A Student's View on Chinese Cinema
I teach a Senior Public Speaking Class, for the final examination I had my students give speeches on the topic "what needs to change." One student gave a superb speech on the state of Chinese Cinema... i thought I'd share it with everyone.----
China's Concept of Filmmaking Needs to Change
On this year's Academy Awards Ceremony, when introducing Leonardo's The Departed, the remake of Chinese film 无间道
the host mistook it for the remake of an Japanese film. Besides pity, I still feel that China's filmmaking doesn't form its own characteristics. To review China's famous films these years, a major part of them were blockbusters, all in the hope of winning an Oscar Award. We love blockbusters,especially of special effects and American features. No wander The Spiderman took up 90% of the box-office during the May Holiday. This is the embarrassing situation of China's filmmaking today.
Some may argue that the trend of globalisation is inevitable, so is the making of films. The film, as a form of art, is too early for its globalisation before it gets mature.A wok of art has to have its own characteristics. When others watch our films and say:"Ah, that's typically Chinese!"----that's our goal.
The so called Chinese doesn't just mean the lines, the times,costumes, characters.These are external. What I mean is a kind of sediments of traditional culture and emotions. It is only in China and Chinese people can have.
Then, let's talk about the theme. A good director never tells a story he himself doesn't understand clearly.A good story with a moral in it will always be easy to understand and it enables you to ponder over it for a long time and gain new experience. Never try to use streamconsciousness when you are not sure to make the plots concise and well-knit. The most subtle and gentle emotions that tie us to this world are always ideal subjects. When I watched the film 2046,I didn't understand what the director want to express,nor did I remember the plots. On the contrary, the British film LOVE ACTUALLY tells 8 love stories of different people, which are love between friends, couples, lovers, relatives. The film is simple, humorous and touching. But after watching it, you will never think it simple, for it tells me an eternal truth --love is actually everywhere.
Also, I'm quite against of using too much special effects. Could our films be a little bit more natural? A good film is not a display of special effects but of deep and profound meanings. When attending the Venice Movie Festival, the Japanese director of the film Mushi-Shi(虫师）said he came here not for the award but to touch the audience.
Every country has its own national character and Americans want to be heros. But as an Asian and a Chinese, how should we represent our national character in our films? I'm looking forward to the Renaissance of Chinese films!
posted by Unknown @ 11:50 PM
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