Reimagined /// Asian Film Express
By Hannah Chan
Reimagined /// Asian Film ExpressNov 30, 2020
Asian Film Express- Stereotypes of Asian and Asian American Men in Film
In this episode, we dive right into the stereotypes of Asian and Asian American men in film. Specifically, the tropes that have been perpetuated since the 1920s, the white savior complex, and why there is such a small amount of Asian male lead in Hollywood.
Stop AAPI Hate: https://stopaapihate.org/
Anti-Asian Violence Resources: https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's article: https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/kareem-abdul-jabbar-hollywood-must-do-more-to-combat-asian-stereotypes/ar-BB1fm5JQ
Resources:
Films- The Mysterious Dr. Fu ManChu (1929), Sixteen Candles (1984), Rush Hour (1998), The Last Samurai (2003), 47 Ronin (2013), The Great Wall (2016)
https://scholar.dominican.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=honors-theses
Asian Film Express- Stereotypes of Asian and Asian American Women in Film
In this episode, we discuss the stereotypes of Asian and Asian American women in film through Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) and The Handmaiden (2016), specifically the hypersexualization of Asian women.
Stop AAPI Hate: https://stopaapihate.org/
Anti-Asian Violence Resources: https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/
Resources:
https://ew.com/article/2005/11/11/behind-seams-memoirs-geisha/
http://www.costumersguide.com/cr_geisha.shtml
https://blog.gaijinpot.com/japan-on-film-geisha-okiyas-and-sweet-ice/
Asian Film Express- Minari and Burning
In this episode of Asian Film Express, we are discussing Minari, an American drama film released in 2020, directed by Lee Isaac Chung, and Burning, a Korean mystery drama film released in 2018, directed by Lee Chang-dong. We will discuss the backgrounds of the films, a little synopsis, my thoughts on each movie, the Asian representation, the controversy Minari brought in light with the Golden Globe Award, and the actor Steven Yuen who connects our two films.
Stop AAPI Hate: https://stopaapihate.org/
Anti-Asian Violence Resources: https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/
Resources:
Films- Minari (2020), Burning (2018), Inglourious Basterds (2009), Death of a Salesman (1985)
Steven Yuen- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl508w3zjUA&ab_channel=IMDb
https://soundcloud.com/filmlinc/200-steven-yeun-burning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr0AMxtz_us&t=229s&ab_channel=GQ
Asian Film Express- Ghost in the Shell
New Topic: Asian and Asian American representation in film, or the lack thereof. This is the first episode for this topic where we discuss Ghost in the Shell (2017) and how it was criticized for being whitewashed.
Stop AAPI Hate: https://stopaapihate.org/
Anti-Asian Violence Resources: https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/
Asian Film Express- Introduction
New Topic: Asian and Asian American representation in films, or the lack thereof.
Stop AAPI Hate: https://stopaapihate.org/
Anti-Asian Violence Resources: https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/
Reimagined Eps 4: Jumanji
Although Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) is a direct sequel to Jumanji (1995), it had an extreme makeover. The sequel had to trek through many obstacles to attempt to surpass its predecessor. And I think the changes are worth mentioning, such as the form of the game and how the sequel made the jump from thriller to comedy.
Reimagined Eps 3: Aladdin
The animated Aladdin is the fourth project of the Renaissance Era, when Disney went back to making animated films adapting from existing stories, from 1989 to 1999. It received great success and is the only Disney Princess movie where the princess is the side character. On the other hand, critics were not as kind to the live-action. I think the remake attempted to give the characters more layers and updated the character motivations, but it didn’t quite hit the spot.
Reimagined Eps 2: Mulan
A remake of Chinese culture, written for a Chinese audience made by a white director, white costume designer, and four white screenwriters. The 2020 live-action remake of Mulan, directed by Niki Caro, received many criticisms and controversies. Mulan was one of the remakes that received drastic makeovers. Mulan is the first Disney princess introduced who was not born from royalty nor married into one. She taught girls that we can do anything we want just like boys, if not better. Therefore, when this remake was finally released, it was an absolute disappointment. Let me tell you why.
Reimagined Eps 1: Beauty and the Beast
For the first episode, I want to look into what I consider one of the most successful remakes, Beauty and the Beast in 2017, starring Emma Watson. In recent years, Disney has released several live-action remakes of their famous characters that served as their foundation, some flopped and some did alright. So how did Beauty and the Beast stand out? I will examine the reception of the film, key devices added that elevated the film and whether remakes are simply cash-grabbers or actually have some value in them.