From "Shang-Chi", We Can See The Evolution Of Chinese Main Characters In American Movies. Which One Do You Like Best?

This post aims to review the Chinese main characters in American movies by introducing the recent top trending movie "Shang-Chi."

The Change in a Century

Marvel Comics' new film "Shang-Chi" has won the box office championship in the United States for two consecutive weeks since it was released. Overseas Chinese are excited because Marvel Comics has finally released the first film featuring Chinese. If this film is interpreted as a cultural phenomenon, the Chinese may better understand the off-screen significance. As part of the traditional thinking of "externalizing" Chinese in the United States, the lack of Chinese characters in film and television has deepened the confusion of Chinese born in the United States about identity.

However, some excellent American classic films with Chinese as the main characters have actually been produced in the past century. Let us see what they are and how they look like.

Shang-Chi (2021)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Via thefilmexperience.net

"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a 2021 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Shang-Chi. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 25th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, from a screenplay he wrote with Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham, and stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi alongside Awkwafina, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Michelle Yeoh, Ben Kingsley, and Tony Leung. In the film, Shang-Chi is forced to confront his past when his father Wenwu (Leung), the leader of the Ten Rings organization, draws Shang-Chi and his sister Xialing (Zhang) into a search for a mythical village."

Shang-Chi and the legend of the Ten rings. (2021, October 22). Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang-Chi_and_the_Legend_of_the_Ten_Rings

Broken Blossoms (1919)

United Artists / Via zh.wikipedia.org, United Artists / Via filmsite.org

“Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl often referred to simply as Broken Blossoms, is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. It was distributed by United Artists and premiered on May 13, 1919. It stars Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, and Donald Crisp, and tells the story of a young girl, Lucy Burrows, who is abused by her alcoholic prizefighting father, Battling Burrows, and meets Cheng Huan, a kind-hearted Chinese man who falls in love with her."

Broken Blossoms. (2021, July 25). Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Blossoms

The Good Earth (1939)

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1926 and 1977 / Via en.wikipedia.org, This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1926 and 1977 / Via en.wikipedia.org

"The Good Earth is a 1937 American drama film about Chinese farmers who struggle to survive. It was adapted by Talbot Jennings, Tess Slesinger, and Claudine West from the 1932 play by Owen Davis and Donald Davis, which was in itself based on the 1931 novel of the same name by Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck."

The good earth (film). (2021, October 09). Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Earth_(film)

Dragon Seed (1944)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Loew's Inc. / Via thefilmexperience.net

"Dragon Seed is a 1944 American war drama film directed by Jack Conway and Harold S. Bucquet, based on the 1942 novel of the same name by Pearl S. Buck. The film stars Katharine Hepburn, Walter Huston, Aline MacMahon, Akim Tamiroff, and Turhan Bey. It portrays a peaceful village in China that has been invaded by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The men in the village choose to adopt a peaceful attitude toward their conquerors, but the headstrong Jade (Hepburn) stands up to the Japanese."

Dragon Seed (film). (2021, October 06). Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Seed_(film)

Enter the Dragon (1973)

Golden Harvest / Via memebase.cheezburger.com, Golden Harvest / Via giphy.com

"Enter the Dragon is a 1973 martial arts action film directed by Robert Clouse. Enter The Dragon is the most successful martial arts movie ever made, a record it has held since its release in 1973. The film stars Bruce Lee, John Saxon and Jim Kelly. It was Lee's final completed film appearance before his death on 20 July 1973 at age 32. An American and Hong Kong co-production, it premiered in Los Angeles on 19 August 1973, one month after Lee's death. The film grossed an estimated US$350 million worldwide (equivalent to more than $1 billion adjusted for inflation), against a budget of $850,000. Having earned over 400 times its budget, it is one of the most profitable films of all time, as well as being the most profitable martial arts film."

Enter the dragon. (2021, October 17). Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enter_the_Dragon

The Last Emperor (1982)

Columbia Pictures / Via sohu.com, Columbia Pictures / Via harpersbazaar.com

"The Last Emperor is a 1987 epic biographical drama film about the life of Puyi, the final Emperor of China. It is directed by Bernardo Bertolucci from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mark Peploe, which was adapted by Puyi's 1964 autobiography, and independently produced by Jeremy Thomas.

The film depicts Puyi's life from his ascent to the throne as a small boy to his imprisonment and political rehabilitation by the Communist Party of China. It stars John Lone in the eponymous role, with Peter O'Toole, Joan Chen, Ruocheng Ying, Victor Wong, Dennis Dun, Vivian Wu, Lisa Lu, and Ryuichi Sakamoto; who also composed the film score with David Byrne and Cong Su. It was the first Western feature film authorized by the People's Republic of China to film in the Forbidden City in Beijing."

The last emperor. (2021, October 18). Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Emperor

The Joy Luck Club (1993)

Buena Vista Pictures / Via en.wikipedia.org, Buena Vista Pictures / Via en.wikipedia.org

"The Joy Luck Club is a 1993 American drama film about the relationships between Chinese-American women and their Chinese immigrant mothers. It was directed by Wayne Wang and stars Tsai Chin, Kieu Chinh, Lisa Lu, France Nuyen, Rosalind Chao, Lauren Tom, Tamlyn Tomita, and Ming-Na Wen. The film is based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Amy Tan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bass. The film was produced by Bass, Tan, Wang and Patrick Markey while Oliver Stone served as an executive producer. Four older women, all Chinese immigrants living in San Francisco, meet regularly to play mahjong, eat, and tell stories. Each of these women has an adult Chinese-American daughter. The film reveals the hidden pasts of the older women and their daughters and how their lives are shaped by the clash of Chinese and American cultures as they strive to understand their family bonds and one another."

The joy luck club (film). (2021, October 18). Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Joy_Luck_Club_(film)

Rush Hour (1998)

New Line Cinema / Via asiasociety.org, New Line Cinema / Via sohu.com

"Rush Hour is a 1998 American buddy action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and written by Jim Kouf and Ross LaManna from a story by LaManna. It stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as mismatched police officers who are assigned to rescue a Chinese diplomat's abducted daughter. Tzi Ma, Tom Wilkinson, Ken Leung, Mark Rolston, Elizabeth Peña, and Rex Linn play supporting roles. Released on September 18, 1998, the film grossed over $244 million worldwide. The film's box office commercial success led to two sequels: Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Rush Hour 3 (2007)."

Rush hour (1998 film). (2021, October 12). Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_Hour_(1998_film)

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Paramount Pictures Corporation / Via scmp.com, Paramount Pictures Corporation / Via nytimes.com

"Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated martial arts comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the first installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise. Directed by John Stevenson (in his feature directorial debut) and Mark Osborne, the film stars the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim, James Hong, Dan Fogler, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Jackie Chan. The film is set in a version of ancient China populated by anthropomorphic animals and revolves around a bumbling panda named Po, a kung fu enthusiast. When a notorious kung fu snow leopard named Tai Lung is foretold to escape from prison, Po is unwittingly named the "Dragon Warrior" - a kung fu legend that is destined to defeat him."

Kung Fu Panda (film). (2021, October 05). Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_Fu_Panda_(film)

Mortal Kombat (2021)

Warner Bros. Pictures / Via usatoday.com, Warner Bros. Pictures / Via polygon.com

"Mortal Kombat is a 2021 martial arts fantasy film based on the video game franchise of the same name and a reboot of the Mortal Kombat film series.[4] The film stars Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Chin Han, Max Huang, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada. It is directed by Simon McQuoid (in his feature directorial debut), from a screenplay by Greg Russo and Dave Callaham and a screen story by Russo and Oren Uziel.[5] The film follows Cole Young, a washed-up mixed martial arts fighter who is unaware of his hidden lineage or why assassin Sub-Zero is hunting him down. Concerned for the safety of his family, he seeks out a clique of fighters that were chosen to defend Earthrealm against Outworld."

Mortal Kombat (2021 film). (2021, October 19). Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortal_Kombat_(2021_film)