Eat, Drink, Man, Woman is one piece from Ang Lee’s “family trilogy”. Ang Lee is a famous director from Taiwan who has won many international awards. He is famous for Brokeback Mountain and Lust, Caution. Both of his movies receive lots of criticism, but it also wins him great fame. I think they are all probably banned in China mainland. When these movies came out, they occupied the front page of ever newspaper, and that’s where I know the name Ang Lee.
The movie tells the story of an old chef Chu who is beginning to face the embarrassment of life after retirement. The big get-together dinner he cooks every weekend can no longer attract his three daughters. They have all grown up, and there are things for them more important than eating with their dad. The death of his old friend is big shock for Chu and takes him long to recover. Though his three daughters are very busy, they care about Chu’s later years in life. When they are planning to find Chu a new love, they are all rocked by the news that Chu is actually in love with Jinrong who is considered as the “forth daughter” in their family.
This is the first movie I saw which is directed by Ang Lee. I think it’s a good one. He shows us that he is not ordinary by using hints, symbolism and other movie making techniques in the film. You have to think when watching in order to get a better understanding of the theme. The story mainly focused on food which is important for every culture and especially important for Chinese. As a country with a history of thousands of years, Chinese culture can be largely represented by its food culture. The food diversifies from place to place. Almost every province has its own eating habits. The diversity increases by distance. For example, people in the north eat bread (steam bread) and wheat, and people in the south seldom eat any steam bread at all. Their staple is mainly rice. What’s more, in western part of China people eat extremely spicy food, but, on the east side, people prefer mild. Climate differences also contribute to food diversifications. The old generation in Taiwan is mostly from the main land. I think their food is more similar to Guang Dong food judging from what they eat in the movie.
Chinese food is also very popular in America. Many times, people ask me whether the food here still taste Chinese. To be honest, the answer is a big negative no. Chinese food in America has been greatly affected by American fast food culture. In order to survive in business, the food making procedure is greatly changed and so does the flavor. In fact, cooking Chinese food is very time consuming. It probably takes me an hour to cook one dish and I know there are some that may require half a day. It gives me a good reason for eating outside!!
2008年9月30日星期二
Beijing Bicycle
This movie is quite typical which reminds me of several other Chinese movies, like “In the Heat of the Sun”, etc. “Beijing Bicycle” is banned in China main land probably because it truly reveals the social conflicts in China. Some violence is also involved.
The movie gives us a good picture of what Beijing is like. It is an old city with modern architecture. Here the old and the new can coexist well which makes the city very unique. It’s definitely one of the fastest developing cities in the world. The speed of change surprises me every time when I went back to China. It changed most significantly during the year 2008 due to the Olympics. There are so many building under construction. When you are in the city, you can feel by yourself that the city is booming every day.
“Beijing Bicycle”, however, reminds us that, besides the skyscrapers, there are also people under poverty living in little brick houses. The seventeen-year-old Gui is one of those people from outside Beijing. He finds a job from a courier company and is promised that he will own his new bike after he earns six hundred RMB. He works really hard, but when his dream is about to come true, his bike is lost. Gui drops into desperation.
On the other side of the story, Xian is a school boy from Beijng who is the same age as Gui. Because of a poor family background, he feels inferior sometimes though acting proud. After his father misses his words for several times, and also as a way to win “face” in front of his friends, Xian steals money from his family and buys a second hand bike. He doesn’t know the bike is actually the one that Gui lost. The story approaches a climax when Gui finds out the bike he lives on is “stolen” by Xian. He tries his best to get his precious back, and there starts the struggle between the two boys who are trying to guard their own dreams.
The movie gives us a good picture of what Beijing is like. It is an old city with modern architecture. Here the old and the new can coexist well which makes the city very unique. It’s definitely one of the fastest developing cities in the world. The speed of change surprises me every time when I went back to China. It changed most significantly during the year 2008 due to the Olympics. There are so many building under construction. When you are in the city, you can feel by yourself that the city is booming every day.
“Beijing Bicycle”, however, reminds us that, besides the skyscrapers, there are also people under poverty living in little brick houses. The seventeen-year-old Gui is one of those people from outside Beijing. He finds a job from a courier company and is promised that he will own his new bike after he earns six hundred RMB. He works really hard, but when his dream is about to come true, his bike is lost. Gui drops into desperation.
On the other side of the story, Xian is a school boy from Beijng who is the same age as Gui. Because of a poor family background, he feels inferior sometimes though acting proud. After his father misses his words for several times, and also as a way to win “face” in front of his friends, Xian steals money from his family and buys a second hand bike. He doesn’t know the bike is actually the one that Gui lost. The story approaches a climax when Gui finds out the bike he lives on is “stolen” by Xian. He tries his best to get his precious back, and there starts the struggle between the two boys who are trying to guard their own dreams.
The movie can be defined as a movie of youth, but it also explores some other social issues. A small portion of people in Beijing are not only physically poor, but also mentally stressed. They struggle hard to fit in the city life, but most of the times they feel unwelcome and even receive discrimination from other social class. People under such status deserve more care from the society and that is what the director trying to tell us here. The boy from the countryside, the school boy, the babysitter, the grocery store owner, and the boss of the courier company actually share a common destiny, but are only presented in different ways.
2008年9月23日星期二
Veer Zaara
Honestly speaking, I’ve never seen an Indian movie before. It may sound a little weird as our countries are so close and their movies are so famous. I really appreciate it to have a chance to watch my first Indian movie in class, and I love it so much. I am so impressed by their music. It sometimes sounds mysterious and sometimes burst into happiness and joy. There are about six to seven pieces of songs throughout the whole movie, which makes it more like a song and dance drama. It seems everyone in the movie can sing and dance well. I know movie magnifies things, but it is sure that music is an essential part of the Indian people’s lives. Being a guy who looks clumsy when dancing, I do envy these people.
“Veer Zaara” is telling us a love story beyond the borders. The two lovers, Zaara and Veer, are separated apart for twenty two years. Veer, who is an Indian Air Force official, quits his job and spends twenty two years in the prison of Pakistan to protect Zaara’s reputation. Zaara, the daughter of a Pakistan politician, stays in India for twenty two years to fulfill Veer’s dream. With the help of an idealistic Pakistani layer named Saamiya, the two in love are finally reunited, and they returns to India together. Things have changed a lot. Veer turns from a young handsome man to an old man who has suffered great pain. Zaara is no longer a young pretty girl, but a middle age woman with gray hair. However, what has never changed is their love, which was found in two happy days twenty two years ago.
The conflict between Pakistan and India is a historical problem. There are injuries and deaths on both sides. Are there other ways to solve the problem besides by political and military force? Maybe the movie “Veer and Zaara” is giving people another message. When Veer is wrongly put in prison for twenty two years and when the judge releases Veer from prison and apologizes on behalf of Pakistan, he doesn’t show any sign of anger and nor does he complain. He chooses to forgive. What power can support the friendship between man, between countries, and between civilizations? It is the willingness to forgive. Forgiving requires courage. A man who never knows to forgive will never learn to love. That’s the lesson I learn from this Indian movie.
“Veer Zaara” is telling us a love story beyond the borders. The two lovers, Zaara and Veer, are separated apart for twenty two years. Veer, who is an Indian Air Force official, quits his job and spends twenty two years in the prison of Pakistan to protect Zaara’s reputation. Zaara, the daughter of a Pakistan politician, stays in India for twenty two years to fulfill Veer’s dream. With the help of an idealistic Pakistani layer named Saamiya, the two in love are finally reunited, and they returns to India together. Things have changed a lot. Veer turns from a young handsome man to an old man who has suffered great pain. Zaara is no longer a young pretty girl, but a middle age woman with gray hair. However, what has never changed is their love, which was found in two happy days twenty two years ago.
The conflict between Pakistan and India is a historical problem. There are injuries and deaths on both sides. Are there other ways to solve the problem besides by political and military force? Maybe the movie “Veer and Zaara” is giving people another message. When Veer is wrongly put in prison for twenty two years and when the judge releases Veer from prison and apologizes on behalf of Pakistan, he doesn’t show any sign of anger and nor does he complain. He chooses to forgive. What power can support the friendship between man, between countries, and between civilizations? It is the willingness to forgive. Forgiving requires courage. A man who never knows to forgive will never learn to love. That’s the lesson I learn from this Indian movie.
2008年9月16日星期二
Run Lola Run
“Run Lola Run” is a fast pacing, game like movie. The mission for Lola is to get 10,000 marks in 20 minutes and save Manni. The game is played three times and has three endings. In the first trial, Lora fails to get the money and has to help Manni rob the supermarket, and ends up shot by the police. Mission fails. In the second game, Lola succeeds in robbing her father’s bank and gets the money, but Manni is run over by an ambulance, so mission fails. In the third round, Lola wins consecutively in the casino and earns more than 10,000 marks. Meanwhile, Manni gets back the money he lost. Manni is saved and they become rich. This time mission complete!
It is surprising how little things can change the rest of one’s life. This reminds me of the movie Butterfly Effect. They both have the idea of changing a little in the past which will lead to changing a person’s whole life track. The movie also shares some ideas of the Eastern cyclical belief. In the east, it is believed that people’s spirit will come back to life again after death but in different forms. Next time you wake up. You may be a man, but you can also be a cat, a dog or even a bug. Then the whole life cycle starts again. I think people in the east won’t be too surprised by the concept when watching the movie.
This movie can also be defined as a love rescuing movie, but, mostly, it is men rescuing women where heroism stands out. Here we see Lora, a skinny girl, rescuing his big man! It is telling us time has changed. The traditional characters can be switched, so here is a clear declaration of feminism. In the movie, we find that woman is always running, thinking and finding ways to solve the problem. Man, however, remains at rest. It seems man in this movie can’t change a thing and all he can do is to wait for his fatality. Woman is trying to change everything and she is even using time magic! In reality, the roles played by men and women are changing significantly. As time goes by, changes may become so significant that maybe one day man will really need women to rescue!
It is surprising how little things can change the rest of one’s life. This reminds me of the movie Butterfly Effect. They both have the idea of changing a little in the past which will lead to changing a person’s whole life track. The movie also shares some ideas of the Eastern cyclical belief. In the east, it is believed that people’s spirit will come back to life again after death but in different forms. Next time you wake up. You may be a man, but you can also be a cat, a dog or even a bug. Then the whole life cycle starts again. I think people in the east won’t be too surprised by the concept when watching the movie.
This movie can also be defined as a love rescuing movie, but, mostly, it is men rescuing women where heroism stands out. Here we see Lora, a skinny girl, rescuing his big man! It is telling us time has changed. The traditional characters can be switched, so here is a clear declaration of feminism. In the movie, we find that woman is always running, thinking and finding ways to solve the problem. Man, however, remains at rest. It seems man in this movie can’t change a thing and all he can do is to wait for his fatality. Woman is trying to change everything and she is even using time magic! In reality, the roles played by men and women are changing significantly. As time goes by, changes may become so significant that maybe one day man will really need women to rescue!
Good Bye Lenin
“Good Bye Lenin” tells the story about a son named Alex trying to save his mother’s life by telling lies. His mother, a dedicated party activist, has a heart attack when she witnesses his son in the middle of a parade against the government. She falls into coma and stays unconscious for eight moths. Lots of things have taken place when she is in bed. Germany welcomes its reunification and her beloved East Germany is gone forever. Her sudden awake one morning brings Alex great pleasure, but this is also the starting point of a new problem. His mother’s doctor tells him that the shock of East Germany’s downfall may bring her a fatal heart attack this time. Alex has to build up an “East Germany” for his mother, and keep her away from the outside world. The process is hard, but, in return, his mother spends “rest of her life” in peace.
It is quite ironic that Alex is one of those people who push down the Berlin Wall, but he has to keep on telling lies that East Germany still exists. It’s a problem like whether to tell a patient that he is dying, and it’s hard to tell right or wrong. More ironically, they later find out both sides are actually living in lies, because Alex’s mother is lying about his father for years. Anyway, I believe there are good lies. When Alex’s mother finally finds out the truth, she doesn’t panic, and she even pretends to listen to the false news that Alex makes for her, because she knows there is someone in the world that loves her so much.
When watching the movie, I feel there is a kind of link with my life, because I am also very familiar with the term “Lenin”. China is by definition socialism. We are taught about Lenin in primary schools. However, this term has faded out of our lives for years, because the media never mentions this name again and none of his pictures can be found today. Interestingly, we even don’t know when this is happening. The movie is like a hint to me. Unlike Germany, we are also saying good bye to Lenin, only in a different way…
It is quite ironic that Alex is one of those people who push down the Berlin Wall, but he has to keep on telling lies that East Germany still exists. It’s a problem like whether to tell a patient that he is dying, and it’s hard to tell right or wrong. More ironically, they later find out both sides are actually living in lies, because Alex’s mother is lying about his father for years. Anyway, I believe there are good lies. When Alex’s mother finally finds out the truth, she doesn’t panic, and she even pretends to listen to the false news that Alex makes for her, because she knows there is someone in the world that loves her so much.
When watching the movie, I feel there is a kind of link with my life, because I am also very familiar with the term “Lenin”. China is by definition socialism. We are taught about Lenin in primary schools. However, this term has faded out of our lives for years, because the media never mentions this name again and none of his pictures can be found today. Interestingly, we even don’t know when this is happening. The movie is like a hint to me. Unlike Germany, we are also saying good bye to Lenin, only in a different way…
2008年9月9日星期二
My Sassy Girl
I saw the movie My Sassy Girl long ago. It was extremely popular in Korea, Japan and China when it first came out. There were lots and lots of girls who were crazy about the story, and the Jun Ji-hyun’s style became what thousands of girls follow after. The movie is no doubt a classical one and probably every teenager in these countries is very familiar with the piece “I believe” which is the theme music. There is also a popular joke: “whenever your auntie introduces you to a girl friend, just go!” This may reveal the popularity of the movie in Asian countries.
The movie is an unpredictable and enjoyable love story which differs a lot from the traditional. The first encounter of the guy and the girl is anything but a pleasant experience. The drunken girl uses rude language, throws up on an old man and passes out in the public. It is the nerdy guy who has to take care of her. As the story goes on, the guy slowly finds out how crazy and abusive this girl is, but, interestingly, everything works out. The guy falls in love with her and does all the crazy things to please her. Even if the guy suffers physically and mentally, he really thinks that this beautiful girl have some sorrow in her and he really wants to help her to get better.
The ending of the story when the guy and his sassy girl meet again in his auntie’s house is an obvious symbol of the karma. That’s something I have discussed in my article on Train Man, but there are more things we can learn from this movie. I find the way people express themselves in eastern countries varies from the west. You seldom hear the three words “I love you” in an Asian movie while that’s probably what you hear throughout a movie in the west. I think this is due to the context of our language, because the language used in Asian countries like Korea and Japan is of high context, which means people prefer to express themselves in a more indirect way. However, the western language, say English, is low in context and this means they speak out what comes into their minds in a direct manner. For instance, the first thing I came to America is to learn to say no, because saying no in eastern culture is concerned rude. So far as I know, Japan has more than twenty ways to say something that means a “no”, and it is much the same in China. Culture may cause variances, but I think that’s not a problem for us to communicate with one another.
The movie is an unpredictable and enjoyable love story which differs a lot from the traditional. The first encounter of the guy and the girl is anything but a pleasant experience. The drunken girl uses rude language, throws up on an old man and passes out in the public. It is the nerdy guy who has to take care of her. As the story goes on, the guy slowly finds out how crazy and abusive this girl is, but, interestingly, everything works out. The guy falls in love with her and does all the crazy things to please her. Even if the guy suffers physically and mentally, he really thinks that this beautiful girl have some sorrow in her and he really wants to help her to get better.
The ending of the story when the guy and his sassy girl meet again in his auntie’s house is an obvious symbol of the karma. That’s something I have discussed in my article on Train Man, but there are more things we can learn from this movie. I find the way people express themselves in eastern countries varies from the west. You seldom hear the three words “I love you” in an Asian movie while that’s probably what you hear throughout a movie in the west. I think this is due to the context of our language, because the language used in Asian countries like Korea and Japan is of high context, which means people prefer to express themselves in a more indirect way. However, the western language, say English, is low in context and this means they speak out what comes into their minds in a direct manner. For instance, the first thing I came to America is to learn to say no, because saying no in eastern culture is concerned rude. So far as I know, Japan has more than twenty ways to say something that means a “no”, and it is much the same in China. Culture may cause variances, but I think that’s not a problem for us to communicate with one another.
Train Man
Train Man is a very relaxing comedy movie and definitely a fairy tale for geeks. The story is about a geeky man named Takayuki Yamada who spends all his spare time in the world of toys, movies and online chatting. He probably never ever dreams himself to be a hero of a lovely woman one day. This romantic yet a little embarrassing heroism takes place on a train and that’s how he later gets his name “train man”. The woman appreciates his great courage and asks for his address to thank him for his good deed. Being energized by this encounter he posts his story on a message board and this earns him a team of faithful readers. By the numerous advices given by his readers, train man successfully ask the woman out. Everything goes on quite smoothly in a pretty much unexpected way. After a few more happy dates, the train man finally decide to tell the woman his real feelings about her, but near the end of the movie he gets frustrated by their different social status and once again loses his courage. Thanks to his warmhearted supporters, train man finally goes through pain and sorrow, and determines to face the woman he loves. The ending of the story is a happy one. Train man and the woman he “saved” become lovers and promise each other to be together for ever.
What impresses me most is the number of times train man is saying sorry. That’s not because he feels guilty or what, but because being polite is a very essential part of the Japanese culture. The extent of politeness in Japanese culture probably stands out in the whole eastern culture. As a neighbor of Japan, we have a lot in common. For instance, we both bow. In China people only bow to the old or the people they respect, and they bow only once and that’s it. However, in Japan people bow more frequently and it seems the most suitable number is the more the better. In some comedy shows, you can see two Japanese keeping bowing to each other when they say goodbye. I guess that’s maybe a little exaggerating but it certainly reflect the importance of politeness to Japanese.
At the end of the movie, there is a scene that train man picks up a license which he thinks belongs to a little girl, but it turns out to be the heroine’s. That’s a sign of karma. Karma is very significant in Asian culture. It comes from the influence of Buddhism. People believe even the people who walk by you in the streets needs karma, because there are billions of people out there in the world, but it is karma that makes this very person to walk by. For lovers, karma has an even more miraculous effect. All the love stories in Asian culture have something to do with karma, and that explains why Asian movies are more likely to focus on the story of how young people fall in love while western movies are more concerned about the stories of people after they became lovers.
What impresses me most is the number of times train man is saying sorry. That’s not because he feels guilty or what, but because being polite is a very essential part of the Japanese culture. The extent of politeness in Japanese culture probably stands out in the whole eastern culture. As a neighbor of Japan, we have a lot in common. For instance, we both bow. In China people only bow to the old or the people they respect, and they bow only once and that’s it. However, in Japan people bow more frequently and it seems the most suitable number is the more the better. In some comedy shows, you can see two Japanese keeping bowing to each other when they say goodbye. I guess that’s maybe a little exaggerating but it certainly reflect the importance of politeness to Japanese.
At the end of the movie, there is a scene that train man picks up a license which he thinks belongs to a little girl, but it turns out to be the heroine’s. That’s a sign of karma. Karma is very significant in Asian culture. It comes from the influence of Buddhism. People believe even the people who walk by you in the streets needs karma, because there are billions of people out there in the world, but it is karma that makes this very person to walk by. For lovers, karma has an even more miraculous effect. All the love stories in Asian culture have something to do with karma, and that explains why Asian movies are more likely to focus on the story of how young people fall in love while western movies are more concerned about the stories of people after they became lovers.
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