Since the day when Hollywood became the centre of American film industry, a system that introduces us to the studio system had to be introduced. The system was duly designed in such a way that it ensures quality and cost of the films that are being produced. The film system is very organized than anywhere else in the world; there is great division of labour ranging from the screenwriter to the producer’s roles being well defined. Nonetheless, the American film industry has been solely enjoying the returns from the film industry since the advent of film industry, but since the advent of the 21st century where stiff competition has been felt from all over the world with notable filmmakers such as Bollywood from India and the Chinese film makers. Particularly, the United States film industry has made a great impact to the growth and expansion of the Chinese film segment. In this paper, I will expound on how the US film has both positively and negatively affected the Chinese film’s development.
According to an article in the New York Times, China wants its movies to be big in the US too, authored by Michael Cieply, China has currently the second largest box office in the world behind, the Unite States, with projected sales of more than $3.5 billion in sales annually. Cieply further explains how china has embarked on a journey to improving their current state of the film industry, he says that, China is no longer building the usual film studios, but he world magnificent and fanciest film facilities. China’s ambitious filmmakers and film entrepreneurs such as the recently honoured movie star Li Bing bing, whom this articles reports that were present in 2014 annual United States-China Film summit are much interested into penetrating the global market with numerous movie hits. The Chairman of the China Film distribution and Exhibition said “we have more than 5000 years of history that needs to be captured in a motion picture” (Cieply 2014).
According to my analysis, the US film industry has greatly and positively influenced film development in china through varied ways. First, it is the US film industry that created the global standards for a film to be accepted by audiences all over the world (Zhu, and Stanley 17). It greatly influenced the Chinese film industry by way of creating universally accepted movies. One perfect example of how this approach was achieved is through the partnership of the Chinese film and Hollywood in making the movie, Man of Tai chi, Starring Tiger Chen and Keanu Reeves. Unlike previous Chinese films, this movie was produced with all the standards that make Hollywood enjoy the competitive advantage over the rest of the film makers across the world (Zhu, and Stanley 27). Man of Tai chi, which premiered in the late 2013 is considered to be one of the direct bridge or relationship by Hollywood and the Chinese film development. This Reeves-directed movie is a concrete example that the US has positively influenced the development of China’s film industry so as to receive worldwide acceptance.
Additionally, the US positively impacts the development of the Chinese film industry through allowing for marketing platforms so that they can reach for more audience. Since the moviemaking industry has become very expensive over the past two decades, due to factors such as the large special effects, marketing expenditures and the rising cost of movie celebrity salaries, it becomes apparent that all these factors contribute to the increase in the natural advantage of talents across the board for the demand project evaluation and forecasting (Berry and Mary, 207). Due to this fact the initial clusters in the Chinese film industry often generate snowball effects, thus attracting yet a lot more talent to the commercial centre. Therefore, when the Chinese directors desires to make their movies popular and be a global hit, the first option that will definitely run across their minds is the collaboration with the American directors from notable film corporations in Hollywood.
However, in equal measures, there has also been negative effects in the Chinese film development due to unfavourable trends coming in the top film industry. In most western movies, the man theme is characterised largely by issues such as graphic sex, massive explosions, terrorism, fast living among many other negative issues that negatively affect the society at large. Therefore, in the course of emulating the western films industry, the adverse effects portrayed in most of the Hollywood movies have started to find their way in their Chinese film sector. Due to the great influence from the west, the Chinese directors have nowadays shunned the traditional approach to film making that mostly dwelt on the dominant culture of the Chinese people, Shaolin lifestyles, Kung Fu among other aspects that defined the chinese movies. They have totally altered the Chinese traditions in filming approaches due to trying to keep up with the global film competition threats.
Movies such as the Pacific Rim and Iron man3 are examples of how Chinese actors are evolving in accordance to the influence received from the Western Film industry. According to the article by a news website The Atlantic, Hollywood and China: In Figures authored by Jonathan Landreth, it becomes evident that the Hollywood mentality is trying to injure the Chinese film industry development (Landreth, 122). Nonetheless, this article praises the Chinese government to being one of the strictest bodies in the world with regard to film making. Reeves, the director of Man of Tai chi said in an interview with Cieply that, since the Republic of China does not have a rating system for films, thorough vetting of a movie is done before it is passed as suitable for the general view. He added that, he was compelled to edit some scenes in this movie such as a section where the starring, Tiger, punched a person eleven times on the face, he had to reduce the number of punches to five so as to be approved by the Chinese film authorities.
In conclusion, it is evident that the western film industry has influenced the Chinese film development in both positive and negative ways in equal measures. Nonetheless, the support that the Chinese film industry has been receiving from the west, specifically Hollywood is immense. In addition, the support that the film industry in china is receiving from its government is also overwhelming. After recently surpassing the French box office to become the second largest box office behind of US, China is projected to become the biggest box office holder by the year 2020, surpassing even the United States (Berry and Mary, 205). In general, the development of the movie industry in China is commendable, and its impact will surely be felt soon on the global platform.
Works Cited
Berry, Chris, and Mary Ann Farquhar. China on screen: Cinema and nation. Columbia
Cieply, Michael China wants its movies to be big in the US. New York Times, Feb 24, 2014
Landreth, Jonathan Hollywood and China: In Figures. The Atlantic. Feb, 26, 2014.
Zhu, Ying, and Stanley Rosen. Art, Politics, and Commerce in Chinese Cinema. Vol. 1. Hong
Kong University Press, 2010.
