Cinema in China
Here’s a little culture comparison and movie review segment for you guys.
For anyone who resides in the States, you know how big a part movies play a role in our lives. I mean, it is one of the fundamental aspects of American culture and history. Since the creation of the cinema, Americans have had a deep fascination and an even deeper relationship with it. Just look at Hollywood, and you’ll see why the words “American” and “movies” go hand in hand.
The Chinese, however, do not share the same enthusiasm that we Americans have over the cinema. Instead, pirated DVDs are the norm here, which makes sense considering how readily accessible and cheap they are here. Nonetheless, theatres can still be found in just about every single mall in Shanghai.
There are several very noticeable differences between the theatres of China and the theatres of America. The first noticeable difference is the size of the theatres. Theatres here are typically no larger than the smallest ones found in the states, usually having no more than twelve rows of seats, an obvious result of fewer customers. Another noteworthy difference is the variety of items offered at the concession stand. While much of the snacks remain the same, there is still a divergence in the concessions offered. While Americans are accustomed to goodies such as popcorn, nachos, and hotdogs, the Chinese favor treats such as sweetened popcorn, gelato ice cream, and sausage on a stick. Lastly, unlike Americans, it isn’t customary for the Chinese to wait inside the theatre as they aren’t even allowed to go in until five minutes before the show.
Now going to a theatre wasn’t one of my priorities when coming to Shanghai, nevertheless, I was not disappointed in my experience. Okay, I’ll be honest, the truth is that I saw a girl that looked sort of like my idol, which was totally awesome, and no, I’m not a pervert, my idol is, in fact, a guy, and no, I’m not gay. However, there’s more to it than that. The particular theatre that I went to was pretty decked out. I mean, they had a marquee that went all around the floor, wall, and ceiling.
As for the movie itself, the same things could be said. I mean, it’s not going to top The Dark Knight, but it was still a rather well made movie, pretty much on par with anything made in the States.
Now the movie I saw was a Chinese war epic called Red Cliff that was directed by John Woo, director of other movies such as Face/Off and Mission Impossible 2. The movie shares many aspects to other movies of its kind such as Zhang Yimou’s Hero or The Curse of the Golden Flower, movies which typically involve someone striving for power, usually an emperor or warlord of some kind, gigantic armies, and super human martial artists that make the lives of these soldiers to be as worthless as shit. With that aside, Red Cliff is set during the Han dynasty period and prior to the era of the Three Kingdoms. The story primarily revolves around the Han warlord Cao Cao’s campaign against the warlords Lui Bei and Sun Quan and the alliance that ensues between the two. The action in the movie is typically depicted through key battles that were fought during the invasion. Eventually all the conflict and drama builds up to a final battle at Red Cliff, a battle that is not seen. Instead the movie ends in a rather abrupt cliff hanger.
Though I’m no critic, I’ll still contribute my two cents. Despite being an $80 million dollar budget film, I felt as if the movie itself was just above mediocre. Certainly not one of those just “summer movies,” but definitely nothing to get excited over. In comparison to other movies of its kind, I felt as if it lacked in storytelling, fighting, and in artistic style. Unlike the complex storytelling found in Hero, Red Cliff felt as if it was too straightforward. Though action scenes in Red Cliff still gives the adrenaline pumping feeling, they nonetheless still pale in comparison. However, Red Cliff is not all bad as it excels in some aspects. In fact, Red Cliff is able to do something that the others were not; it implements humor and does so rather well at that. Overall, the movie is nothing short of average. It delivers, but it does not excel. Definitely a movie worth watching, but definitely not a must watch.
Final Verdict: 6.5/10