Chinese elements misused

The terrible use of Chinese elements in some Hollywood blockbusters has been greeted with skepticism in China, because it ridicules Chinese culture and disrespects the Chinese audience's appreciation of film as an art form, says an article in Beijing Times. Excerpts :

In stark contrast to its box office returns of $222.7 million after the second weekend of its release in China, Hollywood blockbuster Transformers: The age of Extinction is being widely criticized for its bizarre representation of Chinese elements. To begin with, all Chinese actors have just a symbolic (and thus insignificant) role in the film and the use of Chinese brands is outrageous.

Besides, the Chinese elements have little to do with the story of the film, forcing people to assume that the producers have used them to earn as much profit as possible from the Chinese market.

The filmmakers have gone to ridiculous lengths to make money and, in the process, have made a mockery of the film as an art form. Since the Chinese audience can now objectively evaluate Hollywood films, excessive use of Chinese elements for commercial purposes will only harm a film's narrative, production values, and social and cultural impact.

The producers and director of another Hollywood film, The Kungfu Panda, however, have set a good example of how to use Chinese elements. They conducted thorough research into past and present China, which helped them to present Chinese elements in an accurate and unbiased manner.

Other Hollywood filmmakers can learn a lot from The Kungfu Panda and other well-researched films about how to use and showcase the cultural and social elements of China and other countries in movies. This would make them gain the audiences' appreciation and earn maximum profits as well.

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(China Daily 07/10/2014 page9)