Asianized and Hollywoodized blockbusters: the Past, the Present, the Future

Asianized and Hollywoodized blockbusters: the Past, the Present, the Future

Globalization brings the whole world much closer. It brings people closer, and also cultures closer. According to Appadurai (cited in Rockefeller 2011, p.560), the production of identity, communities and cultures, are “deterritorialized”. They are no longer produced in relatively contained places but rather are made and experienced translocally, often in locales across the globe. The ideas and cultures of different countries are influencing each other. This could be shown in various aspects and movies are the best for presenting the globalized culture. Asian movies and Hollywood movies are the significant representatives to discuss. Klein (2004, p.361) once suggests that “Hollywood is becoming Asianized in diverse ways, while Asian film industries are in turn becoming Hollywoodized.” Therefore, in the following blog post, both Hollywood blockbusters and Asian movies would be further discussed.

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First of all, the most important reason of being Asianized is probably due to the revenues. According to Klein (2004, p.363), Hollywood is heavily dependent on overseas audiences and most of its revenues are earned outside the US. Foreign audience is now their primary source of revenue. The huge population in China would already be regarded as the big market for the Hollywood movies, not to mention the whole Asia market. Familiar setting, actors and filming styles are essential elements for opening the Asian market. Thus, more Hollywood blockbusters become Asianized.

In the early 1970s, Asian movies started to be noticed thanks to famous martial arts actor, Bruce Lee. The foreign audience was amazed by the power of martial arts movie. It was the heyday of Bruce Lee. Afterwards, another martial arts star, Jackie Chan, became a household name in the world. Up till now, the name of Jackie still impresses most of the world audience. Gradually, more martial arts actors jump onto the world stage. The martial arts movies are also widely welcomed by people around the world. Broken box office record and numerous nominations for different international awards obviously tell the prosperity of the martial arts movies. Under the influence of martial arts movies from the Asia, some Hollywood movies are produced as a tribute to the martial arts movies. Kill Bill (2003, 2004) is a film in which blends film genres such as Hong Kong martial arts films, Japanese chanbara films and Italian western films.

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Action is a very popular element in different genres. Therefore, according to Klein (2004, p.361), martial arts fight scenes have become a ubiquitous feature in various genres. To produce good martial arts fight scenes, the Hollywood filmmaking industry starts to import labor from the Asia. There is a flow of Hong Kong choreographers into Hollywood, like Yuen Wo-ping, Yuen Cheung-yan and Corey Yuen. Moreover, actors and filmmakers are joining the big family of Hollywood. The production of Hollywood blockbusters is gradually in charge of Asian film workers.

Gorgeous ideas are always welcomed by different people. Asian movies and their crews are very outstanding and sometimes they attract the Hollywood producers. According to Klein (2004, p.367), the producers start to buy labor of South Korean and Japanese writers. And many popular and record-breaking movies have been being remade by the Hollywood producers. Infernal Affairs (2002) and Ring (1998) are good examples. Infernal Affairs (2002) was then remade by famous director, Martin Scorsese in 2006 as The Departed, and it even won the Academy Award for Best Picture. This shows that brilliant ideas and plays are suitable for both Asian and foreign audience. Globalization certainly makes the taste and trend of the whole world become homogenized.

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Besides sending labor to the Hollywood, more foreign-language movies are taking place in Asia. This is probably due to globalization. Actors and crews can easily travel around to film the movies. Rapid development of many Asian major cities, like Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo, makes them a good place for the setting. Many Hollywood blockbusters would make these cosmopolitan cities as their main scene. In The Dark Knight (2008) and Pacific Rim (2013), Hong Kong is one of its backdrops. For The Dark Knight (2008), the Hong Kong-set portion has highly impressed the reviewers.

Moreover, Chinese ideas or history could be found in the Hollywood blockbusters. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) is an American movie about the adventure of an archaeologist. The story is related to the Chinese history and the idea of the emperor and his army in the story is based on the real-life Qin emperor and the Terracotta Army. The brand-new idea is widely welcomed. This kind of movie suits both the Asian and foreigners’ tastes, and thus, undoubtedly leads to great success. Ideas exchange can be shown in the movies. In terms of different aspects, the Hollywood movies are Asianized.

(Photo sourced: http://www.impawards.com/2008/posters/mummy_tomb_of_the_dragon_emperor_ver4_xlg.jpg)

The Asian movies and the Hollywood blockbusters are mutually influencing each other. According to Yin and Xiao (2011, p.35), the export of cultural products create new markets and profits, and also export cultural values through the medium of the commodity at the same time. Homogenized trend makes the Asian audience also a fan of Hollywood blockbusters. Therefore, audience could easily find the Hollywood style in the details of the Asian movies. The Asian movies could also be regarded as Hollywoodized, in terms of filming style, genre and production, by their Hollywood counterparts.

Unlike Hollywood, musical is rare in Asian movie market. Musical may still be popular in the Bollywood, the Indian cinemas, as numerous dancing and singing scenes could be found in its movies. However, advertisements of musicals can hardly be found on the billboards of the East Asian market. According to Needham (2008, p.43), musical and melodrama were once popular genres in China and Hong Kong as they were key genre trends of Mandarin studios, though, the market soon be dominated by martial arts movies. Nevertheless, Perhaps Love (2005) gave a sparkling idea to the Hong Kong filmmaking industry. The movie directed by Peter Chan resuscitates musical in Hong Kong movie market. In the movie, a number of westernized elements and styles are used. Indeed, it is a westernized musical when compared with the musicals produced by the Mandarin studios. In some reviews, it would be described as “reveled in the visual opulence that films like 'Moulin Rouge' and other Hollywood musicals”. This shows that Hong Kong movies are inversely being influenced by the Hollywood.

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Having abundant special effects in a movie is becoming a trend of Asian movies. According to Wasko (1994, p.236-7), best cross national, cultural and linguistic borders films are spectacle-driven films such as special-effects-heavy blockbusters, action films, star vehicles and physical comedies. All audience can understand the movies and get into them. Upon the advance production skills of Asian and influence of Hollywood, more Asian movies would include many special effects. Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle (2004) is a good example. The cartoon style of the movie and the gorgeous CGI technique made the movie a great success. As mentioned by Leung (2008, p.81) the director said that the film is a tribute to the local Kung Fu movie tradition. Chow has definitely given a good illustration to fusion movie of modern technique and martial arts genre. For 3-Dfilms, Hollywood blockbusters always play a leading role. Recently, more 3-D Asian movies are made, like Sadako 3D (2012).

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Classic movies can always influence the production of their counterparts. Finding Mr. Right (2013) is a story about a pregnant woman in Seattle, who is originally from Beijing. It is footage from the movie Sleepless in Seattle (1993). It is easy to find shadow of Hollywood movies being cast on the Asian movies. American movie Cellular (2004) has been remade by Hong Kong director as Connected (2008). Both of them gained great success. This shows that when cross-national movies are being remade and localized, they also work.

Same to the Hollywood movies, more Asian movies would be filmed around the world. Daisy (2006) is a Korean film directed by Hong Kong director and filmed in Netherlands. The geographical distance is no longer an obstacle to the production of movie. Only if the scenes are suitable to the setting, the movies are going to take place there. This echoes the Appadurai’s idea that production of cultures are made and experienced in locales across the world.

Flow of capital also helps draw the teams of Asian and Hollywood filmmaking industries together. Many movies are co-produced by Asia and other foreign countries. Vengeance (2009) is a movie co-produced by Hong Kong and France. Talented film workers work together to produce good movies is the trend in the movie making industry. The boundary between nations is blurred.

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All in all, movies are world language. They can help convey messages regardless of nationalities. Thanks to globalization, it further globalizes the film culture. Blurred boundary between the eastern and western movie industries is resulted. Good movies are produced upon greater inspiration. The Asian and Hollywood filmmaking industries are competing, inspiring and influencing mutually. They are making progress together. This is absolutely great news to the world audience. A prosperous and brightening future are waiting for all the outstanding film workers, while awesome movies are waiting for world audience.

Reference

-          Klein, C 2004, “Martial arts and the globalization of US and Asian film industries”, Comparative American Studies, vol. 2, no.3, pp. 360-384.

-          Leung, WF 2008, “'Internal Affairs' and 'Kung Fu Hustle': Panacea, Placebo and Hong Kong Cinema”, in L Hunt and WF Leung (eds.), East Asian cinemas : exploring transnational connections on film, I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd, Great Britain, pp. 71-87.

-          Needham, G 2008, “Fashioning Modernity: Hollywood and the Hong Kong Musical 1957-64”, in L Hunt and WF Leung (eds.), East Asian cinemas : exploring transnational connections on film, I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd, Great Britain, pp. 41-56.

-          Rockefeller, SA 2011, “Flow”, Current Anthropology, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 557-578.

-          Wasko, J 1994, Hollywood in the information age: Beyond the silver screen. Polity Press, Cambridge.

-          Yin, H and Xiao, ZW 2011, “Hollywood’s Global Strategy and the Future of Chinese Cinema”, in V. P. Y. Lee (ed.), East Asian cinemas: regional flows and global transformations, Palgrave Macmillan, Great Britain, pp. 33-57.