I too enjoyed The Twilight Samurai; the film was a complete opposite what I expected from a Samurai film. Instead of the fierce warriors of years past, the Samurai depicted in this movie have been reduced to bureaucrats who work in unexciting and unassuming positions. Heroic feats and tales have now been replaced by the men of the office gathering after work to drink, something the lead character cannot afford to do.
The film set before the Meiji Restoration, tells the story of a debt ridden low ranking Samurai Seibei Iguchi who tries to care for his daughters after his wife dies of tuberculosis. The story reveals the struggle that Seibei has between his duty to his clan and to his family. Instead of seeking glory and fame, Seibei seeks only to provide for his family and give his daughters a future. Seibei character reveals a gentle soul who delights in seeing his daughters growing up.
The images and metaphors in this story proclaim the last days of the Samurai; Seibei sells his Katana to pay for his wife’s funeral (something unheard of only a 100 years before) or he arrives before his lord unwashed and unkempt, an act that would have cause great shame in the past.
Instead of the swashbuckling action films of fearless warriors (which history recounts many), this film gave a human side to the Samurai, revealing ordinary men who faced uncertain times.
The little bit that I saw in class seemed quite comical, it definately interested me. I know over our winter break I will be viewing some of these films. I believe students do need all the different modalities to have information sink in. I can't wait to watch the whole movie "Shower" :-D
Here is another interesting Samurai Film: Samurai Rebellion (1967) directed by Masaki Kobayashi The film stars Toshiro Mifune who plays Isaburo Sasahara, a vassal of the daimyo of the Aisu clan and is set in the Edo period of Japan.
First I have to say that I enjoy watching Mifune performance, he is a superb actor. The story centers around Isaburo and his elder son Yogoro, who is forced by their clan leader to marry the daimyo's ex-concubine, Ichi, even though she is the mother to one of the daimyo's sons. Although the family is extremely reluctant at first, they finally agree and a short period later Ichi and Yogoro fall in love and they have a daughter named Tomi.
When the daimyo's primary heir dies, and he orders his ex-concubine to rejoin his household to care for their son and heir. They family refuses which sets in motion the main struggle of the story, which forces Isaburo and his son to take sides against the rest of the clan and family. Isaburo’s decision jeopardizes the existence of the entire family and clan.
The film deals with the themes of love, devotion, personal happiness versus the well being of the family, the Confucian cocept of order and the limits of one’s duty. Although Isaburo and Yogoro fight for a just cause, the movie’s premise seem to say that we are all bound by Karma and if we disrupt the natural order of things, no matter how unjust, we must pay the price.
The film brings to mind Hamlet’s predicament: “The time is out of joint. O cursed spite,/That ever I was born to set it right” In the process of setting the universe correct the samurais must also pay for their disobedience.[Edit by="jgonzalez on Dec 19, 8:07:23 AM"][/Edit]
I just watched the documentary titled "Nanking". It has been mentioned a few times already, but I still wanted to comment on the effectiveness of the film. It is very graphic at times and would not be appropriate for my fourth graders. It is actual footage and includes readings from diaries by actors. There are also very moving interviews with actual survivors. I found it interesting that Japanese soldiers are also interviewed to give viewers the opportunity to tell about Nanking from their perspective.
I am always on the lookout for documentaries, and I am sure there are a slew on East Asia...just not sure how many are age appropriate for elementary school students.
I use this CNBC video in my Economics class. It talks about the origins of McDonalds, how they had to re-vamp their company when they were posting losses and their expansion into foreign countries. There is about a 8-10 minutes clip on entering into the Chinese market. In doing so, the company needed to acculturate the Chinese into a "fast-food" way of life. Simple things like which way to drive through the drive through (not starting at the exit) were a foreign idea to the Chinese. Also, at first, the Chinese thought that they were supposed to go through the drive through to order then take their food into the restaurant to eat.
Students enjoy the deocumentary as they are familiar with the company. But, they are most intrigued by the China component.
I use the movie to prepare the students for a project where they need to build a business. Using a the ups and downs of a business they are familiar with helps the students understand this project better. Understanding foreign explansion is important, as many students think that dealing internationally is the same as dealing nationally.
A news report cited that China is banning Avatar from their theatres in order to prevent competition with their own cinema. Avatar banned in China
It seems very interesting that the article states that China has kept foreign cinema down to 20 films a year. Is this an effort to preserve their culture?
Is it just Avatar or other mainstream blockbusters as well? I wonder if other foreign movies also experience the ban, in lieu of competition with mainland cinema. I wonder why they chose 20 as the quota for foreign cinema. Also, did Titanic have the same ban? It would be interesting since both Avatar and Titanic were huge box-office hits by the same director.
I just watched both, Korean and American, versions of My Sassy Girl. Both versions are available on You Tube for free.
The Korean version was so much funnier! I know I missed some of the humor of the original version because I don't know all of the cultural nuances, but it was still great. The American version toned down most of the jokes. The scene on the subway is terrible. The original version had me falling out of my chair with the silly gross-out jokes. The American version cuts all of that.
The original actors were better than the Americans. Both male and female leads were much more expressive in the original. They also had better comic timing.
I'm considering using the original version with subtitles in my classroom later in the year.
In middle school, we are only allowed to show "G" rated films and I thought of a great one, Kung Fu Panda! The main character "Po" is a big, fat clumsy giant panda with passion for food & Kung Fu, he wants to go watch a tournament to see who will become the Dragon Warrior, when he accidently ends up in the area & is pronounce the Dragon Warrior himself. He goes through many challenges that he never thought he could accomplish, but with faith he was able to over come many obsticals. I was able to discuss with my students the idea to never give up. That there is no "secret ingredient, but to believe in yourself" and this can help you to succeed. My students & I found it a very fun film. Five of the characters are homages to some of the styles of Chinese Martial Arts- The Snake, Praying Mantis, Crane, Monkey & the Tiger. The students LOVED this. Action/adventure films are always a plus with children but I was a little worried about the film being animated. Thinking that maybe my students might feel it was too "baby-ish"- but that was not a problem, they loved it! They were cheering for Po and at times the expressions on their faces were classic. I also found it quite impressive of Hans Zimmer- who scored Kung Fu Panda- went to visit China to absorb the culture and visited with the China National Symphony Orchestra. I enjoyed seeing accurate scenes in the movie. I wonder how China felt about this movie?
I have used this film as a case-study introduction to the study of election campaigns, the culture of elections, the democratic process and the role played by the ‘human’ element in a democratic society. You might want to go beyond the obvious election issue here and explore other issues particular to China, such as the “One Child Policy”. The lesson guides cited below offer other ideas as to how to implement this excellent and engaging film into other curricula.
Here is a blurb from a movie data-base website about the film: “Wuhan is a city in central China about the size of London, and it is here that director Weijun Chen has conducted an experiment in democracy. A grade 3 class at Evergreen Primary School has their first encounter with democracy by holding an election to select a Class Monitor. Eight-year olds compete against each other for the coveted position, abetted and egged on by teachers and doting parents. Elections in China take place only within the Communist Party, but recently millions of Chinese voted in their version of Pop Idol. The purpose of Weijun Chen’s experiment is to determine how, if democracy came to China, it would be received. Is democracy a universal value that fits human nature? Do elections inevitably lead to manipulation? Please Vote for Me is a portrait of a society and a town through a school, its children and its families.”
There are several lesson guides and plans on the web which I have mined for ideas to use with my students. Here are the ones I consider the best:
A word about Ang Lee: What an amazing director! It baffles me how someone can direct such diverse films as Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; or Sense and Sensibility and Hulk; Eat, Drink, Man, Woman and The Ice Storm. All of his movies are well made and beautifully shot and, speaking of the above, to have a kind of sensibility for the characters and their internal lives. And now this, one of his most recent, Lust, Caution.
For a while the title put me off from seeing it. I read that the movie is based on a novella by Eileen Chang and maybe the title comes from her work and is a direct translation--maybe it is two characters juxtaposed...? I don't know why at the very least it couldn't have been named Lust and Caution in English. As a line of poetry I wouldn't mind that comma, but for a movie title, it's irritating. But I got over my fussiness about the title and finally saw the movie since I am kind of an Ang Lee fan and since I had been learning about China's history.
The film in its entirety could not be used in the classroom because of the very explicit sex scenes, but they actually don't occur until a good way into the film and though long, and did I say explicit? I think there are only a couple. A clip or even a good portion of the film could work really well to supplement the teaching of this period in Chinese history. It really seemed to me to capture that time period well, really bringing to life the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, the internationalism of Shanghai, the different tensions and conflicts, the ostensible one between occupier and occupied, but the deeper one pushing to the surface between classes.
The film tells the story of a group of students who plot to kill a Japanese collaborator. One of them, a young woman, is the decoy, posing as an upper crust lady and beginning an illicit relationship with the sympathizer to win his trust until he lets down his guard in a moment allowing the others to assassinate him.
It's a sad story, definitely without any satisfying closure or resolution. It's hard to know what the message is, other than to simply portray the complexities and ambiguities of the time period, which it does very well. And it also shows how the heart can go against the head, the clash between the personal and the historic. Maybe it is just the American raised on Hollywood endings in me, but I would have liked to see it go one way or the other, either for their plot to be successful or for her to throw over her friends and just be with the guy if she loved him. In the end, neither is he killed nor is their relationship allowed to continue. It seems sad that these young people with so much talent and intelligence rather threw their lives away and hers was perhaps sacrificed more than any of the others, but maybe historically, outside the context of the movie, we could say that was not the case--that young people like the characters in the film were ultimately successful in bringing about a profound change in their country.
[Edit by="zskalkottas on Jan 31, 6:30:53 PM"][/Edit]
I saw a film entitled, "The Forbidden Kingdom." In it a young teenager is transported into China during the time of the legend of the "Monkey King."
Jackie Chan and Jet Li battle for control of the kingdom.
In the end, the young teenager returns to earth, gains confidence and self esteem.
If one is teaching about Chinese mythology, the last 20 minutes is sufficient after a brief introduction about the "Monkey King" myth. A side bar about self esteem can be used in the lesson.
Kurosawa certainly does Shakespeare well. I love his version of Macbeth, Throne of Blood, and have used it indirectly in my classroom in the past (as an extra credit extension assignment after our reading of Macbeth). King Lear I haven't read and saw it performed when I was too young to appreciate it or to remember, so I don't have as much of a point of comparison. But the full scope and range of the tragedy comes through in the movie.
This movie could work well with my teaching of Beowulf. We talk a lot about the warrior code and the premium the tribal warrior cultures put on loyalty, but I point out the numerous examples in the text of treason and betrayal and ask my students how the contradiction can be reconciled. Do the values we hold up and cherish actually speak to a lack of such values? This film would illustrate the contradiction perfectly. Set in 16th century Japan among warlords, loyalty and obedience were of course expected and highly valued within families and kingdoms. There are so many betrayals though--the son against his father, both sons against their father, one brother against another, warriors against their lord, the father presumably of many people in the past. But then there is the extreme loyalty of the third son after being banished, of the character Tango both for the third son and the father, his "great lord," and perhaps most strikingly of the court jester character. Though his role is that of the fool, by the end of the movie he has acquired almost heroic traits, unlike many of the so-called honorable warriors.
Kurosawa films can sometimes be hard to sit through. There were in my opinion far too many shots of warriors being shot off their horses in this movie. But the cinematography is exquisite, too. His movies are visually rich, of course, but in Ran I noticed the auditory lushness even moreso--the sounds of the horses galloping across a field, of the banners whipping in the wind, of the rustle of a silk kimono as a woman shuffles into a room and kneels or unkneels.
I saw Letters from Iwo Jima first and I thought it was the better movie. At first I thought it was a good movie, but not a great movie, but now I don't know. I kept thinking about it; certainly it seemed to resonate so much because the great dose of history and cultural context I had been given. I wonder how Japanese have received this movie. In the end, I had to really admire Eastwood for refusing to fall into cliches about war--neither movie is very comfortable to watch. Also, as I already commented before, I think the films could be used in the classroom to teach perspective and point of view.
Perhaps because it's easy enough to fill in the American perspective while watching LFIJ, I wasn't acutely aware that I was getting "one side" or that this view was somehow skewed. Indeed, that seems part of the point in Eastwood's endeavor. Not only did he make two different movies, one ostensibly the American story and one the Japanese, but you get different sides within each picture. For example, in FOOF the suggestions that the heroes being lauded were not all the heroes or even the right ones and that the heroes were killed by friendly fire or in LFIJ the depiction of both sides killing prisoners; in both movies, the realization of how formidable their foe was; in both movies, as is probably the case in all wars, the disconnect between the people on the ground and those making the plans.
As I already commented in another post, LFIJ connected in so many ways to the lectures and readings on Japan, which really helped me understand it more. Still I don't think any amount of background can really prepare you for the number of suicides in the movie, especially the group suicide by grenade. That just defies understanding or knowing whether it should be thought admirable or just crazy; it's hard to believe that that degree of honor or indoctrination could trump survival instinct.
We recently had a great workshop which featured Trinity University's Don Clark talking about South Korean film and television. The latest issue of Education about Asia includes an interesting article by Tom Vick on film and contemporary Korea. Vick plans film screenings for the Smithsonian Institution's Freer and Sackler Galleries.
Vick, Tom. "Cinema as a Window on Contemporary Korea," Education about Asia 14.3 (Winter 2009): 37-41.
There are other articles devoted to particular films and an essay by Mary Connor (Korea Academy for Educators) on using such films in the classroom.
If you're not already subscribing to EAA, you should consider doing so. The three issues each year are rich with concrete teaching suggestions, background readings, and more.
A film that I highly recommend to use with students to highlight how China is changing and modernizing is a documentary entitled, Up the Yangtze, a by Chinese-Canadian Yung Chang. The film chronicles the lives of two young people, 16 year-old Yu Shui and 19 year-old Chen Bo Yu, whose lives are being transformed as the Three Gorges Dam is completed and the waters rise, submerging villages and cities alike. Both Yu Shui (renamed Cindy) and Chen Bo Yu (renamed Jerry) are employed on a luxury riverboat that sails up the Yangtze catering mostly to Western tourists. Yu Shui must go to work because her peasant family can not afford to send her to high school and she needs to send money home to her parents as the waters will eventual swallow up their ramshackle home in Fengdu. Chen Bo Yu hails from a nearby city Kai Xian, and is as only child, and while not rich, is much better off than Yu Shui. The juxtaposition of China’s rural peasants with China’s modernizing and consumer-oriented cities is striking.
Even more enlightening is how the changing landscape is ushering a new modern China that challenges personal and cultural values of all in its path. This film vividly demonstrates how corrupt local government officials are unresponsive to its citizens who are basically on their own as they are displaced from their homes. This film is unforgettable as it shows how the Three Gorges Dam project means different things to different people. To the older generation it represents how far China has come in terms of modernity even if they don’t directly benefit from the modernization. To the younger generation it represents economic opportunity and Western values. The river serves as a metaphor for a rapidly changing China as it modernizes and undergoes a transformation to a market economy, and the traditional values disappear.
Please vote for me is absolutely priceless, and I would love to find a way to utilize it in my sophomore English classroom. Instead, perhaps I can use it for my AP kids regarding the effective use of rhetoric. But...I am not here to discuss that right now, but instead, to share my thoughts on the well known documentary The Rape of Nanking. Having viewed it recently, I found it to be tremendously enlightening. There is so much that I did not know. Ex: only the poor were left in the city of Nanking after the bombings and invasion. the safety zone creation was due to the diligence of missionaries, who basically gave their lives to the cause as well, having been so psychologically damaged most never "recovered" so to speak. To use this film with my students will not be easy. I believe the bulk of the movie will be acceptable to show them, but I am having difficulty fitting it into my curriuculum. The closest I can come, is really for my AP juniors who are becoming masters of argument and rhetoric. Perhaps utilizing clips from The Rape of Nanking to highlight the propaganda being distributed by the Japanese. Another possibility would be to use it with my sophomores in conjunction with Animal Farm. Although we are finishing reading it this week, I could look to include portions when discussing the use of propaganda and force. As I have stated before, having my sophomores in World History really makes it enjoyable to link their lessons/units with a historical perspective that they perhaps have just gained, or a just learning. It is truly fun to see the "lights come on" when they put things together as we are discussing a chapter in a book we are reading. Finally, the film was impressive. The cast of Hollywood stars threw me off some at first, but their characterization of the missionaries and the roles they took on, were impressive. The actual footage of atrocities and bombings were also difficult to watch, but seemingly well edited and put together. Not a dry watch. It is a memorable movie and one I recommend viewing and using at least portions of, in the classroom.
Would like know if anyone has incorporated either of the following two films into modern world history courses, when dealing with Japanese imperialism, sword culture, and Nanking:
"In the Name of the Emperor" 1998 (Chang/Tong) or "Yasukuni" (Li Ying)
Both seem to have had rather controversial receptions in Japan and elsewhere. Our sanitized textbook has virtually no treatment of this important period. How have others handled it?
I watched Nanking, a 2007 moving documentary about the devastation of one Chinese city and its people at the hands of the Japanese military in December, 1937. Besides the historical significance, it was also an example of how averge people become heroes.
While Japanese soldiers raped and killed thousands of Chinese women and killed many more thousands of civilians and Chinese soldiers, a small group of foreigners from different countries, banded together to form a "Safety Zone", in an attempt to keep as many Chinese safe as they could. I had heard of this but had not known to what extent these men and women went to risk their lives and stand up to the Japanese. The famous narrators who played the foreigners, and the eyewitnesses and survivors who shared their personal, heart-breaking stories, told of the atrocities and of the helplessness they felt; these stories need to be heard by the world.
One way that these facts can be told is in the classroom. The Rape of Nanking is part of the 10th grade California Social Studies Standards and I think this film can be shown in the classroom. If the 90 minutes is too long, I think a teacher could show the introduction, skip the marching of the Japanese from Shanghai and most of the bombing of Nanking. Leaving this out may skip the part though about how most of the people left in Nanking were the poorest of the poor, as the rich and middle class had the means to escape. It also could omit some background information on the foreigners who chose to stay, although they had the opportunity to leave.
The accounts of the Rape of Nanking are definitely hard to take and bring up a lot of emotion. Several Japanese soldiers were even interviewed about their time in Nanking, something that was surprising to see. I feel that the movie gives an amazing, shocking account of that horrible time and man's inhumanity to man, but it also shows something our students need to see, which is hope. In every genocide or mass murder like the Rape of Nanking, there are stories of hope and humanity, of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. And this is worth teaching.
Not One Less is a must-see for teachers everywhere. If you only see one film this year, it has to be Not One Less :-D seriously. This is a masterpiece of propaganda (the good kind) and shows the virtues of selflessness and self-sacrifice. I will defintely use this in my classroom. Minzhi provides a wonderful teachable moment when she walks the class through brick-moving math in a stone-soup/synergy kind of way: together we can accomplish must more that the individual. I believe this will also be visually appealing to students and they will enjoy analyzing every aspect of it, especially the condition of the school in regards to government responsibiltiy. There are also commkon discussion topics such as children and teens working to help support the family, communal responsibility and social safety nets. Also, an intersting comparison-contrast would be our school, inner city Los Angeles, with Minzhi's "mountainous school" in the countryside.
I decided to watch "The Last Samurai" again after Professor Pitelka's lecture on the samuri's place in Japanese society and culture. I really wanted to see it again, knowing what I learned about the Samuri's position in society and their downfall because of western influence. Well with all that in mind, I loved the movie. I really didnt like it the first time I saw it. And I really didnt like that it was Tom Cruise playing the led. But it worked this time for me. The professor had mentioned that the Japanese loved Tom Cruise in it. That took on new meaning for me. I honestly thought they would resent this big time Hollywood star. But apparently they loved him, and I did too! I loved the flashbacks at the last battle scene, they were spectacular. I especially loved how Nathan Algren (tom Cruise) kills the Samurai, at his request and then in the last scenes goes tot he Emperor and gives him the Samurai's sword. It was very poetic and truly gave the Samurai an honorable position in Japanese Society!
Film Review: Nanking January 28, 2010 6-8 p.m. Leavey Library – USC
I attended this film screening at USC in January. I teach high school world history and always like to use film whenever I can to enhance a lesson.
I can use segments of this film as part of a lesson focusing on nationalism and Revolution regarding China and Japan from 1910-1939 leading up to WWII. Nanking tells the story of the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China in 1937. High school world history covers the Japanese invasion but the focus is how Jiang and the nationalists were forced to unite temporarily with the communists to fight against the Japanese. There is very little mention of the brutality, cruelty and destruction brought upon the Chinese civilians by the Japanese.
I’d like to use segments of the film to introduce the concept of genocide (even though, technically this was not genocide in its purist sense) to students and show how WWII really begins in China. The director mentioned his motivation for making the film were the words “forgotten and holocaust” used to describe this event and he thought those words should never be used together.
This film could be an important tool to demonstrate to students that atrocities were committed and can be committed by anyone on the planet given the right circumstances. Evil can be found in the hearts of all human beings.
Hello All, I have been searching for films and I came across this website for the San Diego Film Festival. It looks like it has incredible resources that would be valuable for many different age students. There were many short films that I felt would work well for middle school and or high school. I was even able to find some films that would work for my Kindergarten students Ni Ha Kai-Lan Goes to China.http://www.sdaff.org/festival/2009/events.php
Japan: The Sword and the Chrysanthemum Length 56:22 Produced by WTTW Chicago
Hosted by Jane Seymour, this is the second film in a four-part series. Each film, in its own way, deals with a paradox. This film deal with the paradox by asking the question “How can such polite, peaceful, artistic people be at the same time so violent, aggressive, and brutal?”
This film’s answer to the question revolves around the notion that modern Japan is still inextricably linked to its samurai past: an extremely structured society displaying an unbending code governing all behavior. Each samurai knew his place and displayed obedience even to the point of self-sacrifice.
Samurai found answers to questions of life in gentle pursuits and serene surroundings. Whether during a ritualized tea ceremony or meditating in a rock garden the warrior could contemplate swordsmanship and build courage. In Zen Buddhism the samurai discovered a belief system that disregarded the importance of death and focused on the here and now and the discovery of cause and effect relationships between himself and his world.
Samurai mores such as merciless behavior toward “losers” and never surrender mentality inform much modern Japanese behavior, especially in the workplace where deference is unquestionably paid to rules and order. Such is the argument in this somewhat dated but still quite watchable film.
A list of vocabulary terms as part of an into activity is recommended: 1. Fanatical 2. Genre 3. Stratified 4. Shogun 5. Hierarchy 6. Liturgy 7. Prowess 8. Inebriate 9. Pomp 10. Sinister
Learning Objective: Ω Grasp the paradox in the title “The Sword and the Chrysanthemum” as it relates to Japanese behavior and personality. Ω Gain an understanding of how fear of disgrace and shame control Japanese behavior and thinking.
Length: 30 minutes Closed Captioned By: Schlessinger Media Available at: www.libraryvideo.com
I want to comment on the validity of the film Ancient China. In this fascinating look at ancient China, one of the oldest continuous civilizations, students learn of the great Emperor Qin, whose Dynasty was responsible for the construction of the Great Wall and whose elaborate tomb contained hundreds of life-sized clay soldiers to guard him in the afterlife. It also explores the origins of Chinese innovations like silk and caligraphy and the discovery of how the famed "Silk Road" opened China's limits to trade with the outside world. I really reccomend the use of this video when presenting any lesson on Ancient China. Students will be able to discover how ancient peoples lived, ate, dressed and worked together. Thanks Professor Clay Dube for your input.
As part of our Spanish curriculum, I enfuse film into our learning as a visual and auditory processing aspect of language acquisition. We often watch cartoons that derive from cultures other than the Hispanic/Latino culture as a means of comparing and contrasting. Each year, students watch Kung Fu Panda in Spanish. The story involves a Panda Bear who belongs to a family of soup makers, but who has the ultimate dream of being a Kung Fu master.
We compare the familial expectations of the Chinese society to that of Hispanic culture and how expectations occur in both types of societies. We also discuss how in "modern" times, expectations tend to dissolve, and therefore, cultures are seen as blending into one another.
Students see "typical" or moreover, "stereotypical" Chinese characters, exemplified through cartoons, and we conduct a lesson where we examen how these same characters may be represented if the film had taken place in a Latin American country and was about, for example, a soccer star or a bullfighter.
The easy, lighthearted nature of cartoons allow students to become disarmed and to see one culture but hear the language of another. I think that ultimately, this renders the assignment relatable.
A Great Wall by Peter Wang is the first American feature filmed shot in the Peoples Republic of China. This was a great movie to show my students about familial values and respect of Chinese-Americans to traditional Chinese. After 30 years of living in America, the main character returns to Peking to visit with his sister, brother-in-law and daughter. The students observe how different relationships are viewed in America compared to China. They also are able to contrast traditional culture to modern culture China, and have a glimpse of the Great Wall.
During the "Images of East Asia" workshop, Jie Zhang recommended the movie "Yi Yi" (2000) by Edward Yang. She said it was one of her favorites and I think she even named her child after the title, which means "a one and a two…" This peaked my interest, so I located the Criterion Collection DVD and spent my morning watching this film.
At 173 minutes, it is probably too long to show in its entirety to students, but a few key scenes could be very useful in illustrating a modern Taipei. The movie takes place in this urban landscape and oddly enough might be mistaken for any modern city. It's a strange notion how most of our major cities have become to look so similar with a McDonald's and Starbucks on most corners, and European designer shops surrounded by skyscrapers and apartment buildings and freeways. Not only is the setting familiar, the characters also go through the same ups and downs as we westerners do. And that is what stayed with me the most about this film - - that as different as we may seem, we still feel and experience the same emotions.
One of the main characters is Ting-Ting, a teenage girl, whose experiences are much the same as that of our American high school students. She is a bit awkward and longs for a "first love" relationship. At the same time, her father runs into an old college girlfriend and deals with his past as awkwardly as his daughter tries to navigate her own future. Yang-Yang, her eight-year old brother, says it best when he tells his dead grandmother that he wants to help people by showing them what they can't see for themselves. And this is what I think the director, Edward Yang, does so well.
Yang's style reminds me a bit of Ang Lee's Ice Storm. The characters are shown in pensive moods during long silences, while images of the setting are shown in great length - city lights reflected in windows, green trees at a park nearby.
A special feature included with the Criterion Collection DVD is a 15-minute interview, "Everyday Realities: Tony Rayns on New Taiwan Cinema and Edward Yang". This is very informative and I think it would be very useful for a film studies class. It examines New Taiwan Cinema from its beginning in the mid-50s when it was developed by the government as a propaganda tool. The documentary has some great images of movie posters and stills from this era. [Edit by="cchin on Feb 28, 10:52:15 AM"][/Edit]
I used this film in my Economics class today. It is about 2 years old but discusses the cureent economic woes of the US. There is about a 10-15 segment in the movie that address the trade deficit with China. They also show a Chinese couple, their home (sparsely decorated) and share a conversation with them about saving for the future. The family makes about $10/day and is able to safe about half of that. This amazed the kids and I told the kids to think about all the stuff in their homes and if it were needed or not. This segment aso presents what the US is exporting to China and talks about the impact China has upon our economy.
After our presentation by Pitelka, I decided to watch an anime film so that I could try to understand a part of my student's culture. This was a great decision on my part.
Spirited Away is a beautiful anime. It is about a young girl and her family relocating in Japan. While driving to their new house, dad takes the wrong road and decides to go on an adventure. The family ends up somewhere...and they go exploring. The young girl ends up going on an adventure and is guided by the spirits through this movie.
I was amazed at the beautiful scenes and creativity of this film. It is imaginative and I can understand why my students enjoy this form of art.
The key-players in the film look caucasian to me, but I am reminded that it is a Japanese film due to the freeway signs and driving on the "wrong" side of the road.
I definately recommend exposing yourself to anime!
Well written. After we watched the movie, my friends and I ( all Chinese) said that non-Chinese would not understand the movie. I am happy we were wrong.
One thing beyond the movie that made me sad was that the actress, Tang Wei, was forbidden to act in China after some old revolutionaries protested to the central government that the movie ruined the image of a revolutionary heroine. They could do nothing to punish Ann Lee, nor Tony, the Hong Kong actor, but Tang Wei. That was disturbing.
It is a very beautiful Buddhist philosophy movie. The surrounding of the small temple, the leaving and returning of the hero, every scene illustrates Buddhist beliefs, such as : "all evils come from one's desire", and that "the world is a bitter sea, only when you return you will find the land of peace" etc.
Akira Kurosawa’s Kumonosu-jou or Throne of Blood retells Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the context of feudal Japan. I use it while teaching Macbeth. This is one of the more entertaining versions of Shakespeare’s classic. Many of the scenes seem to pull from Kabuki Theater, especially the ones involving the Lady Macbeth character, Lady Washizu, played by Isuzu Yamada. This is one detail that will either enthrall students or repel them. For the most part, the film is so different from what students are used to, that they will at least appreciate its novelty. A bit drawn out at times, Kurosawa’s style can be very slow and detailed, and many students don’t enjoy it. However, even if the class can’t tolerate the whole movie, I always show the following scenes. I show the opening scene to establish the context. Generals and someone who seems to be the emperor are awaiting the news from the battlefront where Washizu, Macbeth’s counterpart played by Toshiro Mifune, is waging glorious war. There are times when, as in Macbeth, the news is not so good. Now this may be one of the slowest scenes in the movie, for as the generals and the emperor discuss strategy, it takes each commander about two minutes to think about what he wants to say. However the absurdity of this and the costumes seem to keep the students entertained. Then there is a scene where Washizu sees the ghost of his former partner Miki, this movie’s Banquo. Washizu insanely slashes the air with his sword as his wife attempts to calm his court and explain that he is simply drunk. The students enjoy this because it is humorous, but the image of the feudal court is educational and stylistically engrossing. It is also a great scene to use for discussing camera work and the use of angles to set up a shot. Of course Kirosawa does this masterfully. The third scene I always show is that of Washizu being killed by his own men via a barrage of arrows. As melodramatic as it is, Mifune dies like no other actor. His facial expression, as the final arrow shoots through his neck, is masterful. Kurosawa’s rendition of the play is great to use because it is more entertaining than Orson Welles, less grotesque and inappropriate than Polanski’s version he directed through Playboy Productions, and it is an excellent way to incorporate a discussion of film technique into your lessons. I use a film project to end the Macbeth Unit, and Kirosawa is a great model for film technique.
I really wish I had this film back in Novemember with my AP class (when we were struggling through the post-classical period). I don't think I'd show the entire film but there are a few scenes that would have really "set the table" (with regard to our look at inter-regional trade and contact).
Brief synopsis: The film tells the story of the imperial palace during the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The Tang Dynasty had 20 emperors who ruled China from the 7th to 9th centuries China at that time was a remarkably open society, with unprecedented frequent and extensive exchanges and interactions with the rest of the world. The Tang Dynasty represents the height of Chinese civilization in terms of economical and cultural development. The era was marked by political stability, booming trade, thriving culture and religious growth.
Areas of the film I thoroughly enjoyed: 1. The cinematography is absolutely astounding (especially the vibrant colors) 2. The film gives the audience a "then and now" perspective
Why I'd recommend it: 1. It's fantastic if you're teaching early global networks: The capital (where the palace was located) and the Tang Dynasty had diplomatic ties with an estimated 300 foreign countries and states, envoys from neighboring Japan, Korea and India, as well as the remote Arab Empire and East Roman Empire, came to visit the capital city during that time. 2. It's easy to teach (comparing it to other palaces that are still around today, like Versailles) 3. Students like warriors and emperors. 4. It's a perfect resource for teaching about post-classical architecture. 5. Climax: the fire that destroyed the palace. 6. It's got 3-D effects (for you Avatar geeks)
All-in-all, great documentary. Get your hands on it if you can!
Film Summary: The literal summary of Princess Mononoke reflects the adventure of a young prince, Ashikaga, who travels East to find the roots of a demon. This demon, a boar who had been consumed by hate, had travelled west and had cursed Ashikaga. He travels west until he reaches Irontown. This is a fort run by a woman who has "rescued" individuals who are typically outcasts in any society (prostitutes and lepers). All of the women and men who live in Irontown help with the production and shipments of iron ore. These people extracted all of the iron from their own region and are now attempting to destroy a sacred forest in order to mine more ore. There are a series of conflicts between humans and animals that lead to a climatic fight between good and evil, humans and animals. Ulitmately the humans win out against nature and our hero returns to Irontown to help rebuild. Reading between the lines, this film is a great way to explore Japanese religion and Japanese emphasis on nature. It also highlights the brilliant arguement against industrialization if it didn't help to benefit so many people while at the same time destroying the innocent and nature (or both).
This film can be used in two ways in my classroom. The first is to explore this film as a commentary on Shintoism. There is a heavy emphasis on nature in the film, whether or not it is in the process of being destroyed. Animism is also a topic of discussion for this film. The kodama in addition to the Forest Spirit and the gods that live within the forest all contribute to a conversation on polytheism, animism and Shintoism.
The film can also be used in a discussion on industrialization and modernization. The film includes evidence that iron (from a primitive gun) is what is responsible for turning gods into demons. Smells emerge from Irontown that cloud nature and people's judgement. In order for the town to survive, they must mine iron from another part of the forest- in the process they must also tear down the forest. This leads to the death or "dumbing down" of gods (animals) in the forest.
All in all, this makes for a good discussion whether your focus be religion or industrializtion, modernization or environmentalism.
Mongol, starring Asano Tadanobu 2007 Best Foreign Film Nominee
I came across this movie in Best Buy in the cheap $3.99 box of films, well worth the price. It's really a love story, but it gave me some great insight to life in Mongolia centuries ago. The main character is Temudgin, who later becomes Genghis Khan. Temudgin starts off as a boy in a powerful family but his dad is forced to leave by another Khan. His father is later killed and Temudgin grows up as a slave and later in life finds himself in jail in northern China. Before the death of his father, temudgin picks a bride (he is about age 7 at the time) and he finds her again later in life after many years apart. Just as Temudgin is rallying troops and making a big power move, the movie comes to an end. I think this emphasizes the love-story side of the movie.
The film gave me a great glance at nomadic life in a tough landscape. I've seen other shows on Nat Geo and Discovery that talk about nomadic Mongolians, but this was a great portrayal of everday life for these people.
Gojira (Godzilla) - The Original 1954 Japanese Version
This movie is now out on Blue-Ray believe it or not. Before this I had never seen the original movie. I've seen the modern day version (there's got to be about 10 versions out there now). I only knew the basic premise... giant lizard destroys Japan, that's about it.
It turns out to be a great mystery and great love story in the end.
The movie begins with the disappearance of a Japanese boat. In this very recent post-war Japan, fingers point right away at the Americans. But they have nothing to do with it. As boats go to the aid of the missing ship, more boats are mysteriously sunk.
The village thinks that military H-bomb testing as awoken this ancient beast and that it is hungry for fish and destruction.
The young hero is Ogata and his love interest is Emiko. Ogata is part of an initiative to find and kill Gojira. They are going to use a special weapon created by their friend Dr. Serizawa. Serizawa doesn't want the weapon to be used because of fears that the military will take his technology and use it for warfare. Emiko's father is a marine biologist and doesn't want Gojira to be hurt, he wants a chance to study it and learn about it.
In the end, the weapon is used and one of the characters (no spoiler here) dies in the arming of the weapon in order to kill Gojira. Of course the door is left open for the return......
Not only is it one of the greatest stories ever, but it also depicts post-war metropolitan Japan. It was a side that I hadn't seen in the modern movie versions.
First of all, anyone who lives in the SouthBay must visit the Redondo Beach Public Library, I HAVE TO SAY THEY HAVE THE BIGGEST SELECTION OF FOREIGN FILMS of most public libraries that I've been to, and you can't beat one week FREE RENTALS!
So, I chose this Oscar winning movie, and was happy to see it had been dubbed, so it's definitely Kid friendly. It's reportedly the highest grossing film in Japanese history, and is on British Film Industry's 50 films you should see by the age of 14. REASON ALONE TO SEE IT..
There are many great lessons revealed in this charming tale which takes place in an "abandoned theme park" where spirits are welcomed. Humility, honor, respect, and moderation are a few life lessons incorporated, along with acceptance and finding good in others, plus maturity and manners. This little girl Chihiro faces situations where she has to rise to the occasion and take one for the team... We see her mature and learn about life.
Chinese impressions from the movie: Colorful authentic artifacts, traditional bath house, spiritual connections, acts of gratitude, friendship, honoring elders and keeping them alive in community, overcoming desires: greed, appreciate simple things...not riches, going out of the way for a friend.. "Once you meet someone, you never forget them."
Many great moments that would keep students attention.. It's PG 13.. A few of the spirits may look ghoulish, and may frighten the younger viewers.
Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima is a heart-breaking film, and like many war films, shows us that when at war, people find it easier to kill, maim, and hate, when they can dehumanize their enemy.
That is why the General Kuribayashi brought such an interesting point of view to the film. Not only did he understand America's strength and military power, but he had spent time in the US and it seemed that he actually liked and admired Americans. This made it even more gut wrenching that he was willing to do his duty to his country even though he most certainly did not think Japan would win this battle., nor did he think of Americans as inherently evil.
The soldier, Saigo, presented a different point of view. Although, he too, was not full of hate, it wasn't because he knew much of America or Americans. He just wanted to survive and get home to his family. His point of view was also different from most Japanese portrayed in the movie. While most were willing to commit suicide for their country, he was determined to survive, and was perhaps foreshadowing a new trend in a younger generation of Japanese. It was also interesting to me that like Forrest Gump, Saigo was present at all of the key events in the movie! He always happened to be in the right place at the right time, to overhear privileged information, or to stay safe, or to help another. [Edit by="bberry on Mar 11, 3:01:01 PM"][/Edit] [Edit by="bberry on Mar 11, 3:01:57 PM"][/Edit]
Thanks for the tip about the Redondo Beach Public library. I will check it out!
I saw the movie Spirited Away with my son and was impressed and really enjoyed it. It was interesting to me that it is a child's movie set in a bathhouse! That is definitely a Japanese cultural setting. I am sure there are many more cultural references that I was not aware of but even so the movie was beautiful and fun. The fact that the 'bad' spirit was the polluted river showed that although it is a child's movie, Miyazaki was trying to do some teaching in the movie as well. I liked the fact that he wanted to make a movie with young girls as heroines. I had read that he was looking through the anime that some young house guests of his were reading and noticed they were all about romance, and crushes and he wanted to make a movie that portrayed young girls as heroines!
I visited Miyazaki's museum in Japan and it was a pretty imaginative and fun place. I had to get reservations here in California before I left for Japan. I would suggest that if anyone is visiting Tokyo, to definitely visit his small museum.
By the way, I would not use Spirited Away in my Kindergarten classroom. I would be afraid that there may be something in it that may offend a parent. I teach in a parent participation school, so I always have at least one parent in the classroom. Over the years I have been exposed to the many and varied opinions of parents and am not surprised by much anymore. (Except the recent parent that complained that we were singing God Bless America and When the Saints Go Marching in a first grade patriotic show!)
I could show Mulan, but I have been unable to find a commercial film that would be appropriate and support my curriculum, to show to Kindergartners. I will tell you that I do use various media frequently. I have a smart board that allows me to put the many Chinese website I use with my students, up right in front of them. For instance, they can come up and manipulate the games on the Nick Jr. site. They enjoy the Ni Hao site and games very much.
I have many students from both Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China. Quite often they need to miss school to visit family members back home. About four years ago one of my students went to Taiwan during Chinese New Years, and stayed for about three weeks. One assignment I gave him for his independent study was to video tape things that he thought his class would be interested in seeing. In particular the food, the children, buildings, and transportation. It was a great video!!
It shows the food they ate, the stalls at the open air markets, the celebrations, etc. I still use it and in fact converted it to dvd this year. This is not a commercially made video but it has been very useful in showing my students some of the things they would see if they went to Taiwan for New Year!
I am sure that many of you have the same experience with students who visit their home country during the school year. Assign a video documentary! It has been very helpful to me.
The first film I reviewed was Sassy Girl. This would be an ideal film to use with high school of college students. I believe this film would be good for those ages because this film has adult content that would be inappropriate to use with young children and it covers more complex social structures that they would be unfamiliar with and not able to evaluate well. One of the reasons I feel this film would be a great resource for high school or college professors is because it addresses many social norms of the Korean people, in a fun and playful way. An example of books referenced in the film "The Shower" is described as engaging the entire youth in its story line and characters. This idea is rebuffed by Sassy girl as she plans to rewrite the end of the film. Teacher could use 5 main dictates of how to relate to other Koreans as a youth. Filial piety, deference to elders, etc. Then using those 5 characteristics or however many they want to highlight, look for ways that the film supports the traditional Korean values. After looking at the societal norms look on a different level to evaluate the male/female roles as it pertains to traditional Korean culture versus modern Korean culture. By looking at the changes of each role and the impact on the familial structures, it would enable students to think about some important struggles facing Korean families today. For an extension, they could make a new ending to the book "The Shower" using either a traditional or modern Korean value system.
The second film I looked at was called Kai-Lan's Great trip to China. Kai-Lan is a cartoon character that plays on Nick Jr. The warm characters will be very welcoming for Kindergarten students. I will give my students a picture dictionary that has words from different clips of the film. Words like happy, grandpa, hello and others. Then the students would role play using those words to great each other. In the first section of the film it also teaches the students how to say hello my name is, in Mandarin Chinese. That would also be a great opportunity to learn how to introduce yourself. Kindergarten students are learning about being open to new experiences, topics, ideas and conversations. This film is a great way to introduce how to view things in different perspectives. I really like the section where the Kai-lan and friends stop to have udon noodles and some of the characters don't want to try something new. Kai-lan asks them to try it and says "You never know, you may like it". Children transitioning from complete dependence on their parents, reach many transitions into becoming responsible and independent students. This film I would use it multiple segments, adding to their vocabulary and picture journal each day over a week period. About 5 or so minutes a day. Taking time to stop at different points to examine, interesting things for the students. To talk with their peers, in a think-pair-share activity. Where the students discuss what they've seen, what they like or don't like and why they feel that way. Sometimes these activities are done with their elbow partner (the person they are sitting next to on the rug) or in small groups. By starting the class with a visual, audio and physical representation of these characters it will lead in beautifully to the unit on China.
I came across an interesting documentary on manga as a literary genre that would be a great resource for middle and high school students. This would be especially great for teachers who have taught the basic literary genres and is looking to go a bit deeper.
In Japan, comics and graphic novels are regarded as their own genre equal to novels, poetry, and drama. Manga Mad traces it back to the wood block prints of the Edo Period. Western culture did not have such easy access to easily and cheaply reproduced books of essays and poetry with images until it was too late. Western culture was conditioned to accept books of text as scholarly where Japanese culture accepts text and images. This became more important during the Meiji Period because these books were a very cheap form of entertainment.
A student made video assignment sounds great! As a fourth grade teacher, I also have a hard time finding appropriate films. With all of today's technology, a student might easily be able to use YouTube or something like it to post footage of their stay abroad. I have many kids that have moved back to Japan, but still communicate via email. Maybe Skype is possible too.
I viewed a movie titled "Please Vote for Me". The movie is about an elementary school in China that is using a Democratic way of electing a new class monitor. The movie follows the "campaigns" of three students who were nominated for the job. It is very interesting to watch these young students learn about democracy. I think this would be a great movie to show to any type of political science class. It really takes it back to the roots of what a democracy is. Highly recommend.
I. M. Pei: Building China Modern. This American Masters film was aired on PBS March 31, 2010, and will be streamed online through the end of June. To view the documentary, visit www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/.
I too enjoyed The Twilight Samurai; the film was a complete opposite what I expected from a Samurai film. Instead of the fierce warriors of years past, the Samurai depicted in this movie have been reduced to bureaucrats who work in unexciting and unassuming positions. Heroic feats and tales have now been replaced by the men of the office gathering after work to drink, something the lead character cannot afford to do.
The film set before the Meiji Restoration, tells the story of a debt ridden low ranking Samurai Seibei Iguchi who tries to care for his daughters after his wife dies of tuberculosis. The story reveals the struggle that Seibei has between his duty to his clan and to his family. Instead of seeking glory and fame, Seibei seeks only to provide for his family and give his daughters a future. Seibei character reveals a gentle soul who delights in seeing his daughters growing up.
The images and metaphors in this story proclaim the last days of the Samurai; Seibei sells his Katana to pay for his wife’s funeral (something unheard of only a 100 years before) or he arrives before his lord unwashed and unkempt, an act that would have cause great shame in the past.
Instead of the swashbuckling action films of fearless warriors (which history recounts many), this film gave a human side to the Samurai, revealing ordinary men who faced uncertain times.
The little bit that I saw in class seemed quite comical, it definately interested me. I know over our winter break I will be viewing some of these films. I believe students do need all the different modalities to have information sink in. I can't wait to watch the whole movie "Shower" :-D
Here is another interesting Samurai Film: Samurai Rebellion (1967) directed by Masaki Kobayashi The film stars Toshiro Mifune who plays Isaburo Sasahara, a vassal of the daimyo of the Aisu clan and is set in the Edo period of Japan.
First I have to say that I enjoy watching Mifune performance, he is a superb actor. The story centers around Isaburo and his elder son Yogoro, who is forced by their clan leader to marry the daimyo's ex-concubine, Ichi, even though she is the mother to one of the daimyo's sons. Although the family is extremely reluctant at first, they finally agree and a short period later Ichi and Yogoro fall in love and they have a daughter named Tomi.
When the daimyo's primary heir dies, and he orders his ex-concubine to rejoin his household to care for their son and heir. They family refuses which sets in motion the main struggle of the story, which forces Isaburo and his son to take sides against the rest of the clan and family. Isaburo’s decision jeopardizes the existence of the entire family and clan.
The film deals with the themes of love, devotion, personal happiness versus the well being of the family, the Confucian cocept of order and the limits of one’s duty. Although Isaburo and Yogoro fight for a just cause, the movie’s premise seem to say that we are all bound by Karma and if we disrupt the natural order of things, no matter how unjust, we must pay the price.
The film brings to mind Hamlet’s predicament: “The time is out of joint. O cursed spite,/That ever I was born to set it right” In the process of setting the universe correct the samurais must also pay for their disobedience.[Edit by="jgonzalez on Dec 19, 8:07:23 AM"][/Edit]
I just watched the documentary titled "Nanking". It has been mentioned a few times already, but I still wanted to comment on the effectiveness of the film. It is very graphic at times and would not be appropriate for my fourth graders. It is actual footage and includes readings from diaries by actors. There are also very moving interviews with actual survivors. I found it interesting that Japanese soldiers are also interviewed to give viewers the opportunity to tell about Nanking from their perspective.
I am always on the lookout for documentaries, and I am sure there are a slew on East Asia...just not sure how many are age appropriate for elementary school students.
Big Mac: Inside the McDonald's Empire
I use this CNBC video in my Economics class. It talks about the origins of McDonalds, how they had to re-vamp their company when they were posting losses and their expansion into foreign countries. There is about a 8-10 minutes clip on entering into the Chinese market. In doing so, the company needed to acculturate the Chinese into a "fast-food" way of life. Simple things like which way to drive through the drive through (not starting at the exit) were a foreign idea to the Chinese. Also, at first, the Chinese thought that they were supposed to go through the drive through to order then take their food into the restaurant to eat.
Students enjoy the deocumentary as they are familiar with the company. But, they are most intrigued by the China component.
I use the movie to prepare the students for a project where they need to build a business. Using a the ups and downs of a business they are familiar with helps the students understand this project better. Understanding foreign explansion is important, as many students think that dealing internationally is the same as dealing nationally.
A news report cited that China is banning Avatar from their theatres in order to prevent competition with their own cinema. Avatar banned in China
It seems very interesting that the article states that China has kept foreign cinema down to 20 films a year. Is this an effort to preserve their culture?
to mlaughlin:
Is it just Avatar or other mainstream blockbusters as well? I wonder if other foreign movies also experience the ban, in lieu of competition with mainland cinema. I wonder why they chose 20 as the quota for foreign cinema. Also, did Titanic have the same ban? It would be interesting since both Avatar and Titanic were huge box-office hits by the same director.
Hello,
I just watched both, Korean and American, versions of My Sassy Girl. Both versions are available on You Tube for free.
The Korean version was so much funnier! I know I missed some of the humor of the original version because I don't know all of the cultural nuances, but it was still great. The American version toned down most of the jokes. The scene on the subway is terrible. The original version had me falling out of my chair with the silly gross-out jokes. The American version cuts all of that.
The original actors were better than the Americans. Both male and female leads were much more expressive in the original. They also had better comic timing.
I'm considering using the original version with subtitles in my classroom later in the year.
In middle school, we are only allowed to show "G" rated films and I thought of a great one, Kung Fu Panda! The main character "Po" is a big, fat clumsy giant panda with passion for food & Kung Fu, he wants to go watch a tournament to see who will become the Dragon Warrior, when he accidently ends up in the area & is pronounce the Dragon Warrior himself. He goes through many challenges that he never thought he could accomplish, but with faith he was able to over come many obsticals. I was able to discuss with my students the idea to never give up. That there is no "secret ingredient, but to believe in yourself" and this can help you to succeed. My students & I found it a very fun film.
Five of the characters are homages to some of the styles of Chinese Martial Arts- The Snake, Praying Mantis, Crane, Monkey & the Tiger. The students LOVED this. Action/adventure films are always a plus with children but I was a little worried about the film being animated. Thinking that maybe my students might feel it was too "baby-ish"- but that was not a problem, they loved it! They were cheering for Po and at times the expressions on their faces were classic.
I also found it quite impressive of Hans Zimmer- who scored Kung Fu Panda- went to visit China to absorb the culture and visited with the China National Symphony Orchestra. I enjoyed seeing accurate scenes in the movie. I wonder how China felt about this movie?
“Please Vote For Me”
Video In the Classroom
US Government / Comparative Government
I have used this film as a case-study introduction to the study of election campaigns, the culture of elections, the democratic process and the role played by the ‘human’ element in a democratic society. You might want to go beyond the obvious election issue here and explore other issues particular to China, such as the “One Child Policy”. The lesson guides cited below offer other ideas as to how to implement this excellent and engaging film into other curricula.
Here is a blurb from a movie data-base website about the film:
“Wuhan is a city in central China about the size of London, and it is here that director Weijun Chen has conducted an experiment in democracy. A grade 3 class at Evergreen Primary School has their first encounter with democracy by holding an election to select a Class Monitor. Eight-year olds compete against each other for the coveted position, abetted and egged on by teachers and doting parents. Elections in China take place only within the Communist Party, but recently millions of Chinese voted in their version of Pop Idol. The purpose of Weijun Chen’s experiment is to determine how, if democracy came to China, it would be received. Is democracy a universal value that fits human nature? Do elections inevitably lead to manipulation? Please Vote for Me is a portrait of a society and a town through a school, its children and its families.”
There are several lesson guides and plans on the web which I have mined for ideas to use with my students.
Here are the ones I consider the best:
Lesson Guides:
PBS Lesson Guide Click here
Teacher's Domain Lesson Guide
“Please Vote for Me” Video Questions Handout
Video Question Handout
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[Edit by="sbartosiak on Jan 26, 12:28:19 PM"][/Edit]
A word about Ang Lee: What an amazing director! It baffles me how someone can direct such diverse films as Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; or Sense and Sensibility and Hulk; Eat, Drink, Man, Woman and The Ice Storm. All of his movies are well made and beautifully shot and, speaking of the above, to have a kind of sensibility for the characters and their internal lives. And now this, one of his most recent, Lust, Caution.
For a while the title put me off from seeing it. I read that the movie is based on a novella by Eileen Chang and maybe the title comes from her work and is a direct translation--maybe it is two characters juxtaposed...? I don't know why at the very least it couldn't have been named Lust and Caution in English. As a line of poetry I wouldn't mind that comma, but for a movie title, it's irritating. But I got over my fussiness about the title and finally saw the movie since I am kind of an Ang Lee fan and since I had been learning about China's history.
The film in its entirety could not be used in the classroom because of the very explicit sex scenes, but they actually don't occur until a good way into the film and though long, and did I say explicit? I think there are only a couple. A clip or even a good portion of the film could work really well to supplement the teaching of this period in Chinese history. It really seemed to me to capture that time period well, really bringing to life the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, the internationalism of Shanghai, the different tensions and conflicts, the ostensible one between occupier and occupied, but the deeper one pushing to the surface between classes.
The film tells the story of a group of students who plot to kill a Japanese collaborator. One of them, a young woman, is the decoy, posing as an upper crust lady and beginning an illicit relationship with the sympathizer to win his trust until he lets down his guard in a moment allowing the others to assassinate him.
It's a sad story, definitely without any satisfying closure or resolution. It's hard to know what the message is, other than to simply portray the complexities and ambiguities of the time period, which it does very well. And it also shows how the heart can go against the head, the clash between the personal and the historic. Maybe it is just the American raised on Hollywood endings in me, but I would have liked to see it go one way or the other, either for their plot to be successful or for her to throw over her friends and just be with the guy if she loved him. In the end, neither is he killed nor is their relationship allowed to continue. It seems sad that these young people with so much talent and intelligence rather threw their lives away and hers was perhaps sacrificed more than any of the others, but maybe historically, outside the context of the movie, we could say that was not the case--that young people like the characters in the film were ultimately successful in bringing about a profound change in their country.
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I saw a film entitled, "The Forbidden Kingdom."
In it a young teenager is transported into China during the time of the
legend of the "Monkey King."
Jackie Chan and Jet Li battle for control of the kingdom.
In the end, the young teenager returns to earth, gains confidence and self esteem.
If one is teaching about Chinese mythology, the last 20 minutes is sufficient after
a brief introduction about the "Monkey King" myth. A side bar about self esteem
can be used in the lesson.
Cheryl Watson
Kurosawa certainly does Shakespeare well. I love his version of Macbeth, Throne of Blood, and have used it indirectly in my classroom in the past (as an extra credit extension assignment after our reading of Macbeth). King Lear I haven't read and saw it performed when I was too young to appreciate it or to remember, so I don't have as much of a point of comparison. But the full scope and range of the tragedy comes through in the movie.
This movie could work well with my teaching of Beowulf. We talk a lot about the warrior code and the premium the tribal warrior cultures put on loyalty, but I point out the numerous examples in the text of treason and betrayal and ask my students how the contradiction can be reconciled. Do the values we hold up and cherish actually speak to a lack of such values? This film would illustrate the contradiction perfectly. Set in 16th century Japan among warlords, loyalty and obedience were of course expected and highly valued within families and kingdoms. There are so many betrayals though--the son against his father, both sons against their father, one brother against another, warriors against their lord, the father presumably of many people in the past. But then there is the extreme loyalty of the third son after being banished, of the character Tango both for the third son and the father, his "great lord," and perhaps most strikingly of the court jester character. Though his role is that of the fool, by the end of the movie he has acquired almost heroic traits, unlike many of the so-called honorable warriors.
Kurosawa films can sometimes be hard to sit through. There were in my opinion far too many shots of warriors being shot off their horses in this movie. But the cinematography is exquisite, too. His movies are visually rich, of course, but in Ran I noticed the auditory lushness even moreso--the sounds of the horses galloping across a field, of the banners whipping in the wind, of the rustle of a silk kimono as a woman shuffles into a room and kneels or unkneels.
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I saw Letters from Iwo Jima first and I thought it was the better movie. At first I thought it was a good movie, but not a great movie, but now I don't know. I kept thinking about it; certainly it seemed to resonate so much because the great dose of history and cultural context I had been given. I wonder how Japanese have received this movie. In the end, I had to really admire Eastwood for refusing to fall into cliches about war--neither movie is very comfortable to watch. Also, as I already commented before, I think the films could be used in the classroom to teach perspective and point of view.
Perhaps because it's easy enough to fill in the American perspective while watching LFIJ, I wasn't acutely aware that I was getting "one side" or that this view was somehow skewed. Indeed, that seems part of the point in Eastwood's endeavor. Not only did he make two different movies, one ostensibly the American story and one the Japanese, but you get different sides within each picture. For example, in FOOF the suggestions that the heroes being lauded were not all the heroes or even the right ones and that the heroes were killed by friendly fire or in LFIJ the depiction of both sides killing prisoners; in both movies, the realization of how formidable their foe was; in both movies, as is probably the case in all wars, the disconnect between the people on the ground and those making the plans.
As I already commented in another post, LFIJ connected in so many ways to the lectures and readings on Japan, which really helped me understand it more. Still I don't think any amount of background can really prepare you for the number of suicides in the movie, especially the group suicide by grenade. That just defies understanding or knowing whether it should be thought admirable or just crazy; it's hard to believe that that degree of honor or indoctrination could trump survival instinct.
Stan's picked up on a very interesting video. I like it a lot and wrote a review of it:
abridged version: http://www.aems.uiuc.edu/downloads/Fall2008.pdf
While you're at AEMS, roam a bit -- Asia Educational Media Service is a wonderful resource for teachers.
the longer version of the review is at: http://china.usc.edu/ShowArticle.aspx?articleID=1201
I look forward to hearing what others think and how Stan's and other students react to the video.
We recently had a great workshop which featured Trinity University's Don Clark talking about South Korean film and television. The latest issue of Education about Asia includes an interesting article by Tom Vick on film and contemporary Korea. Vick plans film screenings for the Smithsonian Institution's Freer and Sackler Galleries.
Vick, Tom. "Cinema as a Window on Contemporary Korea," Education about Asia 14.3 (Winter 2009): 37-41.
There are other articles devoted to particular films and an essay by Mary Connor (Korea Academy for Educators) on using such films in the classroom.
EAA puts some articles online (
http://www.asian-studies.org/EAA/TOC-14-3.htm), but these aren't among them.
If you're not already subscribing to EAA, you should consider doing so. The three issues each year are rich with concrete teaching suggestions, background readings, and more.
A film that I highly recommend to use with students to highlight how China is changing and modernizing is a documentary entitled, Up the Yangtze, a by Chinese-Canadian Yung Chang. The film chronicles the lives of two young people, 16 year-old Yu Shui and 19 year-old Chen Bo Yu, whose lives are being transformed as the Three Gorges Dam is completed and the waters rise, submerging villages and cities alike. Both Yu Shui (renamed Cindy) and Chen Bo Yu (renamed Jerry) are employed on a luxury riverboat that sails up the Yangtze catering mostly to Western tourists. Yu Shui must go to work because her peasant family can not afford to send her to high school and she needs to send money home to her parents as the waters will eventual swallow up their ramshackle home in Fengdu. Chen Bo Yu hails from a nearby city Kai Xian, and is as only child, and while not rich, is much better off than Yu Shui. The juxtaposition of China’s rural peasants with China’s modernizing and consumer-oriented cities is striking.
Even more enlightening is how the changing landscape is ushering a new modern China that challenges personal and cultural values of all in its path. This film vividly demonstrates how corrupt local government officials are unresponsive to its citizens who are basically on their own as they are displaced from their homes. This film is unforgettable as it shows how the Three Gorges Dam project means different things to different people. To the older generation it represents how far China has come in terms of modernity even if they don’t directly benefit from the modernization. To the younger generation it represents economic opportunity and Western values. The river serves as a metaphor for a rapidly changing China as it modernizes and undergoes a transformation to a market economy, and the traditional values disappear.
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Please vote for me is absolutely priceless, and I would love to find a way to utilize it in my sophomore English classroom. Instead, perhaps I can use it for my AP kids regarding the effective use of rhetoric. But...I am not here to discuss that right now, but instead, to share my thoughts on the well known documentary The Rape of Nanking.
Having viewed it recently, I found it to be tremendously enlightening. There is so much that I did not know.
Ex: only the poor were left in the city of Nanking after the bombings and invasion.
the safety zone creation was due to the diligence of missionaries, who basically gave their lives to the cause as well, having been so psychologically damaged most never "recovered" so to speak.
To use this film with my students will not be easy. I believe the bulk of the movie will be acceptable to show them, but I am having difficulty fitting it into my curriuculum. The closest I can come, is really for my AP juniors who are becoming masters of argument and rhetoric. Perhaps utilizing clips from The Rape of Nanking to highlight the propaganda being distributed by the Japanese.
Another possibility would be to use it with my sophomores in conjunction with Animal Farm. Although we are finishing reading it this week, I could look to include portions when discussing the use of propaganda and force. As I have stated before, having my sophomores in World History really makes it enjoyable to link their lessons/units with a historical perspective that they perhaps have just gained, or a just learning. It is truly fun to see the "lights come on" when they put things together as we are discussing a chapter in a book we are reading.
Finally, the film was impressive. The cast of Hollywood stars threw me off some at first, but their characterization of the missionaries and the roles they took on, were impressive. The actual footage of atrocities and bombings were also difficult to watch, but seemingly well edited and put together. Not a dry watch. It is a memorable movie and one I recommend viewing and using at least portions of, in the classroom.
Would like know if anyone has incorporated either of the following two films into modern world history courses, when dealing with Japanese imperialism, sword culture, and Nanking:
"In the Name of the Emperor" 1998 (Chang/Tong) or
"Yasukuni" (Li Ying)
Both seem to have had rather controversial receptions in Japan and elsewhere. Our sanitized textbook has virtually no treatment of this important period. How have others handled it?
I watched Nanking, a 2007 moving documentary about the devastation of one Chinese city and its people at the hands of the Japanese military in December, 1937. Besides the historical significance, it was also an example of how averge people become heroes.
While Japanese soldiers raped and killed thousands of Chinese women and killed many more thousands of civilians and Chinese soldiers, a small group of foreigners from different countries, banded together to form a "Safety Zone", in an attempt to keep as many Chinese safe as they could. I had heard of this but had not known to what extent these men and women went to risk their lives and stand up to the Japanese. The famous narrators who played the foreigners, and the eyewitnesses and survivors who shared their personal, heart-breaking stories, told of the atrocities and of the helplessness they felt; these stories need to be heard by the world.
One way that these facts can be told is in the classroom. The Rape of Nanking is part of the 10th grade California Social Studies Standards and I think this film can be shown in the classroom. If the 90 minutes is too long, I think a teacher could show the introduction, skip the marching of the Japanese from Shanghai and most of the bombing of Nanking. Leaving this out may skip the part though about how most of the people left in Nanking were the poorest of the poor, as the rich and middle class had the means to escape. It also could omit some background information on the foreigners who chose to stay, although they had the opportunity to leave.
The accounts of the Rape of Nanking are definitely hard to take and bring up a lot of emotion. Several Japanese soldiers were even interviewed about their time in Nanking, something that was surprising to see. I feel that the movie gives an amazing, shocking account of that horrible time and man's inhumanity to man, but it also shows something our students need to see, which is hope. In every genocide or mass murder like the Rape of Nanking, there are stories of hope and humanity, of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. And this is worth teaching.
Hi,
Could you tell me where I can find these films, without spending much time searching for them? Thanks.
Not One Less is a must-see for teachers everywhere. If you only see one film this year, it has to be Not One Less :-D seriously. This is a masterpiece of propaganda (the good kind) and shows the virtues of selflessness and self-sacrifice. I will defintely use this in my classroom. Minzhi provides a wonderful teachable moment when she walks the class through brick-moving math in a stone-soup/synergy kind of way: together we can accomplish must more that the individual. I believe this will also be visually appealing to students and they will enjoy analyzing every aspect of it, especially the condition of the school in regards to government responsibiltiy. There are also commkon discussion topics such as children and teens working to help support the family, communal responsibility and social safety nets. Also, an intersting comparison-contrast would be our school, inner city Los Angeles, with Minzhi's "mountainous school" in the countryside.
I decided to watch "The Last Samurai" again after Professor Pitelka's lecture on the samuri's place in Japanese society and culture. I really wanted to see it again, knowing what I learned about the Samuri's position in society and their downfall because of western influence. Well with all that in mind, I loved the movie. I really didnt like it the first time I saw it. And I really didnt like that it was Tom Cruise playing the led. But it worked this time for me. The professor had mentioned that the Japanese loved Tom Cruise in it. That took on new meaning for me. I honestly thought they would resent this big time Hollywood star. But apparently they loved him, and I did too! I loved the flashbacks at the last battle scene, they were spectacular. I especially loved how Nathan Algren (tom Cruise) kills the Samurai, at his request and then in the last scenes goes tot he Emperor and gives him the Samurai's sword. It was very poetic and truly gave the Samurai an honorable position in Japanese Society!
Film Review:
Nanking
January 28, 2010
6-8 p.m. Leavey Library – USC
I attended this film screening at USC in January. I teach high school world history and always like to use film whenever I can to enhance a lesson.
I can use segments of this film as part of a lesson focusing on nationalism and Revolution regarding China and Japan from 1910-1939 leading up to WWII. Nanking tells the story of the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China in 1937. High school world history covers the Japanese invasion but the focus is how Jiang and the nationalists were forced to unite temporarily with the communists to fight against the Japanese. There is very little mention of the brutality, cruelty and destruction brought upon the Chinese civilians by the Japanese.
I’d like to use segments of the film to introduce the concept of genocide (even though, technically this was not genocide in its purist sense) to students and show how WWII really begins in China. The director mentioned his motivation for making the film were the words “forgotten and holocaust” used to describe this event and he thought those words should never be used together.
This film could be an important tool to demonstrate to students that atrocities were committed and can be committed by anyone on the planet given the right circumstances. Evil can be found in the hearts of all human beings.
Hello All,
I have been searching for films and I came across this website for the San Diego Film Festival. It looks like it has incredible resources that would be valuable for many different age students. There were many short films that I felt would work well for middle school and or high school. I was even able to find some films that would work for my Kindergarten students Ni Ha Kai-Lan Goes to China.http://www.sdaff.org/festival/2009/events.php
Japan: The Sword and the Chrysanthemum
Length 56:22
Produced by WTTW Chicago
Hosted by Jane Seymour, this is the second film in a four-part series. Each film, in its own way, deals with a paradox. This film deal with the paradox by asking the question “How can such polite, peaceful, artistic people be at the same time so violent, aggressive, and brutal?”
This film’s answer to the question revolves around the notion that modern Japan is still inextricably linked to its samurai past: an extremely structured society displaying an unbending code governing all behavior. Each samurai knew his place and displayed obedience even to the point of self-sacrifice.
Samurai found answers to questions of life in gentle pursuits and serene surroundings. Whether during a ritualized tea ceremony or meditating in a rock garden the warrior could contemplate swordsmanship and build courage. In Zen Buddhism the samurai discovered a belief system that disregarded the importance of death and focused on the here and now and the discovery of cause and effect relationships between himself and his world.
Samurai mores such as merciless behavior toward “losers” and never surrender mentality inform much modern Japanese behavior, especially in the workplace where deference is unquestionably paid to rules and order. Such is the argument in this somewhat dated but still quite watchable film.
A list of vocabulary terms as part of an into activity is recommended:
1. Fanatical
2. Genre
3. Stratified
4. Shogun
5. Hierarchy
6. Liturgy
7. Prowess
8. Inebriate
9. Pomp
10. Sinister
Learning Objective:
Ω Grasp the paradox in the title “The Sword and the Chrysanthemum” as it relates to Japanese behavior and personality.
Ω Gain an understanding of how fear of disgrace and shame control Japanese behavior and thinking.
Length: 30 minutes Closed Captioned
By: Schlessinger Media
Available at: www.libraryvideo.com
I want to comment on the validity of the film Ancient China. In this fascinating look at ancient China, one of the oldest continuous civilizations, students learn of the great Emperor Qin, whose Dynasty was responsible for the construction of the Great Wall and whose elaborate tomb contained hundreds of life-sized clay soldiers to guard him in the afterlife. It also explores the origins of Chinese innovations like silk and caligraphy and the discovery of how the famed "Silk Road" opened China's limits to trade with the outside world. I really reccomend the use of this video when presenting any lesson on Ancient China. Students will be able to discover how ancient peoples lived, ate, dressed and worked together. Thanks Professor Clay Dube for your input.
As part of our Spanish curriculum, I enfuse film into our learning as a visual and auditory processing aspect of language acquisition. We often watch cartoons that derive from cultures other than the Hispanic/Latino culture as a means of comparing and contrasting.
Each year, students watch Kung Fu Panda in Spanish. The story involves a Panda Bear who belongs to a family of soup makers, but who has the ultimate dream of being a Kung Fu master.
We compare the familial expectations of the Chinese society to that of Hispanic culture and how expectations occur in both types of societies. We also discuss how in "modern" times, expectations tend to dissolve, and therefore, cultures are seen as blending into one another.
Students see "typical" or moreover, "stereotypical" Chinese characters, exemplified through cartoons, and we conduct a lesson where we examen how these same characters may be represented if the film had taken place in a Latin American country and was about, for example, a soccer star or a bullfighter.
The easy, lighthearted nature of cartoons allow students to become disarmed and to see one culture but hear the language of another. I think that ultimately, this renders the assignment relatable.
A Great Wall by Peter Wang is the first American feature filmed shot in the Peoples Republic of China.
This was a great movie to show my students about familial values and respect of Chinese-Americans to traditional Chinese.
After 30 years of living in America, the main character returns to Peking to visit with his sister, brother-in-law and daughter.
The students observe how different relationships are viewed in America compared to China. They also are able to contrast traditional culture to modern culture China, and have a glimpse of the Great Wall.
www.nytimes.com/1986/05/30/movies/the-screen-a-great-wall-from-peter-wang.html
During the "Images of East Asia" workshop, Jie Zhang recommended the movie "Yi Yi" (2000) by Edward Yang. She said it was one of her favorites and I think she even named her child after the title, which means "a one and a two…" This peaked my interest, so I located the Criterion Collection DVD and spent my morning watching this film.
At 173 minutes, it is probably too long to show in its entirety to students, but a few key scenes could be very useful in illustrating a modern Taipei. The movie takes place in this urban landscape and oddly enough might be mistaken for any modern city. It's a strange notion how most of our major cities have become to look so similar with a McDonald's and Starbucks on most corners, and European designer shops surrounded by skyscrapers and apartment buildings and freeways. Not only is the setting familiar, the characters also go through the same ups and downs as we westerners do. And that is what stayed with me the most about this film - - that as different as we may seem, we still feel and experience the same emotions.
One of the main characters is Ting-Ting, a teenage girl, whose experiences are much the same as that of our American high school students. She is a bit awkward and longs for a "first love" relationship. At the same time, her father runs into an old college girlfriend and deals with his past as awkwardly as his daughter tries to navigate her own future. Yang-Yang, her eight-year old brother, says it best when he tells his dead grandmother that he wants to help people by showing them what they can't see for themselves. And this is what I think the director, Edward Yang, does so well.
Yang's style reminds me a bit of Ang Lee's Ice Storm. The characters are shown in pensive moods during long silences, while images of the setting are shown in great length - city lights reflected in windows, green trees at a park nearby.
A special feature included with the Criterion Collection DVD is a 15-minute interview, "Everyday Realities: Tony Rayns on New Taiwan Cinema and Edward Yang". This is very informative and I think it would be very useful for a film studies class. It examines New Taiwan Cinema from its beginning in the mid-50s when it was developed by the government as a propaganda tool. The documentary has some great images of movie posters and stills from this era.
[Edit by="cchin on Feb 28, 10:52:15 AM"][/Edit]
I.O.U.S.A
I used this film in my Economics class today. It is about 2 years old but discusses the cureent economic woes of the US. There is about a 10-15 segment in the movie that address the trade deficit with China. They also show a Chinese couple, their home (sparsely decorated) and share a conversation with them about saving for the future. The family makes about $10/day and is able to safe about half of that. This amazed the kids and I told the kids to think about all the stuff in their homes and if it were needed or not. This segment aso presents what the US is exporting to China and talks about the impact China has upon our economy.
Spirited Away - Miyazaki
After our presentation by Pitelka, I decided to watch an anime film so that I could try to understand a part of my student's culture. This was a great decision on my part.
Spirited Away is a beautiful anime. It is about a young girl and her family relocating in Japan. While driving to their new house, dad takes the wrong road and decides to go on an adventure. The family ends up somewhere...and they go exploring. The young girl ends up going on an adventure and is guided by the spirits through this movie.
I was amazed at the beautiful scenes and creativity of this film. It is imaginative and I can understand why my students enjoy this form of art.
The key-players in the film look caucasian to me, but I am reminded that it is a Japanese film due to the freeway signs and driving on the "wrong" side of the road.
I definately recommend exposing yourself to anime!
Well written. After we watched the movie, my friends and I ( all Chinese) said that non-Chinese would not understand the movie. I am happy we were wrong.
One thing beyond the movie that made me sad was that the actress, Tang Wei, was forbidden to act in China after some old revolutionaries protested to the central government that the movie ruined the image of a revolutionary heroine. They could do nothing to punish Ann Lee, nor Tony, the Hong Kong actor, but Tang Wei. That was disturbing.
It is a very beautiful Buddhist philosophy movie. The surrounding of the small temple, the leaving and returning of the hero, every scene illustrates Buddhist beliefs, such as : "all evils come from one's desire", and that "the world is a bitter sea, only when you return you will find the land of peace" etc.
Thanks for the recommendation. I bought a DVD last summer in China, but has not opened it yet, will show it to my students.
Akira Kurosawa’s Kumonosu-jou or Throne of Blood retells Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the context of feudal Japan. I use it while teaching Macbeth.
This is one of the more entertaining versions of Shakespeare’s classic. Many of the scenes seem to pull from Kabuki Theater, especially the ones involving the Lady Macbeth character, Lady Washizu, played by Isuzu Yamada. This is one detail that will either enthrall students or repel them. For the most part, the film is so different from what students are used to, that they will at least appreciate its novelty. A bit drawn out at times, Kurosawa’s style can be very slow and detailed, and many students don’t enjoy it. However, even if the class can’t tolerate the whole movie, I always show the following scenes.
I show the opening scene to establish the context. Generals and someone who seems to be the emperor are awaiting the news from the battlefront where Washizu, Macbeth’s counterpart played by Toshiro Mifune, is waging glorious war. There are times when, as in Macbeth, the news is not so good. Now this may be one of the slowest scenes in the movie, for as the generals and the emperor discuss strategy, it takes each commander about two minutes to think about what he wants to say. However the absurdity of this and the costumes seem to keep the students entertained.
Then there is a scene where Washizu sees the ghost of his former partner Miki, this movie’s Banquo. Washizu insanely slashes the air with his sword as his wife attempts to calm his court and explain that he is simply drunk. The students enjoy this because it is humorous, but the image of the feudal court is educational and stylistically engrossing. It is also a great scene to use for discussing camera work and the use of angles to set up a shot. Of course Kirosawa does this masterfully.
The third scene I always show is that of Washizu being killed by his own men via a barrage of arrows. As melodramatic as it is, Mifune dies like no other actor. His facial expression, as the final arrow shoots through his neck, is masterful.
Kurosawa’s rendition of the play is great to use because it is more entertaining than Orson Welles, less grotesque and inappropriate than Polanski’s version he directed through Playboy Productions, and it is an excellent way to incorporate a discussion of film technique into your lessons. I use a film project to end the Macbeth Unit, and Kirosawa is a great model for film technique.
Documentary Film: The Da Ming Palace
I really wish I had this film back in Novemember with my AP class (when we were struggling through the post-classical period). I don't think I'd show the entire film but there are a few scenes that would have really "set the table" (with regard to our look at inter-regional trade and contact).
Brief synopsis: The film tells the story of the imperial palace during the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The Tang Dynasty had 20 emperors who ruled China from the 7th to 9th centuries China at that time was a remarkably open society, with unprecedented frequent and extensive exchanges and interactions with the rest of the world. The Tang Dynasty represents the height of Chinese civilization in terms of economical and cultural development. The era was marked by political stability, booming trade, thriving culture and religious growth.
Areas of the film I thoroughly enjoyed:
1. The cinematography is absolutely astounding (especially the vibrant colors)
2. The film gives the audience a "then and now" perspective
Why I'd recommend it:
1. It's fantastic if you're teaching early global networks: The capital (where the palace was located) and the Tang Dynasty had diplomatic ties with an estimated 300 foreign countries and states, envoys from neighboring Japan, Korea and India, as well as the remote Arab Empire and East Roman Empire, came to visit the capital city during that time.
2. It's easy to teach (comparing it to other palaces that are still around today, like Versailles)
3. Students like warriors and emperors.
4. It's a perfect resource for teaching about post-classical architecture.
5. Climax: the fire that destroyed the palace.
6. It's got 3-D effects (for you Avatar geeks)
All-in-all, great documentary. Get your hands on it if you can!
Princess Mononoke
Released in the US: 1999
Film Summary:
The literal summary of Princess Mononoke reflects the adventure of a young prince, Ashikaga, who travels East to find the roots of a demon. This demon, a boar who had been consumed by hate, had travelled west and had cursed Ashikaga. He travels west until he reaches Irontown. This is a fort run by a woman who has "rescued" individuals who are typically outcasts in any society (prostitutes and lepers). All of the women and men who live in Irontown help with the production and shipments of iron ore. These people extracted all of the iron from their own region and are now attempting to destroy a sacred forest in order to mine more ore. There are a series of conflicts between humans and animals that lead to a climatic fight between good and evil, humans and animals. Ulitmately the humans win out against nature and our hero returns to Irontown to help rebuild.
Reading between the lines, this film is a great way to explore Japanese religion and Japanese emphasis on nature. It also highlights the brilliant arguement against industrialization if it didn't help to benefit so many people while at the same time destroying the innocent and nature (or both).
This film can be used in two ways in my classroom. The first is to explore this film as a commentary on Shintoism. There is a heavy emphasis on nature in the film, whether or not it is in the process of being destroyed. Animism is also a topic of discussion for this film. The kodama in addition to the Forest Spirit and the gods that live within the forest all contribute to a conversation on polytheism, animism and Shintoism.
The film can also be used in a discussion on industrialization and modernization. The film includes evidence that iron (from a primitive gun) is what is responsible for turning gods into demons. Smells emerge from Irontown that cloud nature and people's judgement. In order for the town to survive, they must mine iron from another part of the forest- in the process they must also tear down the forest. This leads to the death or "dumbing down" of gods (animals) in the forest.
All in all, this makes for a good discussion whether your focus be religion or industrializtion, modernization or environmentalism.
Mongol, starring Asano Tadanobu
2007 Best Foreign Film Nominee
I came across this movie in Best Buy in the cheap $3.99 box of films, well worth the price. It's really a love story, but it gave me some great insight to life in Mongolia centuries ago. The main character is Temudgin, who later becomes Genghis Khan. Temudgin starts off as a boy in a powerful family but his dad is forced to leave by another Khan. His father is later killed and Temudgin grows up as a slave and later in life finds himself in jail in northern China. Before the death of his father, temudgin picks a bride (he is about age 7 at the time) and he finds her again later in life after many years apart. Just as Temudgin is rallying troops and making a big power move, the movie comes to an end. I think this emphasizes the love-story side of the movie.
The film gave me a great glance at nomadic life in a tough landscape. I've seen other shows on Nat Geo and Discovery that talk about nomadic Mongolians, but this was a great portrayal of everday life for these people.
Gojira (Godzilla) - The Original 1954 Japanese Version
This movie is now out on Blue-Ray believe it or not. Before this I had never seen the original movie. I've seen the modern day version (there's got to be about 10 versions out there now). I only knew the basic premise... giant lizard destroys Japan, that's about it.
It turns out to be a great mystery and great love story in the end.
The movie begins with the disappearance of a Japanese boat. In this very recent post-war Japan, fingers point right away at the Americans. But they have nothing to do with it. As boats go to the aid of the missing ship, more boats are mysteriously sunk.
The village thinks that military H-bomb testing as awoken this ancient beast and that it is hungry for fish and destruction.
The young hero is Ogata and his love interest is Emiko. Ogata is part of an initiative to find and kill Gojira. They are going to use a special weapon created by their friend Dr. Serizawa. Serizawa doesn't want the weapon to be used because of fears that the military will take his technology and use it for warfare. Emiko's father is a marine biologist and doesn't want Gojira to be hurt, he wants a chance to study it and learn about it.
In the end, the weapon is used and one of the characters (no spoiler here) dies in the arming of the weapon in order to kill Gojira. Of course the door is left open for the return......
Not only is it one of the greatest stories ever, but it also depicts post-war metropolitan Japan. It was a side that I hadn't seen in the modern movie versions.
First of all, anyone who lives in the SouthBay must visit the Redondo Beach Public Library, I HAVE TO SAY THEY HAVE THE BIGGEST SELECTION OF FOREIGN FILMS of most public libraries that I've been to, and you can't beat one week FREE RENTALS!
So, I chose this Oscar winning movie, and was happy to see it had been dubbed, so it's definitely Kid friendly. It's reportedly the highest grossing film in Japanese history, and is on British Film Industry's 50 films you should see by the age of 14. REASON ALONE TO SEE IT..
There are many great lessons revealed in this charming tale which takes place in an "abandoned theme park" where spirits are welcomed. Humility, honor, respect, and moderation are a few life lessons incorporated, along with acceptance and finding good in others, plus maturity and manners. This little girl Chihiro faces situations where she has to rise to the occasion and take one for the team... We see her mature and learn about life.
Chinese impressions from the movie:
Colorful authentic artifacts, traditional bath house, spiritual connections, acts of gratitude, friendship, honoring elders and keeping them alive in community, overcoming desires: greed, appreciate simple things...not riches, going out of the way for a friend.. "Once you meet someone, you never forget them."
Many great moments that would keep students attention.. It's PG 13.. A few of the spirits may look ghoulish, and may frighten the younger viewers.
I'd definitely show this to my class.
Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima is a heart-breaking film, and like many war films, shows us that when at war, people find it easier to kill, maim, and hate, when they can dehumanize their enemy.
That is why the General Kuribayashi brought such an interesting point of view to the film. Not only did he understand America's strength and military power, but he had spent time in the US and it seemed that he actually liked and admired Americans. This made it even more gut wrenching that he was willing to do his duty to his country even though he most certainly did not think Japan would win this battle., nor did he think of Americans as inherently evil.
The soldier, Saigo, presented a different point of view. Although, he too, was not full of hate, it wasn't because he knew much of America or Americans. He just wanted to survive and get home to his family. His point of view was also different from most Japanese portrayed in the movie. While most were willing to commit suicide for their country, he was determined to survive, and was perhaps foreshadowing a new trend in a younger generation of Japanese. It was also interesting to me that like Forrest Gump, Saigo was present at all of the key events in the movie! He always happened to be in the right place at the right time, to overhear privileged information, or to stay safe, or to help another.
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Thanks for the tip about the Redondo Beach Public library. I will check it out!
I saw the movie Spirited Away with my son and was impressed and really enjoyed it. It was interesting to me that it is a child's movie set in a bathhouse! That is definitely a Japanese cultural setting. I am sure there are many more cultural references that I was not aware of but even so the movie was beautiful and fun.
The fact that the 'bad' spirit was the polluted river showed that although it is a child's movie, Miyazaki was trying to do some teaching in the movie as well. I liked the fact that he wanted to make a movie with young girls as heroines. I had read that he was looking through the anime that some young house guests of his were reading and noticed they were all about romance, and crushes and he wanted to make a movie that portrayed young girls as heroines!
I visited Miyazaki's museum in Japan and it was a pretty imaginative and fun place. I had to get reservations here in California before I left for Japan. I would suggest that if anyone is visiting Tokyo, to definitely visit his small museum.
By the way, I would not use Spirited Away in my Kindergarten classroom. I would be afraid that there may be something in it that may offend a parent. I teach in a parent participation school, so I always have at least one parent in the classroom. Over the years I have been exposed to the many and varied opinions of parents and am not surprised by much anymore. (Except the recent parent that complained that we were singing God Bless America and When the Saints Go Marching in a first grade patriotic show!)
I could show Mulan, but I have been unable to find a commercial film that would be appropriate and support my curriculum, to show to Kindergartners. I will tell you that I do use various media frequently. I have a smart board that allows me to put the many Chinese website I use with my students, up right in front of them. For instance, they can come up and manipulate the games on the Nick Jr. site. They enjoy the Ni Hao site and games very much.
I have many students from both Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China. Quite often they need to miss school to visit family members back home. About four years ago one of my students went to Taiwan during Chinese New Years, and stayed for about three weeks. One assignment I gave him for his independent study was to video tape things that he thought his class would be interested in seeing. In particular the food, the children, buildings, and transportation. It was a great video!!
It shows the food they ate, the stalls at the open air markets, the celebrations, etc. I still use it and in fact converted it to dvd this year. This is not a commercially made video but it has been very useful in showing my students some of the things they would see if they went to Taiwan for New Year!
I am sure that many of you have the same experience with students who visit their home country during the school year. Assign a video documentary! It has been very helpful to me.
The first film I reviewed was Sassy Girl. This would be an ideal film to use with high school of college students. I believe this film would be good for those ages because this film has adult content that would be inappropriate to use with young children and it covers more complex social structures that they would be unfamiliar with and not able to evaluate well.
One of the reasons I feel this film would be a great resource for high school or college professors is because it addresses many social norms of the Korean people, in a fun and playful way. An example of books referenced in the film "The Shower" is described as engaging the entire youth in its story line and characters. This idea is rebuffed by Sassy girl as she plans to rewrite the end of the film. Teacher could use 5 main dictates of how to relate to other Koreans as a youth. Filial piety, deference to elders, etc. Then using those 5 characteristics or however many they want to highlight, look for ways that the film supports the traditional Korean values.
After looking at the societal norms look on a different level to evaluate the male/female roles as it pertains to traditional Korean culture versus modern Korean culture. By looking at the changes of each role and the impact on the familial structures, it would enable students to think about some important struggles facing Korean families today. For an extension, they could make a new ending to the book "The Shower" using either a traditional or modern Korean value system.
The second film I looked at was called Kai-Lan's Great trip to China. Kai-Lan is a cartoon character that plays on Nick Jr. The warm characters will be very welcoming for Kindergarten students. I will give my students a picture dictionary that has words from different clips of the film. Words like happy, grandpa, hello and others. Then the students would role play using those words to great each other. In the first section of the film it also teaches the students how to say hello my name is, in Mandarin Chinese. That would also be a great opportunity to learn how to introduce yourself.
Kindergarten students are learning about being open to new experiences, topics, ideas and conversations. This film is a great way to introduce how to view things in different perspectives. I really like the section where the Kai-lan and friends stop to have udon noodles and some of the characters don't want to try something new. Kai-lan asks them to try it and says "You never know, you may like it". Children transitioning from complete dependence on their parents, reach many transitions into becoming responsible and independent students.
This film I would use it multiple segments, adding to their vocabulary and picture journal each day over a week period. About 5 or so minutes a day. Taking time to stop at different points to examine, interesting things for the students. To talk with their peers, in a think-pair-share activity. Where the students discuss what they've seen, what they like or don't like and why they feel that way. Sometimes these activities are done with their elbow partner (the person they are sitting next to on the rug) or in small groups.
By starting the class with a visual, audio and physical representation of these characters it will lead in beautifully to the unit on China.
I came across an interesting documentary on manga as a literary genre that would be a great resource for middle and high school students. This would be especially great for teachers who have taught the basic literary genres and is looking to go a bit deeper.
In Japan, comics and graphic novels are regarded as their own genre equal to novels, poetry, and drama. Manga Mad traces it back to the wood block prints of the Edo Period. Western culture did not have such easy access to easily and cheaply reproduced books of essays and poetry with images until it was too late. Western culture was conditioned to accept books of text as scholarly where Japanese culture accepts text and images. This became more important during the Meiji Period because these books were a very cheap form of entertainment.
This is available on Hulu for free.
A student made video assignment sounds great! As a fourth grade teacher, I also have a hard time finding appropriate films. With all of today's technology, a student might easily be able to use YouTube or something like it to post footage of their stay abroad. I have many kids that have moved back to Japan, but still communicate via email. Maybe Skype is possible too.
I viewed a movie titled "Please Vote for Me". The movie is about an elementary school in China that is using a Democratic way of electing a new class monitor. The movie follows the "campaigns" of three students who were nominated for the job. It is very interesting to watch these young students learn about democracy. I think this would be a great movie to show to any type of political science class. It really takes it back to the roots of what a democracy is. Highly recommend.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1097256/
Hi all,
I. M. Pei: Building China Modern. This American Masters film was aired on PBS March 31, 2010, and will be streamed online through the end of June. To view the documentary, visit www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/.
-Xin
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