The Wedding Banquet Film Critique - Essay Example

The Wedding Banquet Introduction The advancement of technology has led to significant improvements in the film sector. Increasingly, different authors are exploring this field of specification with the intention of reaching out to various audiences. The writers and directors of films use this artistic medium to relay important information to their audiences. Through film, they explore different themes that impact differently on the wellbeing of the society. Fundamentally, almost all spheres of the society including the social, economic and cultural aspects are usually explored. Relative efforts are desirable because this critical information is able to reach a diverse audience. Most importantly, the information is stored for future use and hence conserves the culture of the respective individuals. In most instances, the background of the writers greatly influences the nature of the film. In particular, it is widely agreed that the previous experiences of the writers are commonly highlighted in the films. This is because of the fact that the respective experiences shape the perceptions of the authors as well as the decisions that they make. To a great extent, their previous experiences regarding education and professional develop have a direct impact on the quality of the products that the individuals present on the market. Perhaps the most important aspect pertains to the culture of the author or director of the film. In most instances, this will always be reflected in the piece of work. It is against this background that this paper explores the themes presented in The Wedding Banquet in light of Ang Lee’s experiences. To enhance a harmonic consideration, the paper begins by highlighting the cultural setting of the film. The Wedding Banquet is an Asian-American film that is based on both the American and Asian values, virtues, traditions and culture. Seemingly, it explores the aforementioned cultural aspects through its characters and themes. According to Berry, this is aimed at bridging the gaps between the American and Asian cultures in an effort to come up with a complex and unified version (Berry 33). From a cultural point of view, unification or reconciliation of cultures is an important aspect of enhancing cultural growth. Put differently, this makes the audience to understand and appreciate both cultures. From a business standpoint, this is instrumental in enabling the film to reach a broader and more diversified client base. Undoubtedly, this is critical in enabling the author to meet his or her business goals without compromising the quality of the film. On the other hand, exploration of different cultures in one film presents various challenges for the film maker. In his research, Berry indicates that this approach makes it difficult for the author to develop themes accordingly (Berry 41). There would always be some inconsistencies especially if the author does not understand both cultures. This gets more difficult in instances where the cultures under review are contradictory. In such cases, the authors are forced to eliminate certain aspects to enhance coherence of the film. Although this may serve the short term goal of reconciling any differences, the long term implications are far reaching. Specifically, such decisions compromise the wellbeing of one of the cultures. In the long run, the affected culture is likely to be eroded. Notably, the aforementioned challenges are some that Ang Lee struggles with in his effort to develop a film that would effectively capture both the American and Asian cultures. Basically, his pieces of art are directed at a globalized audience. Although he hails from an Asian background, he incorporates American culture in his films. Seemingly, Ang Lee tries to capture the Chinese culture too in addition to the American and Asian cultures in his The Wedding banquet. This approach is directly related to the director’s cultural background. In this respect, he is neither a pure American nor Asian. Ang Lee’s biographical account indicates that he migrated to America after the Second World War (Dilley 61). He was born and raised in Asia during his early years but immigrated to America after the Second World War. This implies that the author was exposed to the American culture which he assumed during the later stages of his life. Further, it is worth acknowledging that he was not the only one who migrated to America. There were also persons from the Chinese culture who they shared and exchanged different cultural values, virtues and traditions. This experience had a significant impact on the wellbeing of the writer. Besides changing his perceptions about different issues, it also made him to appreciate the role of other cultures in harmonic co existence. This can be used to explain why Ang Lee takes the initiative of incorporating the American and Chinese culture in this piece of work. It is a clear indication that he appreciates the impact that the American and Chinese cultures had on his entire wellbeing. Reportedly, the author migrated to America in 1978 with the aim of joining the New York University to study film (Berry 73). At this point in time, he exhibited Chinese and Asian mannerisms and considered himself a film maker with very strong ethno-national ties as well as roots. This was typical of his Chinese and Asian colleagues and friends who arrived in America at the same time. After a short while, his perceptions of film began being influenced by the western values and virtues. He was relatively confused because as much as he wanted to base his themes on his cultural background, he was expected to put in consideration the expectations of the audience too. In order to survive and thrive in the industry, he was expected to incorporate the expectations of the American audience in his films. This was so because his audience was largely made up of Americans. It was unlikely that they would enjoy purely Chinese or Asian films. Also worth appreciating is the contribution of the University education to the director’s profession. Basically, education is critical in changing the attitudes and perceptions of an individual. Furthermore, education equips one with the knowledge, skills and expertise to address certain tasks with ease. Most importantly, education encourages creative and critical thinking that is vital for decision making. With respect to the education experience of Ang Lee, it cannot be disputed that the knowledge and skills that he attained during his university schooling informed his decisions in film making. Arguably, this education made him to understand and appreciate the importance of the American culture to his profession. This can be used to explain why he decided to explore the American culture and feature it in his films. Through education, he was also able to understand the needs of his client base. Incorporating these in his development of The Wedding Banquet enabled him to reach a wide client base and benefit optimally from the returns. Seemingly, the experiences of the director are also well incorporated in the film. At this point, Dilley indicates that Ang Lee, just like other immigrants struggled with an identity crisis. As much as he wanted to retain his Chinese identity, he could not because the American learning environment did not support this. In particular, the language, food and other cultural aspects were purely American. Although not fully, he assumed the American culture in order to exist peacefully in the learning environment. This culminated in his development of certain insecurities for fear of loosing his cultural identity and relative values. This is well exemplified in The Wedding Banquet. When lee moved to America, he was alienated from his family. He lost touch with his family as well as the relative influences. In the Chinese and Asian cultures, the father plays an important role in the family. He controls as well as provides for his family accordingly. In his The Wedding Banquet, Ang Lee demonstrates the fears and insecurities of loosing a patriarchal and authoritative figure in his life. In his review, Berry ascertains that the loss of a father figure after migration to the United States had adverse implications on the wellbeing of the director (57). In Chinese and Asia, a father figure assumes an authoritative role. His presence therefore gives the family members a sense of security. Lee affirms that his father played an important unifying role during his early years. The role of his father in his life greatly influences his ideas and decisions in the play. For instance, he presents the foreigner as being confused because of his inability to trace his origin (Lee 1993). To some extent, this is a reflection of his life experiences in the United States. The fact that he equally felt confused at some point because of the loss of a father figure in his life cannot be overlooked. This is particularly so because his father positively influenced his experience during the tender years of his life. This also rationalizes his use of irony in perceiving the world. In his film, Ang lee also explores the theme of family break up and other forms of family crises. Seemingly, most of the family conflicts stem from the controversies surrounding human sexuality. Specifically, aspects pertaining to gay marriages and the societal expectations of the newlyweds are compounded by various controversies. Seemingly, there is a clash of cultures in the marriage stemming from the aspect of gay marriage. The Chinese and Asians do not advocate for the issue of gay marriage that is practiced by the groom. They are shy about addressing this issue publicly and believe that it should be ‘swept under the rag” (Lee 1993). The newlyweds are also expected by the society to strip off their clothes under their bed sheets in the presence of the guests. Through this, Ang Lee indicates the importance of sexuality in marriage. It is vitally important for the couples to hold a similar perception of sexuality and its contribution to marriage. Arguably, the exploration of familial conflicts pertaining to gay marriage can be attributed to the director’s experience in America. Similarly, the author experienced various difficulties in trying to come to terms with American sexuality. Unlike in China and Asia, Americans are bold about their sexuality and take practical measures to assert their relative statuses. This can be used to explain why they approach issues such as gay marriage in a more liberalized way. Thus the author reflects his experience in this regard through this theme of human sexuality. Just like he had problems adapting to the American lifestyle, he believes that the couples in The Wedding Banquet are bound to experience problems when dealing with challenges related to sexuality. Conclusion In sum, the experiences of the directors in the film industry have significant impacts on the information that they present to the audience. To a great extent, the respective experiences influence the authors’ approach to the themes that are presented in the film. As it has come out from the study, the educational and social experiences of Ang Lee directly influence the choice of the themes he explores in his play. He makes efforts to integrate the Asian, Chinese and American cultures in his play. This is attributable to the fact that he got exposed to the three cultures before beginning his profession. Further, his corporate market required that he explores the three cultures in order to benefit optimally from the financial returns. With respect to themes, the author values the role of the father figure in his life. Thus his separation with his father when he immigrates to the United States had adverse impacts on his psychological welfare. As aforementioned, it impacted negatively on his psychological stability. Finally, Ang Lee addresses the issue of family conflicts and crises. Seemingly, these stem from the varied perceptions that the communities have on the issue of human sexuality. This is a reflection of the internal conflicts he experienced when he got exposed to bold American lifestyle. In conclusion, the author’s experiences greatly influence the information he presents in his film. Works Cited Berry, Michael. Speaking in Images. New York: Columbia University Press, 2005. Print. Dilley, Whitney. The Cinema of Ang Lee. London & New York: Wallflower Press, 2007. Print. Lee Ang. The wedding banquet. IMDb Videos, 1993. Film. Read More