The significant social and political context that characterizes Asian cinema is attracting growing attention in the west. In fact those who believe Asian films are easily explained away as kung fu epics, kitsch Godzilla films and great fodder for Hollywood horror remakes, should note recent trends that point towards a great cultural shift from pioneering west to the creative east.
Whilst popular cinematic offerings such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero and House Of Flying Daggers are all well known to western audiences, an integral component of many of the world’s most important and influential film festivals present an even deeper picture of what sort of film making is occurring in the east.
To begin with, Asian cinema boasts both a rich history and some significant input in the creation of what is now termed as ‘modern cinema’. China for example, offers a century-long history of creating internationally acclaimed and influential works of cinematic importance. With the creation of the first Chinese film Conquering Jun Mountain in 1905 through to the so called ‘golden years‘ of the 1930s and ’40s, the impact of the cinematic medium on the country’s emotional, spiritual and political growth was significant.
Many influential film theorists liken the successive eras of the film industry in China to a visual record of the nation’s colorful and tempestuous history. Chinese filmmakers had no hesitation in confronting the country’s dark past and political future. From offering representations of revolutionary life, the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, the civil war, the establishment of post revolutionary China, and the changes brought about after China’s eventual entry into the world trade organization agreement, some would argue that Chinese films were less proscribed than their western counterparts.
Hong Kong’s film industry has similarly existed since the beginning of the century. Early on in its colorful past, the city-state stood in the shadow of the glamorous and cinematically revered Shanghai – a city seen to be a more cultured and sophisticated metropolis. However, during the time of mainland China’s civil war from 1946-1949, the movie business took off to a degree that nobody expected. Hong Kong became the home for free market film in the region, and after the end of World War II, the island experienced tremendous cultural and economic growth. As it became one of the world’s leading cities, it in turn encouraged a film industry that grew exponentially.
International art house audiences soon became well acquainted with the works of the now prolific Hong Kong based directors. Filmmakers that included Wong Kar-Wai and Stanley Kwan. And some even established themselves within the mainstream Hollywood film making infrastructure. Directors like John Woo and Tsui Hark with their east meets west style created a unique niche for themselves in the ever-popular action film genre.
Asian neighbor Japan saw its local cinema first come to widespread notice with the release of Akira Kurosawa’s multi award-winning cinematic masterpiece Rashomon. And the influence of the eponymous global phenomenon that is Anime should not be under rated in the establishment of Japanese screen.
Similarly to China, the Japanese film industry has a long and prolific history. Noted directors such as Kenji Mizoguchi of The 47 Ronin fame and the prodigiously talented Yasujiro Ozu were already making internationally acclaimed films. And it was during the halcyon days of the 1950s and 1960s that film theorists agreed Japanese film had reached a level of excellence which saw the creation of yet another cinematic ‘golden age’. An age that shed light on the works of now iconic directors such as Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita, and Kon Ichikawa.
Meanwhile, the often underappreciated Korean film industry is another powerful force in the pantheon of Asian cinema. Historically speaking, an analysis of Korea’s cinematic legacy demonstrates a clear picture of the Korean people’s desire to project to both its people and the world at large a unified national space and culture. Struggling with the trauma of Japanese colonialism and the respective military occupation of the United States and the former Soviet Union, many Korean filmmakers were compelled to project the unified subject of the Korean nation.
Significantly, the country created what film theorists call the ‘New Korean Cinema’ – a term commonly used to refer to the highly influential period of cinematic output between the years from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. During this period, Korea experienced intense political upheaval which had a tremendous impact on the country’s cultural sectors.
Many film auteurs from the New Korean Cinema movement made their directorial debut during this period. Political and social experts likewise concur that until the present day, Korean cinema continues to play an integral role in the ever important national processes of decolonialization, democratization, reunification, and modernization.
Asia has also become the birthplace of some fundamental film movements in global cinematic history throughout the last century. Movements such as the 5th Generation (in the People’s Republic of China), the Taiwanese New Cinema, the Hong Kong and South Korean New Waves are all key indicators on a region taking it’s own path in creating an authentic cinematic context.
Over the last two decades alone, the continent of Asia has produced some of the most significant feature films in the world. Indeed when viewing global trends it is interesting to note the strong Asian influence in western film making today.