You know, I've heard and read all the complaints about Zhang Zhou's "Hero" being a thinly-veiled piece of Chinese nationalist propaganda, but for all that at least it's still a good thinly-veiled piece of nationalist propaganda.  "Fearless" has no such claim going for it.

First off, you have to understand that if you've seen the clips of the fight scenes that made their way to the Internet a while back, you've seen the entire movie.  Well, you've seen the part you'd be paying to see if you went to the theater or rented it.  In all absolute honesty, those clips constitute approximately 95% of the action scenes from the film, and 100% of the good ones.  The film starts off with Li's character fighting (and defeating) all of the Western martial artists at their own game, and ends with a TKO delivered (by way of skullduggery) by the Japanese martial artist.  Everything in between is a showcase for teh director's bad film-making skills and Li's embarrassing acting.

But here's the particular bit that got my gall up.  I'm sitting here, drinking a cup of coffee, and I'm reminded of this unintended pair of hamfisted scenes.  Early on in the film, Li's character's wealthy friend has served him what is presumed to be a cup of tea.  After what is practically a spit-take, the dialogue proceeds (and I paraphrase):

   Li: "Ew!  This is terrible!  What is it?
Li's Friend: "It's called 'coffee'.  It's new, and from the West!"
Li: "Well it's crap.  Traditional tea is better!"

No, wait.  You have to pair it with this next scene for full irony.

Li's character is later being hosted by the Japanese martial atrist, a kendo and karate master, who is doing him a great honor by offering him a traditional tea ceremony.  Again, paraphrased:

   Li: "You know, I don't care what kind of tea you serve me."
Kendo Master: "I, uh...I'm sorry, but...I didn't ask you if..."
Li: "And I don't care if it's good or bad.  In fact, I prefer if it's just bog-standard crap tea.  Because, we, as a people, take what we're given and don't put on airs. In fact, we like our tea crappy."
Kendo Master: "But, I thought I'd just show you a favor..."
Li: "Yep.  Crappy tea.  That's what we ignorant piss-ants grow here, and that's what we like.  It's a virtue, for simple folk!"

Okay, so he rejects one crappy-tasting beverage in favor of another.  The message is clear.  Reject Western crap; and don't look to the refinements of other Asian cultures like Japan for guidance; embrace our own brand of crap.

There's plenty more if you make the mistake of renting and watching it.  Really, it's no surprise, but this particular pair of scenes just sticks in my craw and rises in my gullet every time I sit down to a cup of Joe.  No, you don't have to like my brew, but fuck you if you're going to start tearing down other people's brew while simultaneously admitting that what you drink sucks.  Oh, and don't save money by cutting corners, like filling pet food with tainted protein substitutes.  China, I see a bubble fixing to burst on the horizon.

!i!

Maybe.... and this is just a thought here.....

Maybe that was just a poor attempt at humor? Maybe there was some subtle irony that you, being non-Asian, didn't get?

I haven't seen the movie, so I obviously can't comment, but what you've written looks like it was intended as a joke.

Well, that's probably due in great part to the fact that I wrote it as a joke.  However, I believe you're right about the coffee scene being a joke -- it seemed like a purposeful little chuckle at the expense of the West in general and Starbuck's in particular.  The scene with the Japanese character plainly wasn't a joke, though, and wasn't played for any kind of comic effect -- Li's character was simply being an ungrateful and uncouth boor to his host.

Overall, joke or not, the propagandist message was still clear.

!i!

The movie is definitely aimed at showing Chinese Heroism at its finest in the face of a New English World, but since it's a movie about a historical Chinese Hero faced with an encroaching New English World, I don't hold that against it.

How many revolutionary war movies do you see that paint England as a wonderful place that should be embraced by all Americans everywhere? How many WWII movies show the finer aspects of German and Japanese culture? Do you rail against every Vietnam War movie that doesn't show American G.I.s happily devouring bowls of rice? Or post rants about Braveheart for not decking the highlanders out in pants instead of kilts?

It seems to me like you went into the movie without understanding what it was about.

Quote from: James McMurrayIt seems to me like you went into the movie without understanding what it was about.

No, no.  I understood entirely what it was about.  That much is clear in the very story itself.  That much of the propagandist message I can forgive.  It's how bad the actual scenes themselves are and how they're strung together that I can't forgive.  

Common man rising up against Imperialist aggressors as an inspiration to his fellow man?  Right on.  Ham-fisted jabs at cultural minutia?  No.  Just no.

!i!

If they'd been drinking Sangria Señorial, they'd not only stop bitching and beating on their chests, but they'd turn into even more bad-ass martial artists and the movie would've rocked harder.

Seriously, the stuff is divine. S'like Jooky, only for real.

Is that the stuff out of the bottle?  The nearest Safeway has a great selection of Mexican groceries, and I think I bought a bottle of that once along with some of the bottled frescas (which, if you think about the fact that they're bottled, aren't that "fresca").

!i!

If there is a God, he's jonesing for some of this.

A store by me sells mexican Coca-Cola's. Which if your not familiar with besides being in a cool glass bottle. (Which totally makes me feel like a kid again, buying a 16oz glass bottle of soda at the corner store for 50 cents) It has a sweeter taste. I understand that it is because coca-cola made here in the states is made with corn syrup. While in mexico it is made with cane sugar. Which gives it a slightly different taste.

That's the one.  And I just remembered the brand of the sodas -- Jarritos.  Most of their flavors are pretty sketchy, but I'm mad for their tamarindo flavor.

!i!

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaAnd I just remembered the brand of the sodas -- Jarritos.  Most of their flavors are pretty sketchy, but I'm mad for their tamarindo flavor.

!i!

Los Jarritos son tu papi.  Ajua!

The tamarindo is bad ass.  Tamarind = yum, tamrind soda = pure awesome.  

I'm also a big fan of the pineapple.

Ian's right. "Fearless" is a big load of jingoistic rubbish.
Sad thing is, though, stuff like the "if you don't like Chinese tea you're a racist, but all non-Chinese tea is filth and I'm not a racist because I'm Chinese" is a pretty typical mainland attitude.

Propaganda?

Huh. I honestly hadn't considered Fearless as being a concerted effort to promote traditional, pre-Revolution Chinese values and society. Really hadn't thought of it as an ad for Chinese tea, either.

Sorta figured it was a vehicle for some martial arts fight scenes, yet another sequel to "Asian Dude Flips Out And Totally Fucks Up Some Other Dudes, Who May Or May Not Also Be Asian", one of the most popular movies in history. That it was written to make a fuckload of money, rather than push an ideology.

Maybe I'm not down with the new viral meme-based Hollywood. I thought that industry ran on diet pills and multi-millions.

Erm, this is ain't no Hollywood film. A shift towards PRC propaganda is clearly noticable in some post-Brit-HK movies.... Not that Wu Xia doesn't have a huge amount of ethnic pride already.