second assignment for world cinema class

1. Point College
Title: Compare HK, Taiwan, SH Movie
Assignment No.: 2
Date: 02/02/2015
Name: Lee Sweet Wan
Course: Introduction to World Cinema

2. 02/02/2015
Monday
Lee Sweet Wan
Compare the differences between Hong Kong, Taiwan, and
Shanghai Movies
First at all, I chose the movie Tai Chi Master, a 1993 Hong Kong movie which
directed by Yuen Woo Ping. The story is about two boys Junbao and Tienbo
grow up together in a Shaolin Temple. Later, they both expelled from the temple
and start to live their own life. Junbao is always satisfied with his life but Tienbo
can’t stand to be powerless so he split with Junbao and live his own life. He is
turning evil as he betray his friend Junbao. Therefore, Junbao is The Hero and
Tienbo is The Rebel in this movie.
Next, I chose The Dull Ice Flower, a 1989 Taiwan movie which directed by Yang Li
Kuo. The story is about a young boy named Ah-Ming who perform badly in
school but has a talent in art. However, the poverty of his family prevents him
from freely painting. Later, a young fine-art teacher Kuo is assigned to teach in
his school and he votes Ah-Ming to a painting competition but other teachers
choose mayor’s son for the school and their own benefits. Kuo then leaves the
school and Ah Ming is upset for losing his support. In addition, Ah Ming gets a
sudden liver sickness and dies. After that, the school learns that Kuo sent Ah
Ming’s work for an international competition and it wins the gold medal. The
school realizes Ah Ming’s talent but it is just too late.
Lastly, I chose East Palace, West Palace, a 1996 China movie which directed by
Zhang Yuan. It is a coming of age genre movie. The whole story is about one
guy’s life from his childhood until now which related to a homosexual lifestyle of
the protagonists his own.
They are Chinese Film but there will also be some differences between them. As
my opinion, Hong Kong movies has their own characteristics which lead them to
so popular among the Chinese Film and even more than that. As I watched the
movie Tai Chi Master, I can tell that they combines with the traditional custom or
lifestyle and deliver them through movies. For example, they often do some
Kung Fu or Wu Xia movies so that people will gets to know more about it. For
sure that they will also have many genres but not only Kung Fu and Wu Xia but
what I see is these two is more popular in Hong Kong movies. In addition, I
realized that they will add in some sense of humor to make people laugh. I think
is good that people will not only get entertain and in the same time they will also

3. learn something from the movies. Besides, the shoot they used can make us feel
like there are some continuous in it.
Now is the turn for Taiwan movies. After I watched The Dull Ice Flower, I realized
that how the Taiwan movies deliver their messages. They will shows the story that
is related more to the society and the way they deliver the messages is not
something hash or cruel but will makes you feel touch and warm. Their moral
value is always strong and people will easily get to understand what the movie
and the message is going to reach you. It’s suit for people in any generation.
Sometimes it will be a guide or an inspiration for you to live your life. But the
shoots they used in 80’s movie is a little bit long like there are some shoots that
make me feels like it’s not necessary.
Lastly, as my opinion the China movies is way more baldness compare to the
Hong Kong and Taiwan movies. For example, the movie East Palace, West
Palace is a story about one guys talking his own homosexual lifestyle. It uses too
many flashback scenes while the guy keep telling his story which make me feel
like bored. There is a climax but you can just slightly see it. No offense but I can’t
see the characteristics in China movies from the movie that I watched. Besides
the way they shoot is like they hold one shoot which shooting the same subject
for 3 to 6 seconds which I think is a little bit longer. It is better if they reduce the
time for every shoot.
Meanwhile, I would like to talk about those three directors. The first one is Yuen
Woo Ping. He is a Chinese martial art choreographer and director from
Guangzhou, China. He is best known for his work on Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), Drunken
Master (1978), Kung Fu Hustle (2004). He attended the same Chinese Opera
School as Jackie Chan who starring in his movie Drunken Master, Yuen Biao who
starring in his movie Dreadnaughty (1981), Sammo Kam Bo Hung who starring in
his movie Magnificent Butcher (1979), but left before Jackie Chan was enrolled.
Then his action choreography attracted Wachowskis, who hired him as the
martial art choreographer on The Matrix (1999). The success of this collaboration
made him way more success and famous after figure in Hollywood.
The second is Yang Li Kuo who is a director from Taiwan. I can only found out
three movies of him, The Dull Ice Flower (1989)which is also the movie that I
watched, Qiao Ke Li Zhan Zheng (1992), Panda The Sun (1995). He is not famous
as other directors do but I like his movie The Dull Ice Flower.
The last one is Zhang Yuan. He is a Chinese Film Director from Nanjing, Jiangsu.
He is best known for Little Red Flowers (2006), East Palace West Palace (1996),
Green Tea (2003), Seventeen Years (1999). He and his films have won ten
awards out of seventeen nominations received at international film festivals. In

4. addition, he did shot in a documentary style. After East Palace West Palace,
Zhang’s style began to shift away from documentary-like neo-realist dramas to
more conventionally filmed features. A family drama and also a first Chinese film
with approval to shoot inside a Chinese prison, Seventeen Years (1999) proved a
significant international success winning the Best Director award at the Venice
Film Festival.