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.