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”
(2nd,3rd 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.
