world cinema

1. Franqie Chan Jia Yi
2014050035
Film & TV Group 1
Assignment 2 02/02/2015
Differences Between Shanghai, Hong Kong & Taiwan Films
China Mainland- Shanghai Movie
Movie Title : East Palace West Palace (1996)
Directed By : Zhang Yuan
Written By : Wang Xiao Bo & Zhang Yuan
Storyline :-
This is a story about homosexual. In the Forbidden City there is a east palace and west palace.
These two parks, especially their public male toilet, a lot of gay have been caught during night.
There is a man name A-Lan been caught by Xiao Shi (policeman). During that night, A-Lan talks
about his gay story to the policeman and almost touch Xiao Shi, but the story ended with Xiao
Shi left A-Lan alone.
Cinema of China :-
This movie includes some opera scene to show the cultural of China. The scene is explaining the
words of A-Lan said in the movie. China movie is not very open-minded as it will not show the
scene of the sexual part. They use back shot or maybe half of the body to show it. This movie
also shows the cultural of China cannot accept homosexual. In this movie, they only use simple
props and place even the camera shots are very simple. This is because they lack of state funding
and backing as this movie is about social issue in China that their people cannot accept. This
movie also showed the negative issue in China during that period. Zhang Yuan is the Sixth
Generation film maker of China. Some of the movies of Zhang Yuan such as Beijing Bastards
also movie highlighted about the negative attributes of China. Some of the directors during that
period such as Wang XiaoShuai, Jiang ZhangKe and Lou Ye also make similar films.
Hong Kong Movie
Movie Title : Fong Sai Yuk
Directed By : Corey Yuen
Written By : Chan Kin-Chung, Tsai Kang-Yung & Jeffrey Lau
Storyline :-

2. This story is about Fong Sai Yuk. He is a man that likes martial arts very much. He always fights
with others to show his martial arts just like his mother. His father doesn’t have any knowledge
in martial arts but still help the Red Flower Society (an underground resistance movement that
aims to overthrow the ruling Ching Dynasty). His father get caught during Fong Sai Yuk
marriage night. Fong Sai Yuk decided to save his father and ask his mother and wife leave there
as they might in danger. When he is fighting to save his father, his mother comes to help him and
all the villagers also give their hands. Finally the master of Red Flower Society show up and end
the fight. Fong Sai Yuk is then follow Chan Ka-Lok (the master of Red Flower Society) to learn
martial arts.
Cinema of Hong Kong :-
Most of the Hong Kong martial arts movies will shows they don’t like about the governor. They
will use some words to define it. In addition, Hong Kong movies mostly about a hero, they
rewrite it and make it into movie. Due to the reason Hong Kong cinema is the one to dominated
martial arts, so most of Hong Kong movie will include martial arts. Moreover, their movie will
use their own language – Cantonese. Corey Yuan is the action film director in Hong Kong also
actor that known as Rubber legs’ student in 1979 Kung Fu comedy film Dance of the Drunk
Mantis. Most of his films include some comedy. He is also one of the top action director that hit
Hong Kong and the United States. He choreographed two Jet Li’s films. During 2000, he work
with American cinemas as an action director in X-men. His action style is different from others
Hong Kong director such as Yuen Woo-ping and Ching Siu Tung. His style is more creative and
higher emphasis on offence.
Taiwan Movie
Movie Title : The Wedding Banquet
Directed By : Ang Lee
Written By : Ang Lee, Neil Peng, James Schamus
Storyline :-
This story is about a gay couple Wai Tung and Simon living in Manhattan happily. As Wai
Tung’s parents are very tradition-minded, they want him to get married and have children. His
mother ask him to find a girlfriend via dating service, he does but the girl he met also has a
boyfriend but keep it secret from her parents. Wai Tung knows that his father is in the hospital
from the girl he met. He feels so sorry to his father then he find a way to solve it. As Simon
insistence, Wai Tung decides to marry with his tenants, Wei Wei, a mainland China girl that
need a green card, with this, Wai Tung can help Wei Wei and also placate his parents.
Nonetheless, thing get worse as he parents fly from Taiwan and want to see their wedding
banquet, as he is keeping a secret away from his parents, at first he refuse to, but after his parents
met their old friend that open a restaurant decided to help them. During the night of Wai Tung

3. marriage, he accidentally have sexual with Wei Wei and cause pregnant. At last, he cannot bear
all these, he told his mother the truth. After that, his father actually knew everything since the
beginning, his father meet Simon and tell him about this. Then, the story end with his parents
back to Taiwan and Wai Tung, Simon and Wei Wei continue live happily.
Cinema of Taiwan :-
Taiwan movie also not that open-minded but Ang Lee’s movies always make some changes, as
he cooperate with western country. This movie shows the tradition of Chinese that nowadays
Chinese ignore. This movie shows the conflicts confronting many modern families during that
time. The language used in this movie is mandarin, the slang is different from China Shanghai.
This movie shows the live of American Chinese, though they still follow the rules of Chinese.
Ang Lee’s film can transcend cultural and linguistic barriers to speak to audience all over the
world because he insight into human heart. He consider as the Second New Wave Cinema
Director. Those film able to make Asian Cinema step into the international domain.
Source : Wikipedia & IMDB