The Theme National in Chinese Movies - Term Paper Example

Name Professor Subject Date The Chinese National in Chinese Movies The essential theme of “National” has been virtually reflected in a greater percentage of Chinese film and a number of propositions have been put forward to back up this trend. Probably due to the political history that has patterned China right from the empirical and feuding lord epochs to the now predominant nation-state mechanism of government. Thanks to the Han Dynasty that had a precursor vision of unifying China as one people; probably the earliest of enthusiast to envision the Chinese people as people from one fabric. Chinese film, even though can logically be differentiated from Taiwanese and Hong Kong film and cinema, where mainland China with a critical media base at Shanghai has often been pushed to the fringes, the dynamics of politics, parties and systems of administration that have characterized China as an autonomous territory and the subsequent inclusion of Hong Kong per se have created a film and cinema culture that strongly identifies with the national theme as we shall analyze from our movies if choice. However, it must be highlighted that as we central on the national theme in three movies of our choice, there lies different manifestation of the national theme even though recognizable that captures our research from different perspectives. Our focus shall be on Durian Durian (2000), Rush Hour (1998) and Hero (2002). Our settlement on these films is majorly based on political tremors that characterized mainland China, the jurisdiction of Hong Kong and Taiwan in the authoritarian era which as a matter of fact had state/national repercussions in Chinese media and literature (which is off our discussion). Recap on selected movies Durian Durian Produced in the last quarter of 2000, Durian Durian was directed by Fruit Chan and produced by Carrie Wong. It features a deep national theme that is manifested in the inland China-Hong Kong contention, a feature that has been prevalent throughout the modern years of China. The plot centers around two sharply contrasting female characters, Fan, who is a Hong Kong native and Yan who is from Northeast China and her illegal neighbor. Yan is illegally residing in Hong Kong for the economic reasons and involves in prostitution with the hope of a better future. Fan on the other hand, a local, becomes close friends with Yan since they are close neighbors and they share their personal stories. The story ends with Yan finally packing up and heading to the Northeast to reunite with her ex-fiancé and invest the hard earned cash she has acquired as an illegal immigrant in Hong Kong. Rush Hour Rush Hour has been developed in three parts with the initial version featuring in 1998. Starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, the film is produced by Roger Bimbaum and five other skilled personnel and directed by Brett Ratner. Even though the plot is decentralized into fighting major crimes such as terrorism, kidnapping, robbery and gang affiliation, the national theme is clearly visible from the plot. As Solon Han takes on a diplomatic role for his government in Los Angeles, CA, his daughter gets kidnapped on day one and the search leads to one Juntao, who has illegal activity ties in Hong Kong and indeed detective Lee is much aware of him. It becomes apparent to Carter that a restaurant in Chinatown seems to be the base of Juntao’s mob and the first deadly encounter is registered. A further search and a ransom negotiation lead the search into Los Angeles Convention Center where one Griffin is identified as the mysterious Juntao. With his right hand man Sangup close and the threat of a bomb, the confrontation ends with the villain’s death and the achievement of the initial goal. Kidnapped Soo Yung is reunited with her father as Carter and Lee head for a Hong Kong vacation. Hero The latest of our reviewed movie, Hero stars Jet Li as a nameless protagonist who ends up nationally slain as the movie ends due to a rule that must needs enforced even though the King of Qin was reluctant about assuming the idea. The plot focuses on Jet Li acting as an anonymous prefect of a yet to be known miniature jurisdiction in Zhao state carrying out a mission to the King of Qin with an ulterior motive to eliminate him. An assassination attempt on the King warrants a decree of a 100-pace no-go-zone radius around the king of which nameless prefect plots to break through. He claims to have disarmed and slain the three assassins, Long Sky, Broken Sword and Flying Snow, in a fight contest at different locations. His story seems rather suspicious and his confession paves way for building understanding with the king. He confesses to have psychologically conquered Sky and managed to quell Snow and Sword by faking. He shares his sentiment with the King about the unification of China with Qin as the seat, a thought seeded by Snow. The king relaxes and gains his trust and emotionally the nameless prefect altogether abandons his assassination. Snow challenges Sword to a fight, and he (Sword) does not defend himself and she kills him. Being haunted by the act, she later commits suicide with the same sword. The nameless prefect is executed by the court’s directive and given an honourable burial. State/national aspect Perhaps an understanding of our gleaned discussion content of the state/national perspective deserves better enlightenment to stand a better chance of connecting it to Chinese film. Berry and Farquhar (5) both agree that the concept of state-nation is not necessarily universally coherent. The state-nation includes the assemblage of communities that come under a unifying umbrella superficially refers to as the state and their individual participation makes them nationals. Anderson on the other hand extrapolates the concept of state-nation as a rather imaginary principle where boundaries are established and the persons within the boundary are regarded as the nationals and the self-standing border enclosure as the state-nation (5). He further alludes to a Javanese concept of non-physical (imagined) connection with their others they consider part of the same whole (6). With these perceptions already heavily debated by thinkers around the world, we envision a crisis where defining the national concept in film and cinema for instance eludes the mind pretty fast with impetuses such as globalization and networking pushing these alleged boundaries to extinction. It is under this myriad of complexes that our research identifies with this Chinese from the cultural identify to complement the national film theme in our topic. We thus consider the National theme as the Chinese cultural identity and not necessarily the political boundaries of the Republic of China. This standpoint is quite authentic as people as bigger players in the global media industry and more so Hollywood are keen to eye Chinese in the diaspora as key to expansion of Chinese films beyond the Chinese borders (Curtin, 2). Analysis The state-national concept is mediated in the identification of Chinese culture and obvious modes of identification such as language in films and context to a further extent. While production and distribution of movies with a Chinese national-state agenda or rather theme may be handled by different companies which may not necessarily be based within China, the nation-state theme always manages to surface in one or another which gives a clear motive that Chinese movies would like to emphasize. A critical look and reflection on China as a nation (nation here meaning the modernist boundary and single leader setup), the country has been through different fashions and coverage of administrations and rulers that played key in shaping public perception, international reception and alternating forms of governments. From feudal lordship to dynasties, to colonialism and authoritarian era and presently a slightly considerate form of government, Chinese film have paved way as a means of welcoming viewers into its national concerns and to a lesser extent plight and further as a national recognition of the pride of belonging to the Chinese people. This colorful blending however does not elude critiques such as Ylu-Wal (185) who delve into the essence of being Chinese viewed from the Orientalism, Occidentalism, Nationalism and Modernity lenses. Durovicova and Newman (124) identify that the concept of national is segmented into miniature Chinese differences such as Wendy’s autonomy theme (57) the Shanghai-Hong Kong divides and is critically becoming an important part of deciphering Chinese movies while contrasting the same with the countering transnational concept. More and more Chinese films include the national theme into their agenda with rising concerns. Durian Durian addresses the socioeconomic intra-conflict that has been evident between Shanghai and Hong Kong. This opens a further door to analysis of the political resonance the inclusion of Hong Kong into China proper had on the general populace and even further, the disregard of Taiwan by China as a renegade administrative unit. Yan represents the national inclination of China proper, while Fan is descriptive of Hong Kong. The national theme identified in this film is more or less deviant of conventional all-Chinese fabric. China proper, represented by Yan, is metaphorically assumed by Yan as preying on little Hong Kong to the ridiculous extent of vouching for it with an uncanny friendliness with an ulterior motive of gaining its wealth and re-investing it in the mainland. Illegal immigration has been centered as the manner in which the process is done; simply without regard for the locals and with no intentions of investing the wealth within Hong Kong. From a different perspective it can be viewed as an illegal activity of China proper sucking in Hong Kong. Rush hour on the other hand reveals the national theme in a totally different fashion, one in which Hansen identifies as all-Chinese binding (16) and Berry recognizes as the cultural migration, in this case the transnational (74). The transnational is observed as the movie is perceived as an extension from an already ongoing Hong Kong setting where detective Lee had his investigations already rolling. We see the recognition of a fellow Chinese as the real help under such compelling circumstances and the singularity in spirit as a brotherhood and a common blood of the Chinese; rather the fellow national. From a critical look, the Durian Durian syndrome seems to have acquired a newer extension in the Rush Hour dimension where the natives of Hong Kong are painted as the favorites of the Chinese identity in a sort of intra-conflict or rather subtle distrust with mainland dwellers. This however is just a mere speculation since the movie has its setting from its Hong Kong roots exported to Los Angeles, CA with a rather elusive villain on the prowl. The central role of pinning Juntaois solely handled by detective inspector Lee right from his role as a detective with Hong Kong Police Force. This takes us by surprise and identifies the comfort and assurance that troubled Consul Solon Han has about Lee’s involvement in the saga even though LAPD and FBI have able bodied personnel. This analysis gives us confidence when reviewing Zhouxiang at al’s definition of the state-nation interrelationship in our Chinese film context where they regard the nation or national configuration as a soul and a spiritual concept that flows as a brotherhood. It gets pronounced when under such kidnap and rescue situations. By analyzing Hero, a new light of our national concept is highlighted from a primordial time. The setting of Hero is in the warring states period where political wrangles had been the norm in the vast Chinese lands. Qin, which was later to be referred to as China, then headed by a King was in the process of being integrated with neighboring administrative unites (lordships) to form a unified China territory that would centuries later pave way for a bounded China. The king had a vision in mind and seemingly others too, of which Sword is epitomized. They apparently believed that Qin was key in integrating all people of Chinese descent no matter their administrative locus. On the other hand, peace was getting away with advancing years, since inter-administrative conflicts were rampant and ruthless often sending children into orphans and women into widows. The nameless prefect epitomizes this fact. Even though the movie forecasts of a future unified Qin, it never matured on the part of the audience who are cut shot with the death of the nameless prefect stared by Jet Li. This exactly invokes Anderson’s Imagined Communitieswhere the national concept is a superficial inclination towards creating an imagined community with no specific ties (6). He argues that primordial forms of connection and community building dating back to fundamental man in the Stone Age era was built and based on face-to-face recognition then can more integrative ties such as common culture, religion and language can be reconciled. This scenario however limits the community to a basic minimum possible. He counters with his landmark argument that the national concept is imagined and not imaginary. This implies that the connection, such as common boundary and rights contrasted against subjectivity of dynasties and empires are achieving the imaginary. Even though, the perception is held and the people identify with a defined nation just like the dwellers of Java strongly believed of the close bonding of some others they were yet to encounter (Anderson, 6). Under this explication, the Chinese are one within the PR China borders or the diaspora and move theme affect them simultaneously. Comparison and contrast Our movie selection for review are tied with different addresses to the Chineseness concept. Durian Durian is concerned about the greater China versus Hong Kong socioeconomic and political relationship even though both consider themselves of the same fabric, while Rush Hour reflects on the soul connection between all peoples of Chinese descent and thus are closed in a brotherhood bracket wherever they may be located while Hero addresses the unity of China as a whole as one people with no need of contentions neither divisions. It strikes this analysis that these movies appear to be pieces of a whole collage we can equate to the national spirit of Chinese belonging as Anderson put it (7). However even though the essence of Chinese belonging is much more urgent to these movies than is their view on that same subject, much is desired from analysis in what Berry and Farquhar (5) coined the non-inherent even though characteristically similar property that loosely binds the pieces. The demarcated collage units per se. Each of the movies has a differently manifested form of the common national that dissects the audience into those who sentimentally identify with the subject content. Conclusion Chinese movies have assumed a nationalistic agenda in their thematic composition and setting that have been universal to Chinese and none-Chinese fraternities. Even though the manner of addressing the aspect of a Chinese belonging seem to serve different interests, the ultimate message is passed across to the targeted audience with precision. The audience even though designed to be of Chinese audience since the thematic expression touches on esoteric Chinese concerns seems to capture a larger audience in a way that the 21st century has been described as the year of China and Asia to make a mark in the global film and cinema evolution. There seems to be a proposition that political molding of China as a whole dearly affected the Chinese populace and resonated in their media and literature which seems fitting. However the fundamental understanding of the national (the Chinese belonging) is rather murky where we settle for other logical and binding characteristics that seem to defy conventional political boundaries which in reality do not reflect the entirety of the Chinese belonging. Our settlement to regard the Chinese national from the descent and brotherhood perspective covers a fair whole of what our national concept in film would touch. Part B Chinese film have been observed to contain much of a nationalistic and all-Chinese inclusive concepts which portray a nationalistic sentiment. This research is based on the premise that even though the aspect of national is reflected in Chinese movies and film, the inherence thereby is not as integrated as it can be but rather segmented with different micro agendas it addresses although dressed under one umbrella of a Chinese fraternity which is inconsiderate neither broken by a political border disjoint. This construction therefore gives a thesis statement that the national concept of Chinese dominant in Chinese movies is an all-inclusive perspective and with the key theme of spearheading the spirit of a Chinese brotherhood in the works. The films that we have selected are intrinsically differentiated and thereby intricately tied to the Chinese brotherhood concept. However the consistent theme is particularly addressed by the films even though as aforementioned with varying degrees. This is quite interesting and serves to boldly bring forth the diversity of genres in the Chinese film industry all with a theme of a unified people with a single identity even though scattered all over the world. The manner thus in which these selected movies addresses our research statement and thesis is mature and standard for analysis. The sources incorporated are quite positive in expounding on the one-people concept in an all-considerate manner, both within the film industry to give a direct observation and without to give a better scope of the concept under scrutiny. These arguments given by these sources are quite necessary if not positive before understanding the concept and later on try and marry it with film and movies. The divorce of one section of this coexisting duo would inflect this particular research to a one-sided face with no chance of considering yet another possibility. National for instance versus transnational are exemplified in this regard and related to our discussion in a very educative and elaborate way. Works cited Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origins and the Spread of Nationalism. New York: Verso, 1991. Print. Berry, Chris and Mary Farquhar. China on Screen: Cinema and Nation. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2006. Print. Curtin, Michael. Playing to the World’s Biggest Audience. London: University of California Press, 2007. Print. Durovicova, Natasa and Kathleen Newman. World Cinemas, Transnational Perspectives. New York, NY: Routledge, 2010. Print. Fu, Poshek and David Desser. The Cinema of Hong Kong: History, Arts, Identity. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Print. Gan, Wendy. Fruit Cha’s Durian Durian. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, n.d. Print. Hansen, Mariam Bratu. “Fallen Women, Rising Stars, New Horizons: Shanghai Silent Film As Vernacular Modernism.” Film Quarterly 54.1 (2000): 10-20. Web. 4 Nov. 2014. Ylu-Wal, Chu. The Importance of Being Chinese: Orientalism Reconfigured in the Age of Global Modernity. Duke University Press, 2008. Print. Zhouxiang, Lu et al. “Projecting the ‘Chineseness’: Nationalism, Identity and Chinese Martial Arts Films.” The International Journal of the History of Sport 31.3 (2014): 320-335. Web. 4 Nov. 2014. Read More

Rush Hour Rush Hour has been developed in three parts with the initial version featuring in 1998. Starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, the film is produced by Roger Bimbaum and five other skilled personnel and directed by Brett Ratner. Even though the plot is decentralized into fighting major crimes such as terrorism, kidnapping, robbery and gang affiliation, the national theme is clearly visible from the plot. As Solon Han takes on a diplomatic role for his government in Los Angeles, CA, his daughter gets kidnapped on day one and the search leads to one Juntao, who has illegal activity ties in Hong Kong and indeed detective Lee is much aware of him.

It becomes apparent to Carter that a restaurant in Chinatown seems to be the base of Juntao’s mob and the first deadly encounter is registered. A further search and a ransom negotiation lead the search into Los Angeles Convention Center where one Griffin is identified as the mysterious Juntao. With his right hand man Sangup close and the threat of a bomb, the confrontation ends with the villain’s death and the achievement of the initial goal. Kidnapped Soo Yung is reunited with her father as Carter and Lee head for a Hong Kong vacation.

Hero The latest of our reviewed movie, Hero stars Jet Li as a nameless protagonist who ends up nationally slain as the movie ends due to a rule that must needs enforced even though the King of Qin was reluctant about assuming the idea. The plot focuses on Jet Li acting as an anonymous prefect of a yet to be known miniature jurisdiction in Zhao state carrying out a mission to the King of Qin with an ulterior motive to eliminate him. An assassination attempt on the King warrants a decree of a 100-pace no-go-zone radius around the king of which nameless prefect plots to break through.

He claims to have disarmed and slain the three assassins, Long Sky, Broken Sword and Flying Snow, in a fight contest at different locations. His story seems rather suspicious and his confession paves way for building understanding with the king. He confesses to have psychologically conquered Sky and managed to quell Snow and Sword by faking. He shares his sentiment with the King about the unification of China with Qin as the seat, a thought seeded by Snow. The king relaxes and gains his trust and emotionally the nameless prefect altogether abandons his assassination.

Snow challenges Sword to a fight, and he (Sword) does not defend himself and she kills him. Being haunted by the act, she later commits suicide with the same sword. The nameless prefect is executed by the court’s directive and given an honourable burial. State/national aspect Perhaps an understanding of our gleaned discussion content of the state/national perspective deserves better enlightenment to stand a better chance of connecting it to Chinese film. Berry and Farquhar (5) both agree that the concept of state-nation is not necessarily universally coherent.

The state-nation includes the assemblage of communities that come under a unifying umbrella superficially refers to as the state and their individual participation makes them nationals. Anderson on the other hand extrapolates the concept of state-nation as a rather imaginary principle where boundaries are established and the persons within the boundary are regarded as the nationals and the self-standing border enclosure as the state-nation (5). He further alludes to a Javanese concept of non-physical (imagined) connection with their others they consider part of the same whole (6).

With these perceptions already heavily debated by thinkers around the world, we envision a crisis where defining the national concept in film and cinema for instance eludes the mind pretty fast with impetuses such as globalization and networking pushing these alleged boundaries to extinction. It is under this myriad of complexes that our research identifies with this Chinese from the cultural identify to complement the national film theme in our topic. We thus consider the National theme as the Chinese cultural identity and not necessarily the political boundaries of the Republic of China.

Read More