Exploration of Gender Roles in Comrades, Almost a Love Story and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Films - Term Paper Example

Representation and exploration of gender roles in popular films: Comrades, Almost a Love Story and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Introduction: The radical process of modernization though commenced in the Western socio-cultural and socio-political environment during late 19th and early 20th century, however, it took more than sixty years to perceive impact on the same in the Chinese context: “Although, with the rapid modernization efforts ongoing since the early 1980s, conditions of life in many parts of the People’s Republic of China have been steadily improving, for many Chinese mainlanders Hong Kong remains a symbol of material plentitude and progress” (Chow 105). The changing traits of social existence due to radical modernism have also been reflected in various domains of art and quite powerfully within the filmmaking traditions. Compared to the early styles of Chinese filmmaking the issues of depiction, especially reflection of depicting gender roles in films have undergone drastic change. Films like Comrades, Almost a Love Story and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are brilliant examples that not only reflect impact of modernist trends in the art of filmmaking but also provided considerable focus on gender roles, contending the traditional approach. The films, Comrades, Almost a Love Story and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, though have dealt with different storyline, thematic approaches and cultural situation, however, the role of women as reflected in both these films, can be regarded as a brave shift from the traditional approaches. In each of the films, women have played interesting as well as equally commanding parts compared to their male counterparts in the context of developing storylines. The film, Comrades, Almost a Love Story while provides a sufficient reflection over development of China in terms of modernism and neo-Marxian perspective and consequently provides a detailed impression of the contemporary socio-political and economic situation of the nation and how the characters, especially women are responding to such metamorphosis, on the other hand, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon develops its thematic approach over socio-cultural situation of early 18th century China. While Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon can be regarded as a sincere attempt to reinterpret 18th century social history of China according to the principles of modernist context, however, special emphasis on roles of women as emergence of “women warriors” can definitely be regarded as a bold initiative that emphasizes the theme of contending conventional refection of gender roles in films in terms of radical modernism. Thesis Statement: The popular films such as Comrades, Almost a Love Story and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, have attempted to represent and explore gender roles quite from a modernist perspective. Irrespective of their differences in terms of storyline, thematic development and socio-cultural reflection, however, the capacity to explore novel horizons of womanhood has occurred according to the modernist tradition. Comrades, Almost a Love Story: The Comrades, Almost a Love Story (1996) by director Peter Ho-sun Chan narrates story of two Chinese mainlanders Li Xiaojun and Li Qiao. The wave of modernism in the early 1980s, like several other Chinese mainlanders, also affected them and made them believe that Hong Kong is actually a “symbol of material plentitude and process” (Chow 105). Thus, in order to develop their economic situation and secure the course of existence in terms of financial security they have attempted to assimilate themselves with the modernist cultural existence. The migration has an important role to play behind thematic development of the storyline because the cultural difference between Hong Kong and rest of China is remarkable and it contributes considerably in the context of gender role: “This migration should be understood not simply in geographical terms (as a migration from a rural to an urban environment, for instance) but also political-economic terms, as a migration from communism to capitalism” (Chow 118). Use of the term “Comrade” in the film’s name also has both symbolic and social implication as it not only annihilates the traits of gender difference between two protagonists but in the neo-Marxist political-economic context it also deconstructs the elements of so-called class difference: “Whereas the procommunist Chinese system of interpersonal address (the one that continues to be in use among Chinese communities everywhere, including those in the PRC) follows the hierarchical distinctions specified in kinship and other social relations, the term “comrade” … introduced a level of equality, uniformity, and compatibility that was meant to eliminate such feudalist class differences. Since the modernization campaign of the 1980s and 1990s, “comrade” has become an anachronism, a reminder of a political past whose idealism is now laughably irrelevant. The word “comrades” in the film title therefore marks the two young protagonists’ former identity, one that they are supposed to shed in order to become Hong Kongers” (Chow 118). The protagonists not only revive from scope of their former identity but magnitude of such relief is so effective that their gender roles as assigned by the socio-cultural context have also been deconstructed. While Li Xiaojun has been portrayed in a deeply romantic manner and also is split between his choices and earnest wish, on the other hand the woman protagonist Li Qiao is more prudent, pragmatic and takes less time than her male counterpart to take her decisions. Unlike traditional women Li Qiao “is quick, smooth, and efficient in setting and following her goals” (Chow 105). Li Qiao, unlike her traditional women counterparts, is apparently non-romantic, highly practical and most importantly self-dependent; thus, she can be regarded as functioning as such a character that is clearly contending traditional gender perception. Quite on contrary Li Xiaojun does not reflect any positive attitude, or courage enough to chase his goals with sincerity; rather quite in contradiction to traditional male figures he is emotional, romantic and shows dependence that also to a woman figure (his aunt Roise), who helps him to get job in the modernist socio-cultural setting of Hong Kong. The socio-economic setting of Hong Kong, as reflected in the film is essentially capitalist and Li Qiao, being a woman, appears to be a more fitting individual than Li Xiaojun in this scenario. Irrespective of the fact that with due course of time Li Xiaojun and Li Qiao have fallen in love with each other, however, both of them encounter the dilemma to materialize the relationship and Li Xiaojun was completely clueless regarding coming to the final conclusion – a trait that that can be considered quite antithetical to the conventional male gender role. In this situation Li Qiao again takes the initiative that is also conclusive in nature as she states: “Comrade, I did not come to Hong Kong because of you; nor did you come to Hong Kong because of me” (Cited in Chow 119). The representation and exploration of gender roles in the film, keeping these aspects in mind, can be considered as deconstructive compared to the traditional approaches. Li Qiao, in the film, emerges as the representative of modernist womanhood that is capable of deconstructing traditional gender perceptions and consequently provides an impression of the warrior self among women that not only is similar to that of their male counterparts but in the modernist cultural scenario it is capable enough to contend the traits of traditional patriarchal domination as well as social gender bias. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The construction of women as warrior against patriarchal domination and conventional gender evaluation, as discussed in the earlier section of the paper, receives even a stronger foundation in director Ang Lee’s film the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). Compared to the Comrades, Almost a Love Story the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon may not appear to be highly connotative in terms of socio-cultural and economic-political contexts, however, the film reflects, rather reinterprets, the saga of woman warrior over the backdrop of 18th century Chinese historical context that it receives an essence of eternity in the context of gender reinterpretation and evaluation. The storyline of the film revolves around Li Mu Bai, Shu Lien, Jen Yu and Jade Fox. It is interesting to see that compared to the male characters, the women have been provided with more attention in the film and consequently through their respective actions, both in negative and positive roles, they have dominated course of the film. Such representation and focus over female characters in the film can clearly be regarded as a conscious effort to defy patriarchal domination in cultural context. It has been widely accepted by critics that “… a disproportionate number of cultural commodities are produced by predominantly male-controlled corporations in industrialized capitalist countries and then exported to other parts of the world. This position does not necessarily minimize the importance of the increasing number of media products coming out of the smaller countries” (Riordan 83). Standing over the backdrop of such cultural domination providing intense focus over women characters and consequently the effort to deconstruct the traditional setting deserves special attention. Li Mu Bai’s decision to give up his warrior life, in this context, has facilitated the scope for emergence of women warriors such as Shu Lien and Jen Yu. While Li Mu Bai’s sacrifice can be interpreted as end of patriarchal domination, emergence of women warriors like Shu Lien and Jen Yu and their mutual assignment to deliver the sword to Mu Bai’s friend can be considered as emergence of feminism in the modernist context that apart from putting an end to the patriarchal domination also signify the emergence of feminism, putting an end to the patriarchal enterprise. Quite in contradiction to the traditional approaches to filmmaking, where a male figure fulfills the negative role, in this film a woman has been provided with this opportunity. The assassination of Li Mu Bai’s master by Jade Fox can also be regarded as a symbolic implication of the feminist militancy against patriarchal domination and by this way she actually wishes to liberate the knowledge domain that patriarchal institution wishes to keep it away from reach of women. According to Ellen Riordan “Feminist political economy integrates an examination of capitalism and patriarchy. In addition to offering a critique of macro-level social structures, feminist political economy stresses the importance of understanding issues of identity, subjectivity, pleasure, and consumption as well as visible and invisible labor in the day-to-day lives of women” (85). Judging from this perspective the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon reflects the traits of feminist political economy so brilliantly that quite in a crafted manner it exposes the nature of patriarchy, capitalism and male dominance. One of the basic traits of patriarchal setting is that it wishes to confine knowledge within its own scope so that it can use women as instruments. Jade Fox clearly protested against this trend and assured her defiance through radical feminism. Li Mu Bai’s giving up of his career as a warrior and assigning his duty to deliver the Green Destiny to his friend over his female partner Shu Lien can also be interpreted as an essential trait of patriarchal dominance and according to the feminist political economy it can be narrated as an incident of invisible labor that patriarchal setting wishes to be executed through women. Jade Fox, in this regard, can be interpreted as such an individual and feminist who rebelled against the entire system and consequently emerged as a negative character due to her rebellion. However, from the modernist perspective her actions are justified and clearly support the contending nature of Li Qiao’s character against traditional gender role as reflected in Comrades, Almost a Love Story. Conclusion: Comrades, Almost a Love Story and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon have represented and explored gender roles quite from feminist perspectives. Though storyline, thematic approach and backdrop of both these films have differed radically from one another, however, in terms of feminist assertion over traditional patriarchal dominance these films they are similar. Keeping in mind the traits of modernist tradition, womanhood in these two films emerged as powerful cultural instruments that not only deconstructs traditional gender perception but also opens up new dimensions in terms of feminist political economy. Li Qiao in Comrades, Almost a Love Story and Jade Fox Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are actually representatives of the modern feminist spirit and consequently complementary and supplementary to one another. While Li Qiao can be observed as the emergence of feminism contending the conventional traits of gender perception, Jade Fox is the ultimate defiance against patriarchal domination in socio-cultural scenario. Works Cited Chow, Rey. “By Way of Mass Commodities: Love in Comrades: Almost a Love Story.” Sentimental Fabulations, Contemporary Chinese Films: Attachment in the Age of Global Visibility. New York: Columbia University Press, 2007. Riordan, Ellen. “The Woman Warrior: A Feminist Political Economic Analysis of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. Women and media: international perspectives. London: Wiley-Blackwell, 2004. Read More