3 . Hollywood is looking East. And not just for ticket buyers. It is putting more and more Chinese elements into its productions. Chinese elements are playing an important role in Western films. Here, we list just a few of these elements.
The Chinese people
Hollywood has a history of casting Caucasian (白种人) actors for films where the race of the character is anything but white. Now, things are changing bit by bit. Kung fu superstar Bruce Lee was perhaps the first Chinese face Hollywood got familiar with. Action stars Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-fat and Jet Lee followed his footsteps. More and more ethnically Chinese faces were introduced to the silver screen around the world.
Symbols of China
Kung fu seems to be an element immediately associated with China.This also shows in films. The Karate Kid, starring Jackie Chan and actor Will Smiths son Jaden Smith, tells the story of how a boy, who was bullied at school, changed the course of his life after learning martial arts from a car mechanic (played by Chan). The film earned more than 1.6 billion yuan in ticket sales in China.
The Chinese language
Actor Bruce Willis showed his language skills in the film Red, where he said “A few years ago, I lived in Wuhan” in Chinese. This caused quite a stir in the theatres for Chinese audiences. Willis is not the only one who has spoken Chinese on the big screen. In Pearl Harbour, Alec Baldwin taught American soldiers how to say "I am an American " in Chinese. Nicolas Cage also delivered one of his most recognized lines “I prefer to shoot"in Chinese in Lord of War.
1. Why does Hollywood look East ?
A.Chinese film industry develops better. |
B.Hollywood intends to attract more ticket buyers. |
C.Hollywood finds it valuable to cooperate with China. |
D.Chinese elements make a big difference to Hollywood. |
2. Which Chinese actor did Hollywood first become familiar with ?
A.Chow Yun-fat | B.Jackie Chan | C.Bruce Lee | D.Will Smiths |
3. Who spoke the lines in Chinese in Pearl Harbour ?
A.Bruce Willis | B.Alec Baldwin | C.Nicolas Cage | D.Jaden Smith |