TopAceEssays

Description

Write an essay (750-1150 words, 2-3 pages double-spaced) based on ONE of the following
topics. In the essay, you must integrate an analysis of two or three film scenes to support your
argument.
1. In his “Masculinized China vs. the Feminized West,” Po-wei Weng studies the
soundtrack of Once upon a Time in China and argues that the film masculinizes China
through the use and rearrangement of traditional Chinese music. Apart from the
soundtrack, what other strategies did Tsui Hark use to achieve the same effect? Do you
think the director successfully masculinized China in the film? Why?
2. Ken-fang Lee in her “Far away, so Close” argues that the popularity of Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon in the West can be interpreted as Ang Lee’s intention of redefining
Chineseness by reinventing the wu xia traditions in a global context. However, it is also
arguable that the film’s popularity perpetuates the exotic images of Old China because of
its wu xia elements. How do you explain the acclaimed reception or popularity of the
film? Why?
3. In her canonical essay titled “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,” Laura Mulvey
studies the “male gaze” in Hollywood films to expose the patriarchal values in society.
Similarly, in what way does the male gaze in Yimou Zhang’s Raise the Red Lantern
demonstrate problems of women’s status in Chinese society? Why?

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