Foreign films expand cultural dialogue

Perhaps you’ve heard of the U.S.-China co-production “The Great Wall,” a mega-blockbuster targeting their respective film markets — the two largest in the world. Or perhaps you haven’t, as it flopped in both countries despite high pre-release buzz. Its disappointing critical and financial performance underscores the pitfalls of a partnership that is nevertheless poised to reshape the domestic box office landscape in the years to come.

One of the forces behind this reshaping is the influence of Chinese state censorship. In the 2016 film, “Doctor Strange,” Marvel Studios deliberately changed Tilda Swinton’s character, the Ancient One, from Tibetan to Celtic. Although many criticized this inaccurate adaptation of source material as whitewashing, it was actually done to better appeal to a non-Western audience. Only 34 foreign films are selected for wide distribution in China each year, and anything considered politically contentious, such as a depiction of Strange’s mentor as a Tibetan master of magic, can be struck down by censors.

Fears have been raised about how these restrictions could affect the creative decisions that Hollywood sanctions in the future. Despite this, media executives in both countries have described their growing number of co-productions as a promising way to pool their shared resources. Casting a popular Chinese actor, including a Chinese song, or incorporating some form of product placement offers a film some clout with overseas audiences and investors.

The inclusion of Chinese elements in normally homogenous Hollywood films carries the potential to establish cultural rapport between our countries. Through the unifying lens of pop culture, we can get to know each other better. However, when the terms of this cross-cultural exchange are highly commercialized, audiences feel pandered to, as indicated by lukewarm reception for “The Great Wall.” Its safe, cliched narrative, easily digestible by state censors, was unengaging, and its hybridized cast of top-billing actors failed to mesh well, coming across as ham-fisted rather than synergistic.

Cinema has the power to depict our diversity and shared humanity, but authentic depictions of culture fall by the wayside when the ultimate goal is profit maximization. Relying on novelty and merely highlighting exotic elements of culture does not do anyone justice. Don’t we want to see authentic narratives from China? And shouldn’t we want to show China what America is really like? An accomplished director like Zhang Yimou, who has made some of the greatest Chinese-language films of all time, deserves to be leading the charge in this direction, and not towards superficial attempts at inclusivity.

Implementing institutional change may be difficult, but consumers still have an obligation to seek out films that matter. Instead of watching a movie like “The Great Wall,” which is almost entirely in English, give your ticket sales to a genuinely Chinese production. Thanks to Hawaii’s predominantly Asian demographic and our very own Hawaii International Film Festival, Hawaii has a showcase of cinema from around the Pacific Rim with many opportunities to see a variety of mainland Chinese, Taiwanese and other foreign films.

Some of the finest films ever made aren’t U.S. productions or in English at all. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t hard to read subtitles and watching foreign films accords many benefits. It could introduce you to a new community of film-goers, or even help you get in practice for foreign language classes. Most importantly, you’ll expand your cultural understanding in an age where many people find solace in their own stereotypical ways of thinking. All in all, you’ll be contributing to the kind of authentic cultural dialogue that will help filmmakers and their audiences move forward together.

Emerson Goo is a Kaiser High School student, class of 2017.