The Slander Screen

Jessica B.Ochoa

AS 3451

The Slanted Screen

November 29, 2012

The Slanted Screen is a film that provides the viewers with an excellent summary of different films and actors from Asia especially Japanese, China and Korean. Despite the stereotypes found in this business, the overall focus of the film was projected and clear. Throughout history, Asian actors were not a big part of the movie, theater and musical films industry; in fact, Asian males were played by white men never a real Asian male usually playing a role of special powers, enemy and something related to war such as being a soldier or a general, also as a low income person working as a water or as a driver. Asian roles was never the same as a white role, it was never a wealthy, strong, good lucking role. This industry was never a friend of Asian actors, nor African American or Hispanics, taking in consideration the testimonies form children not expecting Asians, blacks or Hispanics doing casting for what an usual white male role will be doing. Hollywood image of Asians was never related to romantic scenes, although films such as The Crimson Kimono, Bridge of the Sun were some of the earliest films showing a different side if Asians, a real Asian male playing the role of a lover with a white men. Also, Flower Drum Song, was the first musical of Asians in Hollywood demonstrating that Asian were not only good to played roles of soldiers or actions, but also, that they can sing, dance and act just like any other culture. The Slanted Screen also presents great information of Bruce Lee and how his actions movies impact another Asian generation of actors in a good and bad way. Bruce Lee influenced some young actors in a good way since they look up to him because he was the good Asian action actor in Hollywood, being a legend and making Asian known in these industry; for others, he became a stereotype, Asian now were seen as good fighters and reality is not every Asian men knows Kong-Fu. Sessue Hayakawa was the first and last leading men in the early years sex Asian symbol, his audience were mainly white women and he was nominated for academy award for great career. Even though Asian had a hard time throughout history in United States just like other cultures, Asian have overcome these difficulties in all forms and industries and today they are very successful. Despite the stereotypes they had suffered.

The World of Suzie Wong

Jessica B Ochoa

AS 3451

The World of Suzie Wong

November 19, 2012

            The world of Suzie Wong is a great story between a men and a women with situations and experiences through their life similar to others individuals around the entire world who are trying to survive, trying to provide a better future for their loves one, trying to find themselves and follow their passion in life in order to feel productive as a human being. This great story represents the difficulties women have to go in order to be happy and bring food to her loves one, and it is also a great example for those who are not sure on how to guide their lives debating between passion and obligation. This specific film main male actor is a white man whose dreams were always to be a painter and who travel to China in order to pursue his dream and be free from his routine at his office. The second main actress is Suzie Wong, a young Chinese girl who has a lot of sexy peal and works at a bar located in the lobby of the hotel selling her body and company to the white men who stay over this hotel, Suzie Wong meets this White man in a boat and she pretends to be an innocent rich Chinese girl, which in reality illustrates the kind of life she always wanted and dreamed of. Later on through the movie, Suzie Wong becomes this male artist model and later engaged into a love relationship that like any relationship has up and downs. Throughout the relationship, Suzie will ask this white man to hit her, and pretend to be jealous, because only then she can presumed with her friends of the immense love this men has for her. Of course, this man refused to do such actions because for Americans love is shown in different ways non-violent.  Despite their cultural and age differences, they both work out their relationship and got married leaving behind poverty, sadness and filling themselves with hope, love and prosperity by putting in order their priorities and making better decision for their futures.

The Joy Luck Club

Jessica B Ochoa

AS 3451

The Joy Luck Club

November 8, 2012

                The Joy Luck Club is a great movie in which almost all the actors are Asian representing first and second generation of mother and daughter showing four different stories, all four stories are full of experiences, love and situations lived by everybody regardless of their culture, religion, sex preferences in their everyday life. They project real life and are a great example of how unpredictable life can be.

            The first story is about a young Asian girl name June who was born with the gift of music and grew up playing piano influence by her mother who was very strict. Mother believed her daughter can be anything she wants to be in life preferably the best pianist. Mother had planned her daughter day scheduled with a specific time to play, time to study and time to play the piano. One day, daughter refused to play the piano, mother tried to force her and the girl response was “I am not your slaved, this is not China. From this moment on, mother never asked to play piano ever again. Mother arrived to United States from China full of dreams and hopes, leaving behind a world of war, the lost of her baby twins and a lot of suffer. She arrived to United States and made a new life, made a new strong person decided to provide her daughter the best and only the best, feeling guilty for leaving behind her baby twins.

            The second story is about the mother who was sold by her one mother at a very early age to marry another kid with fortune and make many babies. In this case, the husband controls his wife life and decisions, she did not have a say about anything. Eventually, she made up three lies about her ancestors and was able to divorce her husband and be free. She arrived to United States, had a daughter who was very smart, but she show off her daughter in order to make her feel good of herself. Her daughter grew up and marries a white men who did not know Asian culture and customs that much, leading to insult to her mother and in different occasions, daughter feeling ashamed of her own mother.

            The third story is about a mother who falls in love this man whom she marries later when she was young girl. They had a baby who was the treasure of her husband. He was physical and verbally abusive to her and will bring other women in the house to have sex. One day, she felt very empty and upset at the situation, he took everything good from her such as young, beauty, happiness; so in revenge, she kill their son leaving him empty as well. She arrived to United States, remarries and had a daughter. Daughter was everything she did not want her to be. Mother will always say: “my daughter looks but she does not see”.

            The four story is about a mother whose mother was a widow and a rich men rape her. Nobody believed her so she left with the men who rape her leaving her daughter. One day she returned, and the mother(back then young girl) left with her  to leave in a rich house but was often discriminated and treat wrong. Eventually her mother killed herself , she killed her weak spirit to get a stronger spirit for her daughter. Daughter later mother, came to United States, marry and had a daughter.

            Four stories represent the first and second generation, racism and sacrifices Asian women faced back their home country and the way the second generation grows up in the middle of a new culture. This is my favorite film. 

Charlie Chan/Fu Manchu

Jessica B Ochoa

AS 3451

Charlie Chan/Fu Manchu

November 8, 2012

                Charlie Chan is an actor who is always been critized of speaking English with a heavy accent when in reality his English is perfect. This critique leads to movies viewers to see this actor with a good or bad stereotype because is creating a false image to the others of Asian people not speaking good English and having a very heavy accent. The world is full of stereotypes; blacks are criminals, Spanish are poor, whites are rich, Asians are smart, bad drivers and men have small penis.  These stereotypes in most cases are not true, but movies transmits this false ideas to the public and this same public without realizing it learned this unreal stereotypes and began to judge others without any support.

Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu is another movie representing an Asian Dr. played by a white actor with fake mustache and speaking English with a heavy accent. Dr Fu Manchu is smart, has a strong and pacific personality, he is capable of killing innocent people in order to obtain power by using atomic bombs and making a relationship with Hitler who he helps to change his facial structure via a plastic surgery.

Charlie Chan and Dr Fu Manchu both represent an unrealistic Asian male far away from reality making others learned and believed a fake idea of Asian males in a negative way. Also, the fact that Asian roles in this movies are played by white actors and not real Asian people in a way shows lack of respect and lack of job  opportunities to this culture who is just another kind of many human beings in United States.

With all this been said, one of my main concern is how are these producers and writers getting their information about Asian culture and Asian people if they are reflecting the wrong image of what in reality it is. I believed more discretion, knowledge and respect to others cultures, in this case Asians, should be given even before thinking of making a film about something else rather than your own culture.