royal alchemist of hers (Mingren). This exposes the obsession of man over mastering the unknown, under the assumption that humans are capable (perhaps even destined?) to harness it. Alternatively, others believe that Solomon received the magic carpet from God; this explanation seems to hold the miracle of a flying carpet to such a high esteem that it is presumed no human could have possibly made it (Mingren). Despite these differing explanations, observe that the magic carpet’s mystique is nonetheless respected and obsessed over. As entertained in The Story of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Paribanou (Lang 342-66), a flying carpet from Bisnagar, India enables Prince Hussain–a son of the Sultan of the Indies–to travel as fast as possible across enormous distances, allowing him and his brothers to save the life of the Sultan’s niece. Though the carpet is used in this sole scene in the story, the aura it yields is noteworthy as it portrays the power and magnificence of its rider(s). Compare this to how the generic carpet is used in scenes of the Nights, serving as the surface on which Aladdin’s mother must touch her forehead in prostration to the king (Haddawy, “Sindbad and Other Tales” 131), and the surface to which black and white slaves do the same (Haddawy, “Sindbad and Other Tales” 145). The carpet appears to be a literal barrier between what is touched by peasants versus that by their masters, perhaps even symbolizing the disparity between social classes. The formulation of a ‘magic’ carpet thereby instills wonder upon those in its mere presence (the common people) and grants glory to its owner. Furthermore, the carpet depicted in literature itself does not bring wealth and riches to its owners, but does serve as means to such an end; it less so appears as a convenient out for particular characters, and more so an annunciation of their alluded-to might. As a point of clarification, although The Story of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp is commonly associated with Aladdin’s riding on a magic carpet, the original version of the Nights tale does not refer to one; rather, the iconic abduction of the princess takes place on her marital bed. This may hint at a difference in intended purpose of the vehicle shown in popularized Disney adaptations versus that utilized in original literature.

Note that the supernatural need not be instantiated by someone or something, but can just as easily be referred to in language. One may look no further than Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Haddawy, “Sindbad and Other Tales” 71-99) in which the hard-earning Ali Baba stumbles upon a stone cavern with a secret entrance, which he quietly observes being opened by forty thieves using the phrase ‘open sesame!’ The way in which Ali Baba sneakily uses the phrase to enter the cavern and relish the loot stored in it contrasts with his brother Cassim’s efforts to enter the secret lair, only to forget the magic phrase and then be killed by the thieves. The phrase possibly refers to the way in which a sesame seed splits when ripe, symbolizing the uncovering of loot in the story. It popularizes the traditional rags-to-riches narrative in the Nights, masking a surprisingly dark and tragic underlying plot.

The Supernatural in Film

The Nights comprise a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales that over time have been delivered across different media; we have thus far assessed stories having been conveyed through lenses of archaeologists and orientalists like Antoine Galland. We seek to compare and contrast our findings on the role of the supernatural in literature to that in modern filmography. Films are of interest because they offer a new dimension to storytelling, that is, the use of live auditory and visual effects to complement a given plot. Regarding film adaptations of various stories in the Nights, we hypothesize that certain aspects of films will align with our imaginations, whereas some details may draw distaste. This is because the way in which a movie is inspired by a plot will inevitably differ between any two producers; given the same scene in a story, any two directors will inevitably crop the scene in their own manners, cast actors depending on their judged ability to deliver particular dialogues, and build settings with particular background images and sound effects that fit the ‘character’ of the shot

Our first examination is of the 1944 film adaptation of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. The audience meets Ali, the young son of the caliph Hassan who is the sole survivor of an ambush by Mongols. As Ali is shown in the center of the frame in torn attire and sweating profusely, seemingly unlike that of a royal prince, the rock walls behind him suddenly revolve open to the sound of proud drums (Lubin 10:35-10:45). The audience thereby feels shaken, perhaps resembling how Ali is feeling, as cavalry thunder out amidst trumpet fanfare through the now apparent stone doors to the lair of the forty thieves. An integral part of the film seems to be the perspective from which events are shown; from Ali’s, we are entertained by the curiosity and boldness of a young boy, who dares use the iconic magic phrase ‘open sesame’ to enter the lair. The desperate situation Ali lays in is emphasized by his rushed drinking of water; combined with his feverish excitement over the beautiful garments and jewelry in the lair (12:30-13:00), it depicts him as genuinely likeable and worth rooting for despite his essentially being a thief. Compare this scene to that in literature, where a very cursory backstory is given as to Ali Baba’s circumstances (Haddawy, “Sindbad and Other Tales” 71-2), ie. potentially crucial information that would explain why the reader should trust what the character is doing. We find that the medium of film encourages a director to build up the arc of protagonist; rarely is the audience simply dropped into the rough of a situation without context. Following a time jump during which Ali Baba becomes a grown man who works with the forty thieves, we observe his conversation with childhood love Amara (though, neither recognize with whom they are actually talking) as she bathes in an oasis of reeds (22:55-24:00). Ali Baba surmises there is an “evil genie in the pool,” to which Amara replies with an expression of her affinity for foolish men of mischief (23:30-23:45). The reference to a genie in this scene of sexual tension perhaps innocently reveals an intention of the film to show how Arabs attribute the unexplained to the supernatural, presumably an alignment with their steadfast Islamic beliefs on the jinn; as such, it may be implied that their faith permeates their ability for reason. This scene demonstrates how an audience can be exposed to the intricacies of a culture via even the most brief of sequences in a film. Moreover, Abdullah–fellow thief and advisor to Ali Baba–vehemently opposes Ali Baba’s plan to rescue Amara from marrying the Mongols’ Hulagu Khan, stating he could buy the best of women with his wealth, even sarcastically asking if Ali Baba possesses a magic carpet that would allow him to carry out his plan. This subtle mentioning of the flying carpet may have been intended to shed light on the mindsets of typical working-class folk in Baghdad. However, it also reinforces stereotypical notions that Western films may assume audiences associate when conceptualizing the Middle East.

Our second examination will be of one of the great romantic fantasy-adventure films of the twentieth century: the 1978 adaptation of The Thief of Baghdad. Immediately from the film’s onset, the audience is greeted with a warning to Prince Taj of Sakkar of the potential dangers of “darkness” amongst those who behave as one’s allies (Donner 3:05-3:20). This clearly foreshadows the betrayal from the Prince’s own vizier, Jaudur; however, take notice of the film’s reference to something more nefarious extending beyond the surface personalities that individuals form connections with, into a reality as little understood by man as it is ‘dark.’ We hypothesize this to be an interpretation of the subconscious, ie. an individual’s supposed reservoir of feelings and urges that dictate his/her biases, compulsions, instincts, etc. (Freud). Jaudur appears to have mastered sorcery, harnessing it to make appear a threatening dagger in the baggage of a truly innocent man (5:33). Jaudur’s use of magic contrasts with the casual magic performed by Hassan, (19:00-21:00)–the magician companion of Prince Taj following the latter’s ambush by the vizier’s men–revealing the potential of magic in facilitating good when harnessed for the benefit to others, and yielding sin when applied with one’s greed. This is corroborated by Jaudur’s mystical entry into the palace of Baghdad aboard a flying carpet, as he hovers both literally and figuratively above onlookers of the city (33:55-34:26). This bold entrance raises concern for the origins of such powers, especially as it is juxtaposed with a layer of toxic masculinity–exhibited in his demeanor whilst speaking to the King of Baghdad for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Claiming to be king following the staged murder of Prince Taj, Jaudur engages the real Taj in a sword fight; though emerging victorious from the bout, Jaudur critically reveals his soul to be resting elsewhere, rendering him immortal in the moment but vulnerable here on out as Taj has learned a means to defeat him. The vizier’s mastery of illusion likens him to Satan, while the palace’s submission to the Jaudur’s sorcery demonstrates man’s supposed vulnerability to the supernatural; for instance, the common people witness fall for the conversion of a cornucopia into mere sand and jewels into mere water (1:21:43-1:23:32). In spite of such foe, Taj and Hassan’s retrieval and riding the flying carpet (58:30-1:00:38) may insinuate that the good may too harness the supernatural, for not necessarily is it that only the evil must harness it for mischief. In particular, Taj’s mastery of the carpet profoundly establishes his worthiness as a hero, made possible through the use of special effects that would presumably cause awe among 70s audiences. Perhaps the most mystical of supernatural devices in the film is the all-seeing eye of truth, which pertains to the film’s theme of finding the item of most value in the world. The struggles that Taj and Hassan undergo in the temple of the eye, namely their being lured by insults and goods, plays on the fundamental weakness of man to criticism and reward, implying man’s frailty and tendency to sin. When Hassan retrieves the eye of all-seeing, observe how the temple plaque states (1:15:03-1:15:12) that “the truth lies within thy reach”; this furthers a critical theme of the film that is the concealment of truth via illusion, for the truth lies near one’s self in reality. Example of such a reality include Taj himself being the most valuable thing can possibly be brought to Princess Yasmine, and the notion that love would be the fundamental truth that people seek in this world all along. But for Taj to have victory over Jaudur, he evidently requires the assistance of miracles, as demonstrated by his harnessing of a genie in a bottle (1:26:10-1:30:00). The wit he demonstrates in forcing the genie back into its bottle to teach obedience–a genie of formidable size and intimidating appearance in that–may demonstrate the at times all-too-convenient elements of Nights folklore in leading a hero towards success. Nonetheless, such a convenience permits the depiction of Jaudur’s soul as being a dark egg in a nest, effectively relieving the dastardly Jaudur of his manhood. As such, the film appears to use an explicitly negative outlook on the jinn for the sake of entertainment to its audience.

One cannot discuss the relation between the supernatural and the Nights without mention of modern film adaptations of Aladdin. We first consider Disney’s 1992 feature film Aladdin, which has shaped childrens’ folklore since its inception. Note that this would be one of Disney’s first animated films to feature heroes of color. The film’s iconic genie, voiced by late actor Robin Williams, poses the hero Aladdin with three wishes, to which Aladdin masterfully tricks the genie into escaping a cave as ordered by Jafar, the royal vizier of the city of Agrabah. This slightly differs from that laid out in literature but perhaps deservedly done, for arguably a demonstration of the protagonist’s intelligence and charisma is a necessary hook for young audiences. But note how the iconic animated genie was initially intended to model a man of color, namely a “black hipster” as suggested by then composer Alan Menken (“The Genie”), casting a sense craziness tinged with charm upon an entity supposedly with origins in Qur’anic scripture. Although Williams as the genie may have crossed racial divides via his harnessing of a variety of accents (Clements 34:00-39:13) (eg. Robert de Niro’s taxi driver, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rodney Dangerfield, etc.), it demonstrates the casual nature to which Disney incorporates racial stereotypes into its films, for which the media company has then been rewarded by audience praise. Moreover, the filmmakers are said to have initially proposed a soundtrack with blatantly racist lyrics, namely an the opening sequence that states, “They cut off your ear if they don’t like your face; it’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home!” (Romano). A later 2014 Broadway adaptation of Aladdin would succeed Disney’s, evidently drawing adoration and inspiration from critics regarding the supposed “freedom fighter” image cast by its genie (Jones). However, observe how the genie in the 1992 film is portrayed under the context of slavery and servitude; though the genie grants wishes, ironically he possesses the ultimate wish of being set free by whomever his lamp’s master is. We even meet the villain Jafar who greedily harnesses the genie to commit evil deeds, ruining the genie’s reputation if it were not for the protagonist’s later show of compassion in setting him free. Jafar embodies the effects of greed and toxic masculinity via his attempting to make Princess Jasmine his possession by the stealing of the magic lamp and manipulating the oppressed genie; this is best epitomized in the insults given by Jafar to the genie such as, “Don’t talk back to me you big blue lout!” (Clements 1:13:00-1:13:05). The overcoming of good in the film is perhaps the triumph of abolition, inspired by the courage of the common man like Aladdin, in spite of his being fundamentally underprivileged. The film assumes that absolute power needs be limited by the common man’s rise against the patriarchy, for absolute power will inevitably corrupt its owner; this helps explain Jafar’s fate, and Aladdin’s act of giving up absolute power (ie. forgoing his final wish for the genie’s sake) to remain his true self. Despite the promise in said message, it is unfortunately made via a fantasy-like depiction of the Middle East as a magical desert home to flying carpets, lavish palaces, and erotically-dressed women. It seems to be a demonstration of orientalism in Hollywood, which Edward Said argues is the West’s stereotyped notion of the Middle East used to control it (Said). Furthermore, one of the film’s issuers of sorcery, Jafar, potentially an instance of the evil jinn from the Qur’an due to his shape-shifting capabilities, is consistently referred to as ugly and undesirable–sarcastically said so by Princess Jasmine herself (Clements 1:13:30-1:14:33)–in comparison to the likes of Aladdin and Jasmine, who bare refined English accents and are often scantly clothed. Lastly, the decision to base the animated film in Arabia, as opposed to China, where the original literature was set in, itself is an indication of Hollywood’s desires to use the then perhaps lesser-known culture of Arabia to allure Western audiences. This poses the danger of misconstruing the fundamental beliefs of Arabs towards the supernatural–ie. beliefs defined based in scripture–in favor of entertainment.

The recent 2019 live-action adaptation of Aladdin is intriguing because the portrayal of characters via live actors adds a layer complexity to storytelling; while live action may make it easier for the audience to relate to through humanization of characters, it may sacrifice certain artistic freedoms enabled by animation. This is of interest to us, considering Disney’s goal to mitigate certain racial controversies created by their aforementioned animated film. Unfortunately, disappointing CGI effects at times take away from the allure of supernatural that the original film likely intended; while characters like Abu the monkey and the Magic Carpet do benefit from 3-dimensional realism, Lago the parrot’s humor is brought down by his relatively emotionless appearance, whilst large-scale musical numbers like “Friend Like Me” (43:25-45:57) and “Prince Ali” (55:22-58:42) simply feel lacking in terms of fantasy-esque special effects and tempo that are expected to match the power and charisma established by the original Robin Williams genie. Not the fault of film but perhaps the medium itself, the torso of the genie has to be CGI-generated, making many of genie’s movements on screen look arguably cheap. This, in addition to other limitations–consider how the setting for the musical number “Whole New World” must be limited to Arabia, instead of all over the world like in the animated film–exposes the potential trade-off between realism and the expression of fantasy.

Now observe how the animated genie founded upon its shape-shifting abilities is played by actor Will Smith, a black American. This may imply that the task of animating the original genie as being too difficult, forcing a transition to a part transformative and part human supernatural entity. The choice of casting the albeit charming Smith may alarm critics as yet another depiction of the ‘magical Negro,’ a stereotype cast on black characters in Hollywood portraying a lower class, uneducated black person who possesses supernatural or magical powers that are used to ‘save’ uncultured whites from ignorance and motivate their mythic ‘American redemption’ (Hughey 544). Though characters in Aladdin besides the genie are ethnically Arab, note that the magical Negro narrative may still apply here as the oppression of black people is evident across non-white communities too. The humanization of the genie in the live-action film perhaps amplifies to the audience his desires to be freed and become a human, for he appears and sounds so close to already being such. On the other hand, the evil vizier Jafar is played by an actor perhaps more handsome than his counterpart animated in the 1992 film. The beautification of his character may motivate audiences to become obsessed with his character on a physical level, furthering the narrative that Western films desire to lure audiences by depicting the East in what is determined to be an optimal manner. Overall, the recreation of Aladdin harbors on an opportunity seen by Disney to reframe its projected image likely towards cautious adults whose children are subject to Disney’s content.

Conclusion

From our brief analysis of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944), The Thief of Baghdad (1978), Aladdin (1992), and Aladdin (2019), we find subtle events in films to be indicative of a fundamentally orientalist mentality borne in filmmakers, to a degree to which it seems unlikely for it to be merely accidental. We chose to exclusively examine scenes exhibiting or referencing the supernatural, from which we observe tendencies to sensationalize scenes, perhaps for the sake of the audience's interest in a plot. Additionally, we notice at-times casual dialogue that alarmingly hearkens assumptions about the orient, with regards to what its peoples' religious beliefs are, and how they supposedly expressed. Moreover, directors appear to often portray magic as a skill requiring the foremost caution of characters; this is demonstrated through the portrayal of what we assume to be jinn, though we do not necessarily find alignment between demons shown onscreen and what is defined in the Qur'an. Especially concerning in modern times is the depiction of the black body as the 'magical Negro,' exposing how important the positioning of the practitioners of the supernatural is to the audience's perceptions of it.

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