Post by fishyahoo on May 30, 2006 0:27:55 GMT 8
The University of Melbourne
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News Desk / News Editors
Chinese action heroes create a new masculinity in global cinema
Date: May 15, 2006
The globalisation and popularity of Hong Kong cinema has created a new Chinese masculinity in mainstream cinema, argues new research from the University of Melbourne.
In a PhD thesis which explores the representations of Chinese masculinity by popular action heroes such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, Dr Alvin Koh - who is originally from Singapore - argues that Chinese actors have been able to subvert Hollywood stereotypes of effeminate Asian men.
“There is the myth of the feminised Asian male, seen, for example, in movies such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” says Dr Koh.
“But the global popularity of Hong Kong cinema and the work of many of its actors in mainstream Hollywood films have created a new globalised Chinese masculinity.”
Trailblazing actors such as Lee in the 1960s to current-day favorites such as Chan, Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung, Koh argues Chinese actors create more diverse representations of masculinity because of the flexibility of Hong Kong’s film industry.
“There is a different film-making culture in Hong Kong, which is not as constrained as Hollywood’s, that allows Chinese actors to bring their own personalities and style of masculinity to a role,’’ he says.
“For example Jackie Chan is a comic character who actually grimaces when he is injured. By doing so, he shows his vulnerable side.
“This is unlike the invulnerability of the idealised American masculinity of Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarznegger.’’
Dr Koh’s work also explores the translation of Hong Kong martial-arts cinema and Chinese masculinity into Hollywood through films such as those made by Quentin Tarantino.
He argues that this can even be seen in female characters: an example that he identifies is the character played by Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, who wore a yellow-and-black leather outfit similar to the one worn by Bruce Lee in Game of Death (1978).
Dr Koh viewed about 150 films to conduct his research and says he was strongly supported by his supervisor, Dr Audrey Yue, in the English department.
Dr Yue, an expert on Hong Kong cinema, said the research has made a significant contribution to the field.
“In the past 10 years, since Hong Kong returned to China and since the 1997 Asian economic crisis and the consequent revitalizing of the cinema and the arts in Asia, this has been an emerging area of study,” she says. “Alvin’s work has been able to rigorously pursue an intellectual discussion of the globalisation of culture and transnational genders, using accessible popular films which many people have seen and can relate to.’’
Dr Koh is in preliminary discussions about publishing his research as a book.
Media Release
AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News Desk / News Editors
Chinese action heroes create a new masculinity in global cinema
Date: May 15, 2006
The globalisation and popularity of Hong Kong cinema has created a new Chinese masculinity in mainstream cinema, argues new research from the University of Melbourne.
In a PhD thesis which explores the representations of Chinese masculinity by popular action heroes such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, Dr Alvin Koh - who is originally from Singapore - argues that Chinese actors have been able to subvert Hollywood stereotypes of effeminate Asian men.
“There is the myth of the feminised Asian male, seen, for example, in movies such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” says Dr Koh.
“But the global popularity of Hong Kong cinema and the work of many of its actors in mainstream Hollywood films have created a new globalised Chinese masculinity.”
Trailblazing actors such as Lee in the 1960s to current-day favorites such as Chan, Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung, Koh argues Chinese actors create more diverse representations of masculinity because of the flexibility of Hong Kong’s film industry.
“There is a different film-making culture in Hong Kong, which is not as constrained as Hollywood’s, that allows Chinese actors to bring their own personalities and style of masculinity to a role,’’ he says.
“For example Jackie Chan is a comic character who actually grimaces when he is injured. By doing so, he shows his vulnerable side.
“This is unlike the invulnerability of the idealised American masculinity of Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarznegger.’’
Dr Koh’s work also explores the translation of Hong Kong martial-arts cinema and Chinese masculinity into Hollywood through films such as those made by Quentin Tarantino.
He argues that this can even be seen in female characters: an example that he identifies is the character played by Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, who wore a yellow-and-black leather outfit similar to the one worn by Bruce Lee in Game of Death (1978).
Dr Koh viewed about 150 films to conduct his research and says he was strongly supported by his supervisor, Dr Audrey Yue, in the English department.
Dr Yue, an expert on Hong Kong cinema, said the research has made a significant contribution to the field.
“In the past 10 years, since Hong Kong returned to China and since the 1997 Asian economic crisis and the consequent revitalizing of the cinema and the arts in Asia, this has been an emerging area of study,” she says. “Alvin’s work has been able to rigorously pursue an intellectual discussion of the globalisation of culture and transnational genders, using accessible popular films which many people have seen and can relate to.’’
Dr Koh is in preliminary discussions about publishing his research as a book.