Hollywood does better movies about China than Chinawood
I was born as an American-born Chinese aka ABC. Being a 70s kid, there were not many role models for east asians. You would probably count most of them on 1 hand like Bruce Lee (I can’t think of anyone one… yikes). Even more important, you didn’t hear much about your heritage (except when you saw an occasional history show). I probably learned the most about my astral home through video games like Romance of the Three Kingdoms (screen shot below) or through the movies.
Today I want to talk about the movies.
Let’s compare the older Disney Mulan vs. the newer one. I remember watching Disney’s 1998 film Mulan. WOW! Someone like me in the movies. Someone willing to do what was right and bring honor to the family. I totally loved it. What a great story. Then I saw the new one… it was flashy, interesting but something was off…. I just didn’t know what. Accented Cinema did a review and he was able to express how I felt. I highly recommend you watching it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZccG-wtt5FA&t=649s&ab_channel=AccentedCinema
Then there was another movie that also shocked me — Kung Fu Panda. I thought it was also a great movie. It felt familiar. Respecting your elders, being humble, and doing what is right and honor for the family. What I didn’t realize was how this movie was perceived in China. I watched Accented Cinema’s video essay on it, and this quote really hit home: “Kung Fu Panda loves China more than China loves itself”. Watch it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCCRuUlJ_nA&t
