Comparative-study-on-similarities-and-differencesbetween-Chinese-and-American-hero-in-movie.docx

ComparativestudyonsimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenChineseandAmericanheroinmovieUpdated: 2013-10-09 15:19ByWanyingZheng()Thissummer,IhaveachancetotaketheclassoflearningAmericaculturefrommovie.AfterwatchingthemoviesintheclassI,IdiscoveredthatheroesinAmericanmoviesareapparentlydifferentfromthatinChinesemovies.Thisisduetothedifferentdefinitionsofherointhetwocultures.Therefore,thisessayfocusesonthesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenChineseandAmericanheroesinmovies.Atthesametime,theessayalsodwellsonculturalbackgroundsofheroesinbothcountries.IntroductionEveryculturehasitsowndefinitionofhero,whichresultsindifferentcharacteristicsofheroinitsmovie.Meanwhile,movie,asashallowculture,willalsoreflectthedefinitionofheroofthatcountry,whichrelateswithitssocialidea,geography,andhistory.DifferentkindsofheroinChineseandAmericanmoviesprovethisexactly.WhiletheheroimagesofChinaandtheUShavesomesimilarities,theyalsohavegreatdifferencesbecauseofdifferentculturalbackgrounds.ThesimilaritiesbetweenChineseheroismandAmericanheroisminmovieInmypointofview,heroisthepersonpeopledreamtobe.Peoplefromallovertheworldhassomesamepursuance,thustherearesomesimilaritiesbetweenChineseandAmerican heroes.Firstly,heroesfrombothcountrieshavecharacteristicssuperiortoordinarypeople,bothphysicallyandpsychologically.Theyalwayshavestrongbodywithperfectskills,andgreatwisdomthatcanhelpthemescapefromdangers.Wecanseethesecharacteristicsclearlyincountlessmovies.InAmerica,wehave007,SpiderMan,andCaptainJackSparrow.InChina,wehaveDayuinancientChina,JinkeintheQindynasty,andalsoJackyCheninmoderntime.Secondly,heroesfrombothcountrieshavenoblequalities.ThepersonportrayedasaheroinmoviesbothinChinaandtheUSalwayshasunbelievablecourage,unswervingpursuance,andishighlycompassionate.Forexample,inTheShawShankRedemption,ShawShankusedhiswisdomanddeepfaithdefeatingtheevilpeople,andeventuallyescapingfromtheprison.InChinesemovieHero,directedbyYimouZhang,thecharacterWuMinggotachancetoapproachandmurdertheKing,byhisuncommonkungfu,andremarkableChinesephilosophy.ThedifferencesbetweenChineseandAmericanheroisminmovieEverysocietycreatesitsownhero.Thecharacteristicsinoneculturecantbeduplicatedinanother.Suchadivergencecomesfromthedifferentdefinitionsofheroindifferentcultures.Whatkindofpersoncanbeseenasahero?Theanswersarevariousindifferentcultures.InAmericanmovies,firstly,heroeshaveallkindsofpersonality,withbothadvantageanddisadvantage.InPiratesoftheCaribbean,CaptainJackSparrowcandefeatthecanningmerchant,savagekillers,andusehiswisdomtoprotecthislover.However,hecantresistthetemptationfromneithermoneynorbeauty.HeroesinAmericanmoviesarenottotallyperfect,andarenotidenticalwitheachother.Theyhavetheirownpersonality.Secondly,heroesinAmericanmoviesalwayshaveintenseemotion.Theylovetheirfamiliesandhavestrongresponsibilitytothem.Also,thehumorstheyexpressedindangeroussituationoftenleavedeepimpressionontheaudience.InKungfupanda,thepanda,Abao,notonlyhaveperfectKungfu,butalsohaveadeeplovetohisfather,master,andfriends.Hissenseofhumorandalittlebitsillyisoneofthemostattractiveelementsinthismovie.Thirdly,beforetheirsuccess,heroesinAmericanmoviesalwaysexperiencelotsofdifficulties.Thisisbecausethatfightingwithfailureisalwaysconsideredasacapabilitytobecomeahero.InCowboyandAlien,beforedefeatingthealiens,JakeLonerganhasexperiencedlotsofmisfortunes,suchaslosingmemory,misunderstoodbythepeopleinthecountry,betrayedbyhisfellows.Butfinallyheovercomesallthesedifficultiesandearnsthetrustfrompeopleinthatvillage.However,affectedbydifferentculturalbackgroundsbetweenChinaandtheUS,theCharacteristicsofheroinAmericanmoviescantbeduplicatedinChinesemovies.IntheChinesemovies,firstly,heroesalwayshavegreaterresponsibilityofthewholecountryandnation.Wheneverthereisacontradictionbetweentheinterestofnationandtheirown,theyalwayschoosetosacrificethemselves.InthemovieTheHero,directedbyYimouZhang,inordertorevengeforhisnation,Wumingsacrificedhisfriendsandalsoherself.Secondly,heroesinChinesemoviesseemstobeperfectintheirpersonalities.Theimageoftheheroismoreextraordinary,canbehardlyfoundintherealworld.Forexample,inChineseKungfumovie,heroesalwayshaveunbelievableKungfu,whilealsohaveanextraordinarypeacefulandpowerfulheart.Chinesearemorefondofprettifyingtheirhero,sothattheimageoftheherocanberememberedforever.Thirdly,heroesinChinesemoviesarealwaystragicandunluckyfigures.Inordertopursuetheirgoals,theyhavetosacrificethemselves.Thustheendingforthemisusuallydyingfortheglory.Itcanbeseeninlotsofexamples.InthemovieTheFlowerofWar,the12hookersandthelittleboydestroyedthemselvessothattheother13girlscanprotecttheirvirginityinthewar.Bydoingthis,theybecomeheroesinpeoplesmind.Incontrast,inAmericanmovies,afteraccomplishingtheirtasks,herocanalwaysreturntotheirhomeandbacktonormallife.TheanalysisofthedifferencesbetweenAmericanandChineseheroisminthemovieThedifferentculturalbackgroundisthekeytodecidethedifferentfatesofChineseandAmericanheroes.Withonecomefromwesterncultureandtheothercomefromtheeasternculture,thedefinitionofsocialvalueofheroisdifferentfromeachother.Inthisthesis,theoriginsandculturalbackgroundsofheroinbothcountrieswillbeanalyzed.InAmericanculture,firstly,Americansocietyvaluesindividualism.Theystressedpursuingonesgoalanddesireswhileopposingtothesacrificeofindividualinterest.Theuniquenessofeverypersonisalsoconsideredasanimportantthing.Thus,heroimagescomingfromthissocietyalwayshavetheirowncharacteristicswhichareapparentlydifferentfromothers.Secondly,inAmericanhistory,peoplecamefromdifferentcornersoftheworld.Inordertoestablishtheirnewhometowns,theyshouldconquertheharshestnaturalconditions.Thus,peopleinAmericahasacquiredagreattraditionthattheyareusedtofaceanddefeatchallengesintheirlivesandkeeptheircuriositiestoexploretheunknownworld.Inaddition,thelegendofcowboyalsohelpsshapetheAmericanculturalvalue,constantlyandunconsciously.Inthisthesis,itisnotsurprisedthattodefeatingfailureisakindofcharacteristicsthatwouldnotbeabsentinheroes.Meanwhile,thingscannotbeduplicatedinChinaapparently.Whileforchina,itisasocietythatvaluescollectivismandstressesputtingtheinterestofwholenationinfirstplace.IntheChinesehistory,peopledefeatednaturaldisastersfrequentlyandhardly,thuswhoevercanhelpawholevillageescapingfromadisasterisseenasahero.Inmoderntimes,Chinasuffersfromlotsofinvasionfromothercountries,whichbroughtgreatpainstotheChinesepeople,thereforeapersonwhocanprotectthecountryandnationisseenasahero.IntheChineseculturalvalue,heroissomeonewhosacrificeshimselfandputtheinterestofwholenationinthefirstplace.Secondly,withthedevelopmentofthousandsofyears,Confucianism,Taoism,andBuddhismhavehadagreatimplicationonChineseculturalvalue.Allthesethreereligionsstressthehighstandardofinnersoul,