#1
#2
Author Archives: fanzhang
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
This is the first Chinese film that we saw during this semester, directed by Ang Lee, a very famous ‘Chinese’ director. Regarding this Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (in Chinese, ‘卧虎藏龙’), although I have heard about for quite a long time, I didn’t go to see this on my own. Martial arts film isn’t my favourite dish, only some of that I prefer such as Ip Man. Even Ang Lee, I only know that he is a Chinese, and famous director rewarded The Oscar. This Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is the first film, directed by Ang Lee, which I saw.
Overall, when I sited out this film, I don’t know the feeling that I got from this film. I don’t feel surprised and amazing, or cheering for the rewarded film. Confused, jumbled for me to understand that why this film can be rewarded by the Academy Award? I don’t understand the tittle Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon means what? Simply speaking, this story is about an adolescent rebellious girl, who was born in a traditional and wealthy family, studied Kungfu since she was a child. She is very looking forward to escape from her traditional family, having a free life. But for the free life that she expects, she lost many things.
Saying something that I did enjoy and prefer, the screen of the fighting in bamboo grove is very excellent, plus the music of this film. These two are fame follows merit. For others, like the storyline or the deeper emotion/ideology, the only reason that I can figure out for the question I asked before that why this film can be rewarded by The Oscar, is this film is totally western film audiences’ dish. A western soul covered by Chinese shuck, a little bit like Ang Lee.
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXIJv1NoXmo
We know that Ang Lee was born in Taiwan, but he lived overseas, in U.S., for quite a long time. In other words, he is been already influenced by western culture, or educated in western ways. Ang Lee himself is a product of globalization, he is very transnational and international. Whereas the director is very transnational and international, it’s no doubt that the film is very international and transnational. Moreover, it’s no doubt that I can’t completely and totally understand the theme and content that Ang Lee added in the film.
For example, in lecture and class, we talked about that this film is about two pairs of lovers, and these two pairs of lovers are totally different. One more important content, feminist, which I really didn’t get from this film by myself until we talked it in lecture. Oh there is one content that I miss, the teacher – student relationship. Firstly, regrading to lovers this content, just my personal comment, Ang Lee puts too much time to describe Jen Yu (玉娇龙) and Lo “Dark Cloud” (罗小虎), especially the period that they were in the deserts. I think Ang Lee probably wants to describe their romantic and unusual love story, but what’s about the other pair of lover, Li Mu Bai (李慕白) and Yu Shu Lien (俞秀莲). The way that Ang Lee used to express love, as a Chinese, personally think that it’s not the general and common in mainly Chinese group.
All in All, I can’t totally understand and analyse the deeper theme that comes out in this film, forgive me.
In week five, we saw the film ‘Hero’, directed by Zhang Yimou, a story about a swordsman assassinate the king of Qin Empire. This story, and the theme that director Zhang yimou puts in the film, are very clear to be understood by me. Also I have to say, I like ‘Hero’ more than ‘Couching Tiger Hidden Dragon’.
Some common and general theme in ‘Hero’, I don’t want to talk anymore. There are two aspects I’d like to say, one is the feminist theme, the other one is colour. To be honest, I actually didn’t notice the feminist theme, just like the moment I saw the ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’. I don’t think this is a very clear theme, at least I can’t see.
On the other hand, how to use colour in this film, to affect atmosphere and express meanings, is a very worthy and interesting aspects. Black, white, red, green, and kohlrabi. For example, the army of King Empire attack the Zhao Kingdom by millions and millions arrows, those people of Zhao Kingdom, the room, are all in red. Here, red means not only the deadly blood, also the unyielding soul.
Colour is a global languages, almost all the audiences can understand it. Although there are possible existing more uncommon understanding of colour.
Simply speaking, personally believe that the ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’ is more transnational on the theme and intension, while the ‘Hero’ is more transnational on expression of film.
Om Shanti Om
I usually don’t see Indian film, even Bollywood films, but few Bollywood films I saw are very impressive in my memory. Like the film three idiots, produced in 2009, I do like this films, have seen this film for over five times. Three idiots this film is absolutely excellent otherwise I won’t spend my rare time on it. Since this film, this was my first time to get in touch with Indian Bollywood film, the Bollywood song and dance was the special thing I had never seen in other films, and it also gave me strong impression.
This is a film part of film named three idiots:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-LltgOtFSg
Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-LltgOtFSg
And other one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ1uLVgv3Vg
Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=yJ1uLVgv3Vg
There were two questions we discussed in class:
#1 Why Indian Bollywood films can be so popular and successful?
#2 Is Bollywood dancing and songs are worthless or worthy, to the point of view of film?
Somebody likes Indian films, just because of the Bollywood style dancing and songs, while these Bollywood style dancing and sons can be the reason of somebody to dislike Indian film. But here I have to say, whether we like it or dislike it, the Bollywood Dancing and songs has become one of the key reason of why Indian/Bollywood films can be so popular and successful.
This is one part of the film Om Shanti Om:
Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=ymuNkKuToao
Some students they talked in class to express that the content of Om Shanti Om is just a simple love story, it wasn’t complex to be understood. If there was no Bollywood dancing and songs, the whole three hours movie will be very boring, and nobody would like to seat there to enjoy. Yeah I agree with this view, from the point of view of storyline design, it didn’t give me some surprise, maybe this is just a simple love story to eulogize love and justice, and it doesn’t need so much plots to surprise audiences.
Compared to Hollywood musicals movie, it stared more early than Bollywood film industry, and has more precious experiences than Bollywood to make musicals movie. However, what we should admit is nowadays Indian musicals film is more popular than Hollywood musicals films.
As many people know that in India, everyone loves to dance and sing, this is their national gene. In Indian film, Bollywood they improved and advanced traditional Indian dance and songs, they add more western dance and song elements, to make it more international. So actually, we can’t say Indian people they usually just dance in Bollywood style.
Just in last year, 2016, there was a very popular film came to China and made Indian film comes to Chinese audiences eyes once again. Film named Dangal, it did surprised many Chinese audiences, and rewards many praises. I will see this film later, and the actor Amamir Khan, one of main actors in this film, is one of my respective actor in the world.
Yojimbo of Kurosawa Akira
The theme of this week, of this period is Transnational film.
Transnational film has multiple audiences from many countries, it will be admired by other countries ‘audiences. For example, a Japanese film Yojimbo directed by director Kurosawa Akira in 1960s, is a representative film of transnational film during that post-war period.
As an eastern film from Japan, Yojimbo rewards many admires from not only eastern audiences but also the western audiences, which is very difficult. Since the culture and culture value in eastern and western world are definitely different, only few films are selected to win worldwide film competitions, especially in that time the film situation is dominating by western film world.
Japanese director and screenwriter Kurosawa Akira is one of my favourite film director, he is very good at directing and producing Samurai film. I have seen other films of him, such as Seven Samurai and Rashomon, those are very excellent films. Director and screenwriter Kurosawa Akira was born in a very traditional samurai family, strict family rules and education influenced his childhood and his future film career. Also he lived in an especial period, his country Japan changed from semi feudal dynasty to industrial country, experienced the first and second worldwide wars, and a list of reformations. He experienced those things with Japan, he witnessed the change of social stage of samurai, the final curtain of samurai. To samurai, Kurosawa has his own specific views and understanding, in his samurai films, he combined Japanese elements and western elements, which is the significant key, in my opinion, to explain why Kurosawa’s samurai films were admired by worldwide audiences.
In this film Yojimbo, we can see that some western film element and style have been used fluently and perfectly by Kurosawa Akira. There are some screen of fighting very impressive to me. These screens, from the point of view of composition of picture, are splendid.
https://antifilmschoolsite.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/yojimbo-crop-2.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/32/120179411_0c3e08d454_o.jpg
https://media2.giphy.com/media/utvqWkXafxFNm/giphy-facebook_s.jpg?t=1
https://www.nerdist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Yojimbo-4.jpg
This screen, wide range view, putting the role in the middle, the environment set off the murderous look and arrogance of this role. Very similar to some typical western film screen.
https://filmgrab.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/yojimbo21.jpg
http://www.organicmechanic.org/scratch/yoj2.jpg
This screen, the two major forces provoke and scowl on each other, while the main role just sit on high place then watching these two bosses, in very relaxing feeling. This is a very good contrast, making audiences laugh.
In the end, Yojimbo is a very good representative example of transnational film, this film is a conversation between Japan and western world. What I learn from films of Kurosawa Akira is that when we are going out from home country for world, don’t forget where we are from.
Participation Self assessment
What I have done well?
Brainstorm in discussion.
What i have learnt to do better?
Trying my best to understand relations and those interesting and charming ideas from reading. Use those new ideas to think about how to make better video. Combine the reality and theory i learnt.
What i could have done better?
To record and express my thinking to public.
Fail, pass, Credit, DI, HD
One thing that mattered (studio)
One sentence:
Reading refresh ideology with list, List is beautiful like a poetry.
Charming.
List of skills
#1 how to write differently
#2 how to write better
#3 the role of editing in you writing
#4 how to take notes more effectively
#5 how to make more quickly
#6 strengths and weaknesses in doing essays (the map)
#7 how to use these to plan contributions to group tasks (collaboration)
#8 dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty (exquisite corpse)
#9 paying closer attention
The end is on the way
#1 How has your understanding of yourself （as a lenarner, or media practitioner/maker）changed? (this is a quant question)
#2 How has your understanding of ‘relationality’ (of connections between things and how or why these connections matter) Changed?
#3 How have your assumptions or ideas about your discipline, practice, or the world, been productively provoked through the semester?
HRAFF—Human Rights Art and Film Festival
Yesterday I participated in the HRAFF–Human Rights Art and Film Festival, as a volunteer, in ACMI.
So excited to join this kind of volunteer job, as a volunteer, we have some welfare, like enjoying films for free. So at that night, I saw a film named CHECK IT, I don’t remember well who is the director. Whatever…
It was a documentary film, talking about African American people in United States. Most African American people in the film, they didn’t go to uni, even some haven’t finish their high school. They don’t have shinning life, or childhood, growing up in violent environment, but it doesn’t mean some of them won’t to change their situation, for better life and a real and good job to feed themselves. This film focus on few people, expressing their changing life and challenges.
I am learning documentary, thinking back what ideology I learned from uni, the ontology, I have a question that I know that listing, relationships, “things” and “stuff”, but what if the thing we gonna do or film is a story itself? How we take story as “things”?
We/They are presenting.
I have to say, I was nervous there. Thanks Joel he said a lot.
Actually I am not satisfy with what we have done. For the video, like the professor said in the class, it was a boring technical skills in video. I agree, but I actually not very interest in technical filming skills. I believe that simple isn’t easy. Personally, I have to say there was an accident when Nina was dealing with the video. She thought that we were doing video of Group 4 from Germany, but Group 7 actually. Why we didn’t find out this problem when she was discussing with us on video, because the location of Group 4 and 7 is the same, kitchen. The good news is, we found out this question before we submit it. However, we didn’t have too much time to make a new video, so keep using the one Nina made. That’s why it seems like not that related well in the video and audio.