Three films that portray Chinese culture are 55 Days in Peking; Crouching Tiger, Hidden

Dragon; and The Sand Pebbles. These films portray China differently, but have some reoccurring
themes. A few themes apparent in them are colonialism, mythical beliefs, and anti-foreignism.
The attempt will be to show how these themes are conveyed in contrast with the actual culture of
China presented in class lectures.
First, from the film 55 Days in Peking, the two scenes to be examined are the opening
scene and the banquet scene. The opening scene has imagery of colonialism and anti-foreignism.
The second scene has mythical imagery. In this context mythical is without foundation in fact;
imaginary; fictitious (Dictionary.com).
The opening scene of the film begins with a narration of the events transpiring in China
during the summer of 1900. Civil unrest, famine, and crop failure is running rampant in China.
Foreigners are present in large numbers throughout China, and the Boxers are stirring up trouble.
An execution of a Chinese man is about to occur; he has been charged with firing on Boxers who
have the support of the Empress Dowager Cixi and Prince Juan. The execution is opposed by
General Jung Lo who fears the repercussions of allowing the Boxers to continue persecution of
Christians and foreign missionaries unhalted by the government.
In this first scene, the Boxers supported by the Empress Dowager shows the population
of Chinas attitude being anti-foreign with few Chinese thinking rationally about the
consequences of attacking a superior force. The scene also foreshadows Chinas defeat and
oppression by foreign powers. The portrayal of this oppression appears as both reasonable and an
acceptable response for Chinas provocation of foreign powers. The colonialism of China is
presented throughout the rest of the film as necessary for providing intelligent and rational
governance of China.

The second scene is of a banquet held by the foreign diplomats. Charleston Hestons
character is present at the banquet, besides it appearing to be for dignitaries only. During the
banquet, Prince Juan makes an appearance presenting entertainment for the diplomats. This
entertainment is a Boxer performance of their martial training. After a clearly choreographed
mock fight that shows the Boxer as incapable of being harmed; one of the Boxers challenges
Hestons character to attempt to strike him with a presented sword.
Here, the mythical abilities of Boxers is shown as ridiculous and Western supremacy is
asserted. Heston takes the sword and instead of attempting to harm his challenger, he presses the
sword against the stomach of another Boxer. This is to show, Boxers are not the legendary
fighters they boast about and how simple ingenuity on the part of Westerns can easily beat and
humiliate them.
The second film has imagery of mythical beliefs. This film makes a mockery of
traditional Chinese martial arts. Through the outrageous flying fights, unethical weapon mastery,
and incredible skills of the warriors, Chinese culture is belittled and made the focal point of a
joke. As well, cultural beliefs of the four noble truths and noble eight fold path are shown as
outdated and misleading.
A couple scenes that portray the ridicule of Chinese martial combat is the pursuit of the
sword thief, the death of the inspector, and the bamboo forest fight. In all of these scenes, the
participants leap with no apparent amount of energy and leap from street level to the top of a
house or even tree. Attacks that send the recipient flying ten to twenty feet backwards and
techniques of creating currents of wind with swords or spears to push back foes are purely
mythical. These connotations of Chinese martial arts makes fun of traditional Chinese training
like the Boxers who trained for years to reach a certain level of mastery.

The second issue of ridiculing Chinese culture comes in how they present the four noble
truths as a solution or cure all for suffering and desire. Two of the main characters are portrayed
as having held to the disciplines all their lives denying feelings for each other. At the end of the
film, both these characters are left unfulfilled or without peace as Li Mu Bai dies at the hands of
Jade Fox, who he was destined to defeat to avenge his master. From the opposite side, Jen and
Dark Cloud who both pursue their desires are left unresolved as they part ways with Jens death.
The same conclusion is assumed from these two couples endings. The disciplines do nothing for
restraining suffering or providing peace.
Finally, the third film portrays the mythical beliefs of Chinese culture and the anti-foreign
attitude assumed of most Chinese. The character Holman makes several remarks about the
Chineses superstitions and their lack of intelligence. Holman makes it clear that he doesnt
believe the coolies can maintain the engines of the ship; saying something similar to them not
understanding how it works an believing they are powered by ghosts or spirits. The second
portrayal is in the captains explanation to Holman about how the head coolie believes that
Holman killed the coolie chief in the engine room. Both of these references play to the
backwardness assumed of the Chinese.
The second portrayal, specifically the anti-foreignism, is shown through the Chinese
response to American presence on the river and the missionaries. When conflicts between
Chinese and foreigners begin to break out the Chinese attack the Sand Pebble and the Christian
missionaries working in the country.
In summary, the three films have very negative implications about Chinese culture. The
Chinese are very backwards in understanding the natural world and vastly inferior to the
revolutionized and advanced West. Their traditions are outlandish and extreme in nature.

Believing in ghosts, spirits, and immortality. Similarly, the need for colonialism of China is
shown by how they are incapable of governing themselves and their leaders being just as nave
as their population. This is shown through the head coolie on the Sand Pebble and the Empress
Dowager and Prince Tuan. Last, China has severe misgivings about foreigners and their general
attitude is very anti-foreign. All three films give Chinese culture and people a very bad
reputation.