Final- (excuse lateness)

Eastern Asian film- final

By, Melvin Ellis

Topic: Roles of gender, politics, as well as culture vs. individual

Countries: China, Japan, and Korea

Chinese films:

1-

FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE

China and Hong Kong, 1993

Mandarin with English subtitles

Color and black and white, 171 min.

Aspect ratio:  1:1.85

Production Company: Tomson Films (Hong Kong) and Beijing Film Studio

Director:                       CHEN Kaige—directed Yellow Earth

2

-CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON

Taiwan/Hong Kong/United States/China, 2000

Color, Mandarin, 120 min.

Aspect ratio:     2.35:1

Director:                       LEE Ang

Screenplay:                   WANG Hui-Ling, James Schamus, TSAI Guo-Jung

Based on a book by:     WANG Du Lu

Cinematography:           Peter Pau

Japan films:

1-

SANDAKAN 8  （サンダカン八番娼館：望郷：Sandakan hachiban shoukan:  boukyou）

Japan, 1974

Color, 121 min.

Aspect ratio:  2.35:1

Japanese with English subtitles

Director:                       KUMAI Kei

Written by:                   KUMAI Kei, HIROZAWA Sakae, YAMAZAKI Tomoko (story)

Cinematography:           KANEO Mitsuji

Studio:                          Tōho; Haiyūza

Korean Films-

JSA: JOINT SECURITY AREA

South Korea, 2000

Color, 110 min.

Aspect ratio:  2.35:1

In Korean, English, French and German (with English subtitles)

Director:                       PARK Chan-wook

Screenplay:                   PARK Chan-wook and 3 others

Based on the novel DMZ by PARK Sang-yeon

Cinematography:           KIM Seong-bok

Studio:              Myung Films, distributed by C J Entertainment

CHINA-1 : FMC

Farewell my concubine is an extremely powerful film. It offers topics of gender politics, culture, and political standings, all while following a team of child friends all the way through their adulthood. The film’s credibility comes not only from its brilliant acting, but from the fact that it encapsulated powerful Chinese history into such a digestible portion.

Topics of gender politics are found very visibly early on, when Dieyi (like many feminine-looking young boys in opera) was raised and trained to be a women. Furthermore, the industry of Beijing Opera School and companies, barred the employment of women. The men who are raised as women (those shone who were dedicated), take on a specific persona. As seen by Dieyi’s actions off stage, he remains in character as, what he has been thought a woman is. It is apparent that this interpretation of a women is a stereotypical one; graceful, elegant, obedient, loves expensive shiny things. Even Master Yuan, who is so immersed in the individual culture of opera, that he has sexual encounters with Dieyi, as if he is a women. This is not to say that they were homosexual, moreover, Dieyi, in the culture of the opera was a concubine and was treated as such. The individual vs. society comes into full swing once the film progresses to the period of communized china. This is a prime example of soul-crushing society baring down onto the individual- as communism appeared as little more than peer pressure. Their opera appeared as plugs for their political party. In total, brain washing, macerated as “the people’s country.

                                                CHINA 2- CTHD

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, employs a successful cast, consisting of mostly women. Thusly, the female aspect in terms of what the film tells us in rather strong. Due to the nature of the women individually, we also get a good glance of the culture of the time and politics.

The overall film follows the passage of Jen Li Mu Bai, and Shu Lein, with supporting roles from Jade fox, and the detectives. Li Mu Bai and Shu Lein are Wushu Warriors and comrades. Having been friends for so long, they have built up a huge trust level, along with mutual sexual tension. Li Mu Bai tells of the depressing place he found when meditating, foreshadowing for the end of the film. In this culture, a wushu warrior is seen as a man of respect. Their training is their life. The film also has heavy Buddhist tones as it explains how Li Mu Bai’s last breath should be used to meditate. His deep love for Shu Lein, is realized when he tells her he would rather spend his last breath on her. Instead of gaining enlightenment, he desires to be a ghost, forever hovering around Shu Lein.

Jen, appears in the film as the quintessential spoiled rich girl. She is in fact, the mayor’s daughter and fulfills much of that stereotype. This is until, it is revealed that  she is Jade fox’s decibel, a master thief at this young age. She goes on a torrent of emotions and lessons, and after causing the de death of Li Mu Bai, she returns to life, for what she thinks she wants. After spending a night with her love Dark Cloud, she plunges herself into the white abyss (described in Li Mu Bai’s dream). She realizes that just as she desired freedom from her father, she could not be contained by the mansion, or her current existence. Women in this film appear graceful, beautiful, and clever. Yet, they also appeal as strong (in body and character), independent, and important to the plot.

                                                            JAPAN 1- Sandakan 8

            Sandakan 8 is an epic piece of cinema. Mainly because, it presents a side of Japan, traditionally brushed aside. The relationship between Osake and  Keiko mirrors that of a mother and daughter. The role of women in this film is shown in two areas: Osaki’s flashback. In this area, it is found that women are basically currency. In order to save her brother from poverty, Osake is hired to become a maid in a distant island. Working at the brothel, Osake sees the suffering women, herself taking comfort in the fact that she is only a maid and may return home in due time. Only to have herself forced into the life of one of those prostitutes. Her first customer is a large, brutish darker man (adding an undertone to it as in yellow earth with the dark skinned man raping the main women on her wedding night). After which, Osake stands in the rain, metaphorically attempting to cleanse herself as many rape victims do. She adopts an attitude of determination to pay back her debt. Learning the local language, to get as many customers as possible, meanwhile the manager offers the girls new kimonos, to expand their debt.

            The relation of the individual to the society is very clear and distinct in this film.  The nation japan allowed its women to be bought and sold into sexual slavery. After the revolution, they were set free. Nevertheless, they are shunning upon return. It has become distressful to have a former prostitute (willing or unwilling, similar to FMC)in the family. To the Japanese public (as seen in the film) returning to your homeland is the most important thing to you in terms of death. When Keiko sees that the prostitute cemetery faces away from Japan, the gravity of the events stun her to the core.

                                                            Korea- 1 JSA

            Joint Security Area, is less about gender politics, and more about politics and culture in general. The subject of gender to appear in small part, through Major Sophie. A military woman, working with the Swedish military in order to investigate an incident between North and South Korea. Being that this is not a particularly artsy or contemplative film, the characters involved remain steadily the same throughout. Yet, in this film, an abundance of character development is not needed. Major Sophie Is a professional, strong willed women. She goes slightly beyond the binds of her assignment, to get to the truth of what happened on the border. Sergeant LEE Soo-hyeok has a friendship with Sergeant OH Kyeong-pil, after he is saved from a land mine. LEE and OH bond over this event and begin eventually LEE is invited to the north outpost for some fun. Nervous at first, the relationship expands past the restrictions of borders, as Private First Class NAM Sung-shik and Private JEONG (JUNG) Woo-jin get into the loop. The four play games, hop around, drink, listen to music, and not once consider their military betrayals, until OH gives a speech about “the best damn Choco-pies on the peninsula”.

            The death of Private First Class NAM Sung-shik and Lieutenant CHOI, force the three remaining friends apart, at the hands of their countries. (although south troops appear more stylish). This forces LEE and Private NAM to choose suicide. LEE could not deal with betraying his friends. NAM feared the truth would get out, and only desired for the world to return to how the four friends once were. In total, all of this was caused by the feud between the north and south. 

Japanese Blossay (repost)

3^rd blossay- Japan

Content analysis & Formal analyss

Content analysis topic: Person in relation to the people & mortality

1-

IKIRU (生きる, aka “To Live”)

Japan, 1952

Black and white, 143 min.

Aspect ratio:  1.33:1

Director:               KUROSAWA Akira

Content- This film in almost entirely consisting of the relation of the individual to the populous, this is effected by Watanabe’s mortality. The fact that he is a bureaucrat and a public relations office plays out as a paradox, which sets the stage for his true story (not to be confused with his life up until he found out he had cancer). A bureaucrat operates in a field of bylaws and regulating, and with having to deal with the public, it’s made even more apparent. The paradox being, the man who is supposed to work and communicate with the public to solve their problems cannot do anything regarding his own work, thus creating a moot point for the occupation to exist in this state. Once his mortality is put onto a clock, he decides to aid the struggling women in their request to get a park built. Although, the process by which he gets to this decision was a tedious and morbid process. In a nutshell, it was his search for life and how to live to the fullest. For these answers, he went on a night-long adventure with his attractive author friend. That ended in vomiting, reminding him of his cancer.

His search to live was also focused on Toyo, as she simply, blissfully lives every day out. Watanabe, after being rejected for another date with her, focuses his energy on fulfilling the request of the women who wanted a park built. His dogged approach toward his fellow bureaucrats amazed them all. This lead to a drunken epiphany at his funeral yet warranted no changes in their actions.  This serves as another example as how the individual relates to the specialty; overall they were all just too set in the norms. Watanabe‘s experience with his occupation, doubled with the death of his wife causes conflict with Mistuo.  Their strained relationship, making the son appears as a cold-hearted greedy child waiting for inheritance. Upon farther inspection, it is seen that Watanabe has left him all his life (both actual ant metaphorical). After Watanabe’s death, Mitsuo begins to remember how much he loved his father, and how much he pushed for the park to be built.

2-

LATE SPRING (晩春：Banshun)

Japan, 1954

Black and white, 108 minutes

Aspect ratio:                  1.33:1

In Japanese with English subtitles

Director:               OZU Yasujirō

Content- Late spring is more on the topic of the individual relating to the whole. Taking place in Japan, 1954 it was a period of post-war. The nation having gone through horrific events craved for a state of normalcy. None better than the traditions do just that. With SOMIYA Shūkichi (father) and his sister TAGUCHI Masa being from the older generation, Noriko was already deadlocked into a future in marriage. The film displayed the playful father-daughter dynamic they shared early on, in the scene where Noriko maker Somiya continue his work b before playing shogi. He grumpily replies “oi, ochya” in a pouty manor. At the time, it is apparent that their relationship has evolved to that of a more mature almost husband-wife dynamic, most likely due to the early death of Noriko’s mother. She was moved into the protective female figure of the household.

          Noriko wanted nothing in the least to do with marrying, arranged or otherwise (although she did share a rather long bake ride with HATTORI ). Noriko is still a young women, nearing 25 (last year’s Christmas cake) and has no desire to lead a life differing from her current simple one. The pressure increases and Noriko’s condition worsens as KITAGAWA pushes her to get married, despite being divorced herself. The conversation about MIWA later on was a bit strange, apparently they have a thing for American baseball players. Point being, that after Noriko’s traumatic experience at the Noh play, she , she begins to come to term s with the idea.

The matter of mortality also touches this story. It is seen less extremely as in Ikiru, yet still present. Mainly on the subject of Noriko’s father. He has no immediate health concerns that we are told of, yet Noriko is hesitant to leave him. The main reason being, that he is an old man. In that day and age, it was the norm for the wife to take care of the husband. This brings me to the next point being- the scheming between the father and aunt. By alerting Noriko that he would remarry, after she leaves influences her decision to marry. The fact that her father would get along without hermakes her feel useless as a women. As seen in the beginning, when he returns home from work, he leaves his jacket, tie, and shirt on the floor, he then precedes to go wash his face. At which point, Noriko fallows behind him to pick up his clothes, hang them on hangers, and gives him a towel. Noriko has obviously adapted to this routine, and cannot image a life differing, nor can she imagine a scenario featuring another women doing this for him.

2nd Blossay ( awaiting pictures- technical difficult)

2nd Blossay - China- [CONTENT ANALYSIS]

The women’s place and character in china

Topic: Gender politics: position of women in society; marriage traditions; relationship of women to power, including how to acquire power in a patriarchal society; sexuality, including liminal sexual identity.

            This Blossay is an essay, focusing on the gender politics of women, in china, as well as the other topics mentioned in the topic section. Beyond that, I will also analyses the topic of how the concept of self-preservation which played a major role in all of the china films. To achieve this, I will use “Raise the red lantern”, “Farewell my concubine”, and “Crouching tiger, hidden dragon”.

1-

Crouching tiger, hidden dragon

Year: 2000

Director: Lee Ang

The storyline of “Crouching tiger, hidden dragon” fallows YU Jen, as she is a defiant privileged young woman, who wants nothing more than to be a great swordfighter, like the great Master Li Mu Bai. After being taken under his wing, she eventually causes his death, by the hands of her former master, Jade Fox. The series of emotional turmoil leave her with the only option to escape the world and dive into the clouds from the mountain top, drifting into a sea of white nothingness (as described in Li Mu Bai’s meditation).

The character of Jen, as a woman, appears reckless and essentially “Young”. I mean this in the sense that, she wants to be wild and free to explore, but is still very immature. Of course, this understandable when taking into account the gender politics of the era. She (like most women from well- off families) was arranged to marry as a political arrangement. Beyond that, it would have been unlikely for her to become a warrior anyway, for it was highly uncommon. Even in the case of Yu Shu Lein, it was very uncommon for woman to know anything of wuxia, for teaching to woman was forbidden. Jen’s pursuit of freedom, quickly transforms into a lust for power. As a woman, women in an early Chinese patriarchal society, she sought to do it with the aid of the Green Destiny sword. Mainly, cutting down anyone who opposed her (as seen in the Kun-Fu movie staple of the restaurant fight scene). On the topic of self-preservation, Jen has a very high sense of this, as seen when she flees after stealing the sword. Astonishingly, as Jen races to get the antidote which will save Li Mu Bai, she loses all thoughts to save herself and even accepts the possible death by the hands of Yu Shu Lien afterword

2.

Farewell My Concubine (film)

Year: 1993

Director: Chen Kaige

Farewell my Concubine (FMB because It would be tedious to have to type the entire title every time), is based on two main male characters, one of which I will be analyzing as a woman- Douzi, as well as well as Juxian.  My reasoning for identifying this male as a female is not on the bases of pure sexuality. Moreover, Douzi was raised as (what the Chinese opera considered to be) a female, beyond that, he identifies himself as a female in more than biological standards. In relation to Juxian, she was a good example of how women fit into society of pre columnist China. Like women in many parts of the world, she was forced into prostitution (as seen later in the movie Sandakan 8).They accumulate massive amounts of debt. to the master/mistress of the brothel, and spend lifetimes buying their freedom. Other female professions seen in the film are not even apparent until the communist party takes power. At which point, they are all younger adults or teenaged, and condemning Juxian for ever being a prostitute (willingly or otherwise).  The way that she acquires power by wedding Xiaolou (an escape from her pervious life), the power coming when she has influence over him, thus influence over his relationship with Douzi. An interesting trait of Juxian is that has no sense of self-preservation, as seen when she saves Xiaolou’s sword from the communist bonfire. She then hangs herself, after it becomes apparent that he has no need for her any longer.  Douzi is a concubine in all means of the word (as a result of a combination of molestation and being raised as a woman). Beyond the feeling of being Xiaolou’s stage brother, Douzi has an almost feminine possessive attitude toward him, not wanting him to be involved with (other) women. Also Douzi has a very “early Chinese” idea of how a women should behave. This was implanted into him by his repeated play as the kin’s concubine. Douzi also plays the role as the master’s concubine when he leaves Xiaolou. Douzi even kills himself with the same blade as in the play, as to complete the final stage of his evolution. His power came from his furious and demanding nature (princess-like).  Lastly, it is clear that his sexuality warped due to his upbringing, and his hatred for prostitutes stemmed from his relationship with his own mother (a prostitute).

3-

Raise the red lantern

Year: 1991

Director: Zhang Yimou

            The thymes of marriage politics, power struggles, and the role of women are the entire movie for the most part. The thyme of marriage dynamics in the time show that essentially, a lord (rich man with castle) may buy multiple women and use them as sex slaves, or concubines. Of course, the film depicts them as all being on a sort of team, with the task of pleasuring the lord. In reality, the women are pinned against each other with the tiny perks of foot massages and choosing the dinner menu. Also, the lord’s castle is very large and heavy, resembling a prison. The women address each other as “sister” (2^nd,3^rd and so on)and are pretty much ignored by the lord unless they bare a son(or becomes pregnant), are the new girl, actively throw themselves at him, or if he is in the mood for a certain girl. The women are also forbidden to leave, and live in exile if they are found to had committed crimes (not worthy of death). The combination of the mistresses being all trapped in the prison, and only one to be praised by the lord creates the power struggle which Songlian gets caught in. The dissection of women in a power struggle would be redundant when discussion this series of events, since they are all women and I fear it would become sexist. Therefore, I will draw attention to the concept of: Songlian believes her able to gain power over the other women due to her education. She is repeatedly referred to as “an educated girl”, and in her customized room, it contains writings on the walls.  Yar is a servant yet served the women all her life and even laid with the master, yet was not a mistress. This caused her to crave the life as one of the master’s wives and led to her death (as a result of not apologizing for hanging lanterns).Lastly, the male patriarch society of the film, is what ultimately led to her insanity, as well as the second sister’s death. The huge raised walls, coupled with the confined tone as well as the loneness the women are forced to feel, makes the castle appear as a maze with rats. 

1st Blossay

Melvin Ellis

EAS 299

1^st Blossay assignment

This blossay will, for most part follow the guidelines of the first suggested topics of blossays in some way (Content analysis). The films I will discuss are, “yellow Earth” and “Fallen Angels”.

“Yellow Earth” (1984)

Color, 89 min.

Director-  Chen Kaige

Content Analysis topic: government propaganda

If the film is taken at base value, it is simply a film about the government reaching out to the poor, primitive, and uneducated peasants to free them from their cave dwellings. The film itself is called “Yellow earth”, and for the duration of the movie that is what you are shown. From the opening wedding scene, (figure 1) you see that the women of the village are seen as property, as a bride is made to bow at an alter then thrown over her husband’s shoulder to consummate the marriage as the rest of the village eats and parties outside the home. Conrad Gu (a communist Chinese soldier sent to better relations with uncontrolled areas and convert them to communism), tells them he has come to record their folk songs to bring back to his army.

            Gu himself, is communism from the point of view of communist china. He comes, educated, hardworking, and bearing revolutionary ideas. Such as men sewing, this amazes Cuiqiao. Both Cuiqiao and Han-Han are seen as victims and essentially represent “china without communism”. They are miserable, live a perish unfulfilled life of being sold away but when Gu arrives and displays his sewing skills and innovative ideas, he (communism) is seen as a marvel to Cuiqiao. For a while, it seems that he will Wisk her away from her arranged marriage and free her, but he is unable too. This forces the viewer to want him to take her away to another place, this utopia was communism (weather the viewer noticed or not. If he had freed her, and they lived happily, it would have been thanks to communism, which is what you are beckoned to feel) .Also, the topic of the non-communist Chinese culture was also displayed as horrid.
 The hard, withering yellow earth, is used as a symbol for the crumbling Chinese culture without communist aid ( as symbolized by long shots of the solitary tree figure  4).  It is also portrayed as being doomed to fail, due to their inability to brow anything.

Communism protecting Han-Han

            The propaganda is laid on thick both in the beginning and end of the movie. There are numerous shots of Gu aw he walks to the village. The horizon line is always low, and the images of him walking are always of him standing atop a hill. This shows him as a heroic figure, coming to free us by giving us the gift of communism. The other shots in the beginning, where he is not present, depict a very high horizon line, and suffocating rock formations on all sides. Lastly, the final scene where Han-Han is lost in the flood of people trying to reach Gu who is standing atop a hill (with a high horizon) is vital. It conveys a feeling of Han-Han drowning and being held back while trying to reach Gu. Meaning, his culture is drowning and holding him back from reaching the glorious figure standing atop the hill “communism”.

FALLEN ANGELS (1995)

COLOR, 102 MIN

DIRECTOP:WONG KAR-WAI

Content Analysis topic: self image

this film reads as a compilation of people's lives and experiences. the assistant, puts on a very professional and tough exterior face, but has to admit that she has feelings for the assassin. she is also very meticulousness with her planning, but takes is lightly as shown in her drawings. the expression on her face when she stops working with her partner shows a few things. that she is obviously distraught  and still trying to maintain her "cool and professional" composure, just as her does. 

here, she plays the "party girl" role as she scouts out the next hit for her partner

The assassin character also struggles with self- image. Just as everyone else, he puts on a mask. as he walks in the resistant, he has a serious and focused look, then smiles at the cooks to look natural.

the smile aside, he namelessly kills the marks and turns out the light after. 



The "lazy" life he has lived for so long with his partner is simply not worth it anymore and he wants to escape to have a normal life. It seems that he wants to live as himself. i mean to say, he lived as if in a trance the past 3 years, and thanks to
Blondie, he got a distraction long enough to decide what he wanted out of life.

The mute is the most relocatable character of them all. he cannot verbally convey his feelings to others, just as we cannot at times. he essentially lives inside his own head. he tries his hardest to make people happy through his childish behavior.




even when he tries to help Charlie, he wishes he could give her the most basic advice. "That some things cannot be solved over the phone". She doesn't get the point and he is basically alone in the relationship. after his father's death, he takes a beret look at himself, still trying to rub elbows with strangers at every chance. Difference being, he does so with the assistant, who has gotten her old partner killed and is lonely. The two are so different, but are united by loneliness.

the ride home he giver her is the perfect ending scene, because the assistant is honest with herself and lets herself indulge in basic human contact.

黄土地 "Yellow Earth" (China, 1984), Yangge waist-drum dance by actual amat...

Yellow Earth 黄土地 (Chen Kaige 陈凯歌) 1/6