Foreign Films Shunned in America?

Arts & Sciences Arts & Entertainment
1

s-t.com/daily/01-98/01-19-98/c04ae091.htm

Hmmm, very self-centered here. Look what Andy Lau had to say:

Chinese star anti-Hollywood

Chinese star anti-Hollywood
From Associated Press

April 14 2004

Actor-singer Andy Lau says he won’t follow any of his contemporaries and move to Hollywood because he thinks the big studios have too little respect for Chinese filmmaking.

The star of the hit Cantonese crime thriller “Infernal Affairs” said he won’t settle for two-bit roles or stereotypical characters who only excel in kung fu.

“Do you think they respect Chinese movies?” the 42-year-old actor and singer said in an interview.

Lau said he’s been approached with Hollywood scripts but “nothing has moved me yet.”

“Infernal Affairs” scored five of Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards, the Chinese-speaking world’s equivalent of the Oscars, but Lau noted it had not yet made it to the United States.

Warner Bros. bought rights to remake the film, however.

Asked whether he envisions any changes in Hollywood’s attitudes toward Chinese, Lau voiced strong doubts.

“Not in my generation,” he said. “Look at how long it took for blacks.”

2

Bullshit. Its got nothing to do with respect or otherwise and I suspect Lau knows that perfectly well. Its money, pure and simple. American audiences don’t like subtitles, whether the movie is in Chinese, French, Spanish or whatever.
If a film won’t put bums on seats it won’t get shown.

3

Bullshit. Its got nothing to do with respect or otherwise and I suspect Lau knows that perfectly well. Its money, pure and simple. American audiences don’t like subtitles, whether the movie is in Chinese, French, Spanish or whatever.
If a film won’t put bums on seats it won’t get shown.[/quote]

100% correct. I didn’t mind seeing films with subtitles when I was in the states, but I found that many people did. Thus, usually such films get shown only at select theatres, which as you said, is not that financially attractive to Hollywood filmmakers. That’s really a shame since I have seen some wonderful movies with subtitles.

4

Case in point being the Brit film Trainspotting. Apparently, there was discussion about whether to subtitle it (since the dialogue was so broad) for the US market, but they ultimately decided not to because it would lower the box office returns.

5

Good example. When I first saw Trainspotting, I honestly couldn’t understand a majority of what was being said. Subtitles would have been a great help.
Actually, now that I think about it, this is kind of a vicious circle. If there are subtitles, a large percentage of Americans may not want to see it. However, if there are no subtitles, a large percentage of Americans may not want to see it when word of mouth gets out that it is very difficult, perhaps impossible, to understand most of what is being said. :astonished:
I have no idea how this situation can be fixed.

6

I always haved the subtitles on when I watch a DVD - sometimes English, sometimes Chinese. Depends on how tired I am. I find that I pay more attention to the words and meanings that way. Unfortunately, it also magnifies the stupidity of a lot of the dialogue in movies.

7

You mean the millions of them that we see on TV here? The ones with the overacting? The ever so exciting card game that the hero wins? The girls pouting about something? The infantile pee-pee jokes? The monks flying in the air and shooting lighting out of their butts? The superb and complex character development?
I’ll stop here.
Yes, Andy, there is a film industry, it just isn’t here in Taiwan or Hong Kong.
Try Bollywood, jerk!

8

I wonder how many white or black Americans work in the Chinese film industry…

From an interview with Joan Chen.

Why do you think there are so few roles for Asian Americans in Hollywood? Do you think this is changing?

I think it will get better. I think the reason is probably that there is not enough of an Asian population in the entertainment industry. You have to have a huge number who want to be in the industry, who have the aspiration, and out of every few hundred people that fail, one person might succeed…. A big reason is that not enough people are trying. When I say trying, it takes huge determination because it is a very risky career. Most Asian families do not encourage it and that is probably one of the biggest reasons.

People shouldn’t hire you because you are Asian or because there isn’t enough diversity. People should hire you because you are extremely talented and you try really hard…. Diversity is never the key. What is going to sell you is that you have something special.

asiasource.org/arts/JoanChen.cfm

9

You mean the millions of them that we see on TV here? The ones with the overacting? The ever so exciting card game that the hero wins? The girls pouting about something? The infantile pee-pee jokes? The monks flying in the air and shooting lighting out of their butts? The superb and complex character development?
I’ll stop here.
Yes, Andy, there is a film industry, it just isn’t here in Taiwan or Hong Kong.
Try Bollywood, jerk![/quote]

And Bollywood has no heroes, pouting girls, or flying about in the air?
Nor much scatological humour?
Or hell-a Hollywood for that matter?
It’s the same shite, different flavour. It’s just that Americans typecast all Asians as villians, ass kickers, goofballs or tramps because that’s how Asians represent themselves.

And melodrama isn’t the way to overcome that, either.

10

Quick trivia question, what was the only subtitled foreign film to win the Academy Award for best film of the year?
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Z, 1970

Proof of the anti-Greek bigotry rampant in the U.S.A.!

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It wasn’t Life is Beautiful, was it?

12

andy lau is kissing up to someone. it isn’t hard to guess who. a while back i thought he could be the next bond but every STUUUPID movie he makes removes him further from that possibility. he is kissing up to the PRC. why not? he knows where his movies are gonna run everyday and net him residuals everyday for the rest of his life.

13

Oops, that makes a grand total of two of them.

14

Man are some of you completely clueless…

Hollywood definitely does not respect Chinese movies-- Andy Lau is so right. Hollywood doesn’t respect most movies unless they are considered what we call ‘serious’ movies. Some of Chinese comedy in movies are based on slapstick humor, and there are different kinds involved. I remember watching all the Chinese movies my parents used to watch and thinking they were freaking ridiculous compared to US movies at the time- Jurassic Park, Titanic, etc… big blockbusters…

But, now I’ve seen more than enough to believe otherwise. There are certain styles that are different from Chinese and American movies and it just seems Hollywood cannot see through it or have any patience to understand it. Anyways at this point we all know Americans are tired of reading subtitles. I guess they don’t realize that the rest of the world needs to read subtitles to understand American movies. American society today is already to the point where everything should be centered around English and western society, and that nothing else really matters to them except themselves. Its as if America doesn’t depend on any other country for what it has no which is totally totally wrong. I hope at one point US filmmakers will make sense of the more global trend nowadays and take chances to introduce more foreign films into the US market

15

Unless you work in the industry, you’re just as clueless as everyone else.

Not justifying this, but it comes with the territory.

BTW, exactly how many other countries outside the U.S. have the same level of resources and wealth in film production? I am a big fan of international films. Personally, I think nothing I’ve seen from overseas outdoes anything comparable that was done in the U.S. And I can guarantee a lot of people see it that way too. Not to mention that, like was mentioned before, most people in the U.S. simply just don’t like to have to sit through subs, and most dubbing is done horribly too.

:offtopic: Yes this is, but CD although this thread is provoking some good feedback, yet again this is a thread you created that is racially motivated. Do you ever start any threads that aren’t about the oppression of minorities in America? :fatchance:

16

[quote=“cornelldesi”]
Hmmm, very self-centered here. Look what Andy Lau had to say:

Chinese star anti-Hollywood

Chinese star anti-Hollywood
From Associated Press

April 14 2004

Actor-singer Andy Lau says he won’t follow any of his contemporaries and move to Hollywood because he thinks the big studios have too little respect for Chinese filmmaking.

The star of the hit Cantonese crime thriller “Infernal Affairs” said he won’t settle for two-bit roles or stereotypical characters who only excel in kung fu.

“Do you think they respect Chinese movies?” the 42-year-old actor and singer said in an interview.[/quote]

I don’t even understand the problem - he seems to be saying three completely different things. Does Hollywood respect Chinese filmmaking? What’s that? Films made by Chinese people? Or Chinese films? Yes, they respect Chinese movies - Tarantino, maybe a little too much so, if the ‘Reservoir Dogs is a ripoff’ cries are to be believed. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was nominated for Best Picture, as was Farewell My Concubine (foreign). As for filmmakers, I believe John Woo and Ang Lee are highly respected, and have made successful mainstream movies that have nothing to do with their background.

Stereotyped characters - well, I’m going to agree with this one, but this, like everything else is changing slooowly. Sure, I can imagine Lau doesn’t want to take parts like that when he’s a star in Asia. Lau’s rejection of Hollywood based on his inability to get roles he deems worthy of him are not based on Hollywood’s lack of respect for Chinese filmmaking IMO, but on their casting of what they think the public wants to see.

As for the American public (as opposed to ‘Hollywood’) not warming to Chinese films - well, why would they? They’re in a different language, and set in a different culture from the one they’re familiar with, and most people go to the movies for relaxation. The question is rather why Asia is so keen on American films - and well, that’s a whole different issue in itself. Sure, many of them are technically unmatched by other countries, but there are a host of factors as well - such as distribution, and the appetite for all things American that exists in parts of Asia. Can’t blame Hollywood for that - people aren’t forced to see those films if they don’t want to. I am sympathetic and mildly annoyed about the role stereotyping of Asians in Hollywood blockbusters, but I do think that has nothing to do with respect and everything about apathy (in casting terms) and box office.

Why bother casting an Asian in a ‘normal’ role when there are hundreds of white actors equally capable of doing the job? That’s why they get the sterotyped roles, not because they want them (I’m not sure if this is what Alien was saying, but if so, I don’t agree), but because that’s one of the few niche markets where they can get the edge over a white competitor. I don’t see this as racism - it’s the studios doing their jobs in producing entertainment which will sell. It would be nice if they were more diverse in casting roles where race wasn’t pivotal to the story, but they have been getting noticeably better at this, as has Australia.

17

Let’s face it. Andy Lau may be a big name in Asia, but how well-known is he in many other parts of the world? That is one of the big problems as I see it.
I would bet that there are many Americans, Brits, etc, who honestly don’t even know what this guy looks like at all. (I know I don’t). So, Lau should take any work he can find in Hollywood until he acquires a larger name recognition outside of Asia.
Of course, he can continue to refuse to move to Hollywood, and not take parts he considers to be unworthy of his talent. However, I really don’t think many people will care at all. I know I won’t.

18

Call me a cynic but when these asian actors and actresses are also “pop stars” I can’t take them seriously. Can you imagine de niro singing some shitty song with the words wor ai ni (I love you) in almost every verse? He’d have been laughed at and resigned to doing b-movies then TV movies then maybe a soap opera…

Hollywood is a business, if it thinks it can make money from you it will use you. Just like in asia, you are a movie star Andy Lau, you can also make shitty manufactured music and all the girls who like you in the movies will also buy your CDs…

19

Well, I can see where he’s coming from to some extent. He’s a big star in HK and ius able to play all sorts of roles - action, comedy, serious stuff. If he went to Hollywood he’d be an unknown cast in minor roles as a Chinese villain, and if he’s lucky a kung-fu or gunfighting hero.

The Hong Kong movie industry is in decline and has been since the mid 80s. At the time they were the 3rd biggest movie industry in the world and exported more movies than any country except US. I think anyone who knocks the HK movie industry probably hasn’t investigated it much. Maybe not so much today, but in the 80s, Hollywood movies were stale and formulaic (generally still are) but HK was making fresh innovative stuff. It was pushing cinema in a way that Hollywood has long stopped doing. Maybe Lau was getting at the point that most international audiences still associate HK movies with ‘chop-socky’ Shaw brothers Kung-fu. I don’t know. Or in Taiwan we probably think about the (mostly) crap we get on TV here.

Brian

20

Oh, and getting back to the original name of this topic ‘Foreign Films shunned in America’.

I think it’s basically true, but could be extended to most Western countries and changed to ‘Non-Hollywood films shunned’. I guess in Europe there’s more of a market for local films because peoplelike to see something in their own language, but look at Taiwan. Poeple will still generally watch Hollywood movies over local or Chinese product. I think this is more to do with marketing and habits than actual preferences.

And is it all subtitles? I don’t know if that’s true. Do British films or even independent American films get much of a showing in the US? Not really, but again it’s all about marketing, studios and distributors.

Are you talking about just in terms of money here, or quality of the films? If the former, then probably, but if the latter then, man, you’ve got to watch more international films. There’s no doubt that throughout the history of cinema the uS has had one of the strongest cinema systems and made one fo the best contributions to the field of cinema, but there are and have been equal and better cinematic traditions form countries like France, Germany, Italy, Japan, England etc. I’m not in the position now, butwhen I lived in a cioty where I was able to see international films regularly, and in large doses at film festivals, the great films from other countries in the world outnumbered the good films coming out of Hollywood by at least 10 to 1.

Brian