Film Festival

[Anonymous]

I know the just released Clint Eastwood movie Gran Torino seems like an odd choice for Asian film, but there are important elements that can be used in the classroom to educate students about many minority cultures. Here's the IMDB synopsis: "Disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino." However, the film is much more than that simple description. Eastwood's character is bitter and terribly flawed; some may say racist, but it's actually misanthropy...he doesn't like anyone, or at least anyone who doesn't already have self-respect, or who doesn't "tell it like it is."

Okay, so why show this to teenagers? First of all, the movie illuminates the importance of the traditions and familial ties of the Hmong people. Many students, no matter their ethnicity, will identify with the combination of old world and new world that coexist and sometimes clash within their own homes. Each of the characters is authentic in action and emotion. Secondly, we also see the subtle influences of the good and the bad. We see how one moment can define a person's entire life, and how another moment can effect change.

I believe the movie is rated 'R' for gang violence and language, but Eastwood accurately depicts the lifestyle that many of our students experience on a daily basis (again, both good and bad), and I think it's worth notifying parents, or sending a letter home to authorize watching it in class. I've already heard from a Pilipino/Guamanian 11th grader who saw it with friends and loved it, and the Mexican/Irish parent of one of my seniors who saw it with her husband and enjoyed it as well.

As a note (I just thought of this): a history class might find connections between this movie and Eastwood's WWII movies, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. I think one could discuss the impact of war on people many years after the war is over. Students can relate to this as many of them have relatives who are serving in Iraq...and some are getting ready to enlist.

[Anonymous]

Okay, one more posting about film, and then I'll stop...for now! 😉

I've looked through many of the postings in this thread and have gained many ideas of what films I can show in my classroom for a variety of reasons. I just want to touch on a couple of other films that other people have already mentioned.

Osama (2003) is a film my colleagues and I have used for our AP English Literature class as a connection to the novel Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. The students gain an understanding (we hope) of what real oppression, real desperation, real sacrifice do to a person, a country, even a gender. We used this film as part of the summer assignment that students had to complete before the start of school (along with reading the novel), and asked them to discuss aspects that connect with Offred and the other handmaids in Atwood's novel. We have also used The Piano in conjunction with this novel, and I mention that movie because the culture and traditions of the Maori of New Zealand play an important role.

Eat, Drink, Man, Woman I did use in my 12th grade World Lit class, tying it in to both the literature that we'd been reading, and also to our theme of the clash between the traditions of a culture and encroaching modernism. I will be showing the movie The Namesake when we return from vacation; this shows how a family from India adapts to life in America and what the young son, who becomes Americanized, retains from his parents' culture and traditions. I have seen Monsoon Wedding and considered showing that, but I'm afraid students will read too much of My Big Fat Greek Wedding into it...I'm probably wrong, but... While we're on India, one of my colleagues does show Bend it Like Beckham to her 9th graders when they are discussing cultural differences.

I'm probably preaching to the choir, but I do think it's so important to show good foreign films to our students. Not only Asian, but from all different cultures and ethnicities. Kids complain initially about reading subtitles, but the characters in these movies are very real to them simply because they are not the typical American character. I enjoy seeing kids of one ethnicity identify with characters of another because they recognize themselves in the similarities. Anyhoo, thanks to all who have posted with such wonderful suggestions. I am making my own list...maybe I'll even let my students view them with me! haha

[Anonymous]

The Wedding Banquet

Years ago, on TV, I accidentally saw a very interesting movie called "The Wedding Banquet." In fact, the first time I saw the movie, I missed the whole first twenty minutes of it. Yet I couldn’t take my eyes off it until it was over. Of course, since then I have managed to see the movie a few times more, and from the beginning. And every time I enjoyed it just the same. For a long time I thought I discovered this wonderful, little unknown movie, until I found out more about this movie and it’s director.

"The Wedding Banquet" is a film by Ang Lee. At that time I didn’t even know of Ang Lee and his work. He made this movie in 1993. Without a doubt, Ang Lee is the best at what he does. He is the master in showing human relationships and emotions. This movie, although it is a comedy, is an insightful study of the complex relationships of families and two cultures. Ang Lee masterfully makes it hard for his audience to take sides. While you laugh as every scene unfolds, you can’t help but to be sympathetic and have understanding for every one of those characters. In this movie Ang Lee touches on issues and conflicts, including cultural difference, language barriers, homosexuality, expectations, and problems in love affairs, generation gap, respect toward elders - values, customs, culture, parents in Eastern societies, vs. Western cultures, independency, and some level of freedom that living in isolation and without extended families can offer.

“The Wedding Banquet” is a story of a gay, Taiwanese-American man (Ting Gao) who goes to some lengths to fool his visiting family that he's actually straight. This couple, one American, one from Taiwan, have been together in NYC for years. The Taiwanese man's parents do not know he is gay so keep trying to sign him up for membership in all of these very expensive singles clubs. Mum and Dad in Taiwan want a grand wedding and a grandchild, and they will do anything to find him the perfect match.

Among every thing else, cultural differences prevent the homosexual lovers from admitting the truth. The deception is no problem until the folks announce their imminent arrival in New York. The boys come up with a plan. Ting will marry their friend Wei-Wei, who happens to need a green card anyway. The parents will arrive, Wei-Wei and Ting will marry in a civil ceremony, the family will leave, and life will return to normal. All goes according to plan until an old family acquaintance shows up and insists on giving the bride and groom a lavish, old-fashioned Chinese wedding banquet. The plan then hits some serious snags. The results are far more complicated and entertaining than anyone could have guessed.

I always thought the movie was a sweet masterpiece. But I have to admit now, since Lee is a major Hollywood director, and his fame even extends to audiences like me, the beauty of “The Wedding Banquet” does not seem to be so accidental after all! I will not be showing this film to my students as I teach sixth graders in Special Education. I think it would be a great teaching vehicle for college or maybe even AP classes. It has an adult theme, so be aware. Enjoy it, I certainly did!

Vafa Bakody

[Anonymous]

M. Herrera film review:

I have seen many films on the Shogun, samarai and martial arts. I have seen films on Buddha, Buddhism, Confucius, Shinto, the mandate of heaven and famous emperors, but I really wanted to see "Farewell My Concubine". I have heard nothing but gold stars for this eccletic masterpiece dealing with sexuality, opera and political undertones.

Farewell My Concubine
China-1993
Directed by Chen Kaige
Starring Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi and Gong Li

Farewell my concubine is a sweeping epic that encompassess much of China's political turmoil from the forming of the Republic to the tyranny of the cultural revolution. I thought Farewell My Concubine did a stunning achievement on many levels. First is the vast historical framework (which could be adapted for your students) and then about human relationships. The first part of the film depicts the training for the Peking Opera and introduces the two main protagonists as boys. The opening scene is magnificent as it portrays a crowd scene shot in sepia tones. Douzi's mother is accosted by a former client. From her point of view there seems a point desperation. She is attracted by a troupe of Peking Opera artists performing in the street and from this chance encounter is born her inspiration to leave her child in the care of some stern masters of Chinese traditional art form. The mother painfully abandons her son in an intense emotional group of scenes. The early years tell of a rich story. Aworld is created in the same short, economical brush strokes that are used to form the Chinese letters. The relationship between Cheng Deiyi (Douzi) and Duan Xialou (Shitou) is formed by bonds so strong they can be broken with finality in one way.
The film keeps moving forward historically. The boys grow to manhood and their talents capitizate the world of Peking Opera. Xiaolou, who plays tha male roles on stage becomes enamored of a beautiful prostitute and film takes a turn toward soap opera and romance. While nothing sexual between Deiyi and Xiaolou has been depicted, Xiaolou's liason with Juxian is like a hatchet wrought between the bond of these two men and their relationship is changed. Many levels of sexuality are examined in Farewell My Concubine as is the formation of sexual identity. The delicacy in which it is handled makes it accessible to a droad range of audiences but I believe still too strong for classroom adaptations.
Surviving through the years of Japanese occupation, the fortunes of the opera troupe are overturned in the vast rapids of the winding political river. First the Nationalists come to power
at the end of the war and the players are denounced as collaborators. These players become like pawns as political storms keep blowing them all around.
The film recaptures the amazing emotional power of its earliest sections during the draedful playing out of the cultural revolution. There is a dramatic scene where we see this take place when Xiaolou denounces Cheng during a red guard demonstration. Clinging to what dignity is left, he spews forth a vituperative outburst against his spitiual brother that finally prompts Deiyi to explode in response. Deiyi paces back and forth in front of the crowd, berating his fate and that of the world and finally turning on Juxian to denounce herself as aprostitute. Power scene of the movie, and the pathetic betrayal by Xiaolou of everything he has loved in itself is the strongest condemnation of a China that has fostered this inhumane behaviour. I can understand why the movie is so proclaimed and it truly is a feast for the eye, ear, and heart.

[Anonymous]

One of the worst horrors of WWII was the "Rape of Nanking" in December, 1937 when the Japanese extended their conquest of China. The Japanese raped, according to the war crimes tribunal after the war, 20,000 women and killed approximately 200,000 civilians. However through the efforts of foreigners and missionaries, perhaps 250,000 lives were saved. This horifying and yet uplifting account (uplifting because of the heroic work by those missionaries, people can make a difference) was recounted in a recent movie (2007) entitled Nanking. It's available from Netflix. The film has actors reading diaries and journals, on camera interviews with survivors and a lot of newsreal or personal film. Because the film conatins footage documenting the fact that Japanese baynoetted, shot, burned with gasoline and other unspeakable crimes against humanity, the movie is rated R. Perhaps clips of it could be shown, but it would be better if while discussing genocide or ethnic cleansing you get parental permission to show the film.

[Anonymous]

As I heard a student say in a very different context: "I *wanted* to like this movie a lot." She had just seen Twilight for the third time, evidently in an effort to convince herself that she DID like it more than she thought at first. I, however, have only seen Mongol once, and I don't know that I would want to see it again.

The story of the rise of Genghis Khan to power focused on family rivalries, old grudges, and a love story. (Not being very girly, I suppose I had hoped for strategic--and not just mildly gross--battle depictions.) The scenery is lovely, the costuming is great, and the acting is acceptable. However, to me, there seemed to be a lack of motivation.

Why do Temudjin (Genghis' real name) and Borte fall in love? Why does Jamukha decide to be Temudjin's blood brother? Why does Jamukha agree to help Temudgin attack the Meerkits (sp?) when he first affirms strongly that he wants to wait until the next year? Why is Temudjin's strategy described as clever so often when we see so little of it? Questions, but no answers.

This is described as the first of a trilogy, and I can imagine that it was the most difficult of the three to make, since almost certainly this is the phase of Genghis Khan's life of which least is known; perhaps the remaining two thirds of the story will fill in the gaps and redeem the failings of this first installment.

[Anonymous]

“The Way Home” by Jeong-Hyang Lee. Rating: PG, 2002, 88 minutes.

When I went looking for movies, I wanted to find ones I could show to my middle schoolers. This one fit’s the bill and could be shown to upper elementary, also. It is the story of a Sang-Woo, a young boy of about 8. His mother is a raising him alone and has lost her business. She takes him from Seoul, while she looks for a job, to stay with her mother in rural Korea. She has not been in contact with her mother since she ran away at 17.

Sang-Woo is angry, not only because he is being left, but it is obvious that he spends lots of time by himself with objects to play with. His grandmother is mute and he calls her names and tells her how stupid she is. She does not respond in kind, but offers him food and candy which he refuses. He eats the “city food” (canned meats and drinks) that his mother left. He has stomach problems in the middle of the night and instead of showing him to the outhouse, has him use a beautiful bowl, that is precious to her, as a chamber pot.

When the batteries for his gameboy die, he demands new ones, but she does not have any nor any money. He gets angry and kicks the pot off the porch. As she sleeps, he steals her hair stick and runs to the village to get batteries, but is unable to find the ones he needs there or elsewhere.

We start seeing a slow change in him as he reluctantly threads needles for his grandmother. Then one day he is napping and she hung clothes to dry. A downpour happens and he runs and gets his clothes off the line, turns around and gets hers, also. The rain is quickly over and he hangs the clothes up again, making sure that his alternate with hers.

At one point they visit a friend of hers who is very ill and talks of dying.

He slowly comes to love his grandmother, though he does not realize it until his mother sends a letter to say she is coming to get him. Then he spends the evening teaching her to write “I’m sick” and “I miss you”, after which he threads all of her needles.

The scenery is beautiful and you get a feeling for how slowly life moves in the country. The movie shows how generations change when they move to the city - Sang-Woo had no like of anything to do with dirt or nature. It will bring good discussions on taking care of family, how we show love to each other and could be used to talk about not getting “even” with a group that is conscious of every slight.

It would have been good to use when I taught students who were emotionally disturbed because they can see faults in others behaviors and discuss the way someone else should behave long before they recognize anything like that in themselves.

[Anonymous]

The Film I’m reviewing is “ China’s Stolen Children”. It was a documentary done for HBO. This was aired right before the Olympics. The documentary discussed through the personal stories of several families and individuals affected by the stolen-child black market that still goes on today. When Morgan Pitelka lectured about the chin dynasty and what they did with their children, it is very similar to practices still going on today. This documentary was made entirely in secret because the government doesn’t want the outside world to know that these practices are still going on.
This documentary looks at the issue from all sides. They feature a detective, who specializes in looking for stolen children. They focus on him and the family that has hired him. The family had their 5-year-old son stolen from them while his grandmother was watching him. They also interview a trafficker who sold his own son many years ago.
Another major issue they talk about is the effect of the one child law in china and how many couples are handling it. They featured one couple that already has a child and doesn’t want to pay the fines so they are having the child then contemplating what to do with that child. Lastly was a young coupe, too young to be married so their child would have no rights. They also were trying to figure out what to do with their child.
I found this documentary very interesting> the fact I found the most interesting was the fact that as many as 40 million girls have been aborted because of the one child law so in years to come Chinese men will have to go elsewhere to find a bride because they’re won’t be enough in the country to marry. I highly recommend this documentary.

[Anonymous]

i am not sure if anyone went to see the movie "cape 7" (mentioned in our seminar, and shown in taiwan film festival at ucla). i watched the movie with friend. it has become recently the most accomplished movie produced in taiwan after a long period of silence in taiwanese movie industry. the movie is a love story and shows beautiful taiwan scenes to the audience. however, the movie also attempts to deal with many unknown/little-known facets of the taiwan society, the minority in taiwan (not the immigrants from main land through many different periods), the folk music nurtured by hokkien culture (a major components of oversea chinese community in addition to cantoonese)/taiwan local minority culture , the japanese legacy in taiwan, taiwan local grass-root democratic powers, taiwan nationalism, and etc. i have to admit the movie did an excellent job to present all these elements within a series of related stories; and the young couple involved in this love story are from different national background, one from taiwan and the other from japan.

[Anonymous]

another movie made in taiwan, "three times", by one of the most influential taiwanese directors (we learned about an lee in class)-hou, xiaoxian. three times is love stories of one couple but set in 3 different times. 1st story was set in 50-60s under nationalist party control. 2nd story's background is very interesting, the late imperial china period (the movie itself is made in a fairly interesting way; it is made into a silent movie). it is easy to spot the struggle of the rights/powers and feel the setting, while the qing government was declining and other powers were rising. last story is set in the current time, a very neat glimps of current taiwan.

[Anonymous]

one thing, i must say about "mongol" is that i am extremely impressed by that the movie is in mogolian language (a little part is in china when genghis khan was captured in china), well just compared to foreign made movies about world war two Germany (foreign as compared to gemany/japan), those movies are majorly in English (I might be wrong).

[Anonymous]

If you have IFC/Sundance channel, you can watch it on their channel. It just showed on TV (through either IFC or Sundance) during winter break. Another piece about this movie, it was based on a real stories. I love the children in the movie. I feel bad now because I watched this movie twice; a very touching movie (i might make an announcement for it when we meet again on Jan.13)

Because I have IFC/Sundance at home, sometimes I got to watch some excellent foreign movies. If you are interested in movie and have these channels, you really need to check it out. The two channels also show many exclusive documentaries.

[Anonymous]

maybe you can try the Japanese name to find the movie "Dare mo shiranai"

[Anonymous]

Film review—Curse of the Golden Flower

I caught the latter half of this movie and when it was done, I was left with an open mouth and so many questions. I had hoped that watching this movie from the beginning would shed some light. However, that was not the case.
Synopsis: This 2006 Chinese film was directed by Zhang Yimou. It stars Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou, Liu Ye, Qin Junjie, Ni Dahong, Chen Jin, Li Man, and many others. It takes place in the 10th Century A.D during the Tang Dynasty. It is entirely in Chinese with English subtitles.
This story is based in the Palace during the Chrysanthemum Festival. The Emperor is powerful and power hungry, the Empress is extremely ill. Involved are their sons, many innocent people, and many deep dark secrets.
My opinion/classroom use:

First of all this film is rated R and is inappropriate for my 6th grade students. However, I may use pieces of the film. The visuals are stunning; I believe my students will be as enthralled with the palace, clothing, and amazing display of chrysanthemums that are set up in the courtyard as I was. Speaking of clothing: I have never seen so much cleavage! The women’s clothing was amazingly beautiful, but I do not believe that much skin would have been showing in the 10th Century A.D (I could be wrong). I was also impressed by the acting. The facial reactions were so believable. I felt the Empress’s pain each time she took her “medication”, I felt the love between The Empress and her step-son as well as the honor in which the doctor tries to save his wife and daughter. I felt sick when the Emperor struck his youngest son over and over until there was nothing left. I kept holding out for some glimmer of hope as the movie continued, but was left with the darkness each of these characters faced until the bitter end. I’m not sure of the movies historical accuracies, although I am aware that this is a fictional story. Again, this movie in its entirety is completely inappropriate for the 6th grade classroom. I would like to break it into pieces to show my students some visuals that relate to what they are learning. Curse of the Golden Flower, in my opinion, was beautifully horrendous.

[Anonymous]

I viewed the movie “The Forbidden Kingdom” by renting a DVD of the film. It was released on this past September 9 by Lionsgate film and stars martial arts stars Jackie Chan and Jet Li, along with several Asian actors and actresses (Collin Chou, Yifei Lui, and Bing Bing Li) and (unknown?) Michael Angarano American actor whose character becomes a martial arts hero by the end of the film.

The story is of the action-fantasy variety that sets martial arts fights and magical powers within the context of a struggle between good and evil. Woo-Ping Yuen served as action choreographer. American moviegoers are familiar with Mr Yuen’s action-sequence work from all three installments of “The Matrix,” both installments of “Kill Bill,” and the comedy “Kung Fu Hustle.” “The Forbidden Kingdom” adds to his prior work with Jet Li (“Fearless” and “Unleashed”)

The underlying story in “The Forbidden Kingdom” is the quest to deliver to The Monkey King (Jet Li) his magical staff so that he can be released from his self-inflicted frozen-in-stone state and save the “Reign of the Dream World” from being ruled by the Jade Warlord (Collin Chou). The Jade Warlord succumbed to a desire to rule when the Emperor of the Dream World departed for 500 years of meditation.

The Monkey King, whose powers include the ability to clone himself by plucking and releasing a strand of his hair, accepted the Jade Warlord’s challenge to a duel of fists. During the battle, the Jade Warlord, who also has magical powers, hurled some sort of magical spell at the Monkey King, who had previously laid his Magical Staff aside. Thus, instead of fighting the Monkey King with bare hands as stated in his challenge, the Jade Warlord attempted to win by trickery.

Upon realizing the Jade Warlord’s deceit, the Monkey King retrieves his Magical Staff, hurls it away, and transforms himself to stone. In response, the Jade Warlord confines the inanimate Monkey King to a room that prevents the Monkey King’s Magical Staff from reaching him and returning him to life.

Somewhere along the way, Jason (Michael Angarano), who is a timid South Boston teenager who loves martial arts movies but can not defend himself against neighborhood bullies, obtains possession of the Monkey King’s Magical Staff. Jackie Chan portrays Lu Yan, who is the elderly proprietor of the video store from which Jason obtains his martial arts movies.

After rescuing Jason from an attack by the leader of the neighborhood bullies, Lu Yan transports Jason to a medieval-era tea tavern, informs Jason of the legend of the Monkey King and announces that he, Jason, must return the Magical Staff to the Monkey King and free him from his prison of stone.

During their conversation, however, the Jade Warlord’s soldiers enter the premises in pursuit of Jason and the Magical Staff. Golden Sparrow (Yifei Lui), an Asian teenaged female who plays a 4-string, wide neck instrument while resting between martial arts fights, helps Jason and Lu Yan escape the soldiers.

Golden Sparrow relishes fighting against the Jade Warlord’s soldiers because (1) they murdered her mother in retaliation for her father’s opposition to the Jade Warlord and (2) the soldiers have a history of kidnapping princesses from Golden Sparrow’s village. Ultimately, Jade desires to kill the Jade Warlord using the jade dagger hairpin that she uses on hair because the pin can kill any warlord.

As Jason, Lu Yan and Sparrow flee the soldiers, they encounter Jet Li in his second role in the movie as the character “.Silent Monk,” who has been on a life-long mission to find the carrier of the Monkey King’s Magical Staff. After a lengthy (15-minute) fight scene between Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) and Silent Monk (Jet Li) using numerous martial arts fighting styles and aimed at possession of the Magical Staff, the four individuals – Jason, Lu Yan, Golden Sparrow, and Silent Monk, decide to travel through the desert toward eventual battle with the Jade Warrior’s Jade Army in order to deliver the Magical Staff to the Monkey King. In the process, Lu Yan and Silent Monk agree to train the timid and non-athletic Jason to become a martial arts fighting machine.

While the group is en route, they do not realize that they are being pursued by an Asian female villain who flies through treetops and is an expert at using an extra-long bullwhip and long-distance arrows. She pursues that the four would-be heroes in order to obtain from the Jade Warrior the elixir of immortality. As the heroes flee the villainess, one of her arrows strikes Lu Yan in his back, which severely weakens him to a point that requires a life-saving elixir that is in the Jade Warlord’s palace. Thus, the heroes are certain to have to fight the Jade Warlord’s soldiers for two reasons (deliver the Magical Staff to the Monkey King and obtain the elixir that Lu Yan needs to avoid death.

Ultimately, the heroes reach the Jade Warlord’s Palace, fight his soldiers, and deliver the Magical Staff to the Monkey King. Both the Jade Warlord and the female villain are defeated just before the Emperor of the Dream World returns from his 500 years of mediation. Because he is grateful that his world was saved from the Jade Warrior, the Emperor grants Jason’s wish to be transported through time and space back to Boston.

Upon arriving, Jason immediately encounters the leader of the neighborhood bullies and decisively beats him using martial arts. Moments later, Jason discovers that the elderly proprietor of the video store from which he obtains martial arts movies is Lu Yan, who, in reality, is immortal. Poignantly, Jason also encounters Golden Sparrow (with whom romance developed during the journey to the Monkey King), who works across the street from Lu Yan’s video store in a restaurant named “Golden Sparrow.”

“The Forbidden Kingdom” is full of messages that can be useful for classroom instruction. Even though I teach Algebra, the movie’s events would reinforce my frequent admonishments to my students (13- and 14-year old eighth graders) about the value of honesty and integrity and that greed and selfishness destroy respect and credibility and, ultimately, do not lead to success. I spend a lot of time trying to convey life lessons to my students because they still possess enough innocence to be impressionable in a constructive way and it appears that a significant number of students do not receive such teaching in their home environment.

All in all, the movie was very entertaining. I highly recommend it.

[Author]

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