BALANCE of CULTURE

Tehran Plans Hollywood Lawsuit

I wasn't aware that one could "sue Hollywood" over a film that is considered unrealistic, but that is exactly what Iranian officials plan to do with Argo. Yes, the real-life drama of this film just won't go away, even weeks following the Academy Awards.

Citing the movie as propaganda that is "pro-CIA" and "anti-Iran," Tehran has hired French lawyer Isabelle Coutant-Peyre to figure out what specific charges to pursue as well as which court to approach. In the meantime, she plans to start an anti-Argo campaign with the intent to block distributors and force them to apologize and admit the film is "a sheer lie." Coutant-Peyre may sound familiar because she also represents "Carlos the Jackal."

Argo's inaccuracies have already been widely discussed, but I don't see this issue to be about mere facts. It's very likely that a generational gap is at play here: the older generation Iranians who went through the 1979 Islamic Revolution seem to have much more issues with the story compared to their younger fellow citizens, who are much more open to other perspectives on what they have been traditionally taught to believe. At any rate, the one thing that should be considered at this point is how Argo is a movie based on a true story--not a documentary film.

Regardless of how this strange lawsuit pans out, it guarantees to cast a negative light upon Iranian officials and their policies towards our universal understanding of imparting and exchanging information, ideas, and art. Their reasoning and harsh reaction alone unfortunately does not seem to cultivate much empathy even for the most reasonable onlooker. 

(If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it--the first twenty minutes are incredibly gripping, and it's one of the few films that doesn't seem to lag whatsoever even though we all know how the story ends!)

A Political Oscars 2013

Amid all the singing and dancing last night in Hollywood, there was also a little "message" from the US government to Iran at the end of the Academy Awards...

Michelle Obama's appearance at the Oscars last night was definitely a surprise (though not quite unprecedented) as she presented the coveted "Best Picture" award to Argo. Apparently the Academy and the White House lack any perceived reservations about further politicizing the controversial film, which has been heavily lauded despite the Iranian government denouncing it as "anti-Iran." 

Not only does this move indicate a general consensus between Hollywood and our government's inherent and influential soft power relationship, but it also happened to be timed just before Iran's already-tense nuclear talk resumes in Kazakhstan this week. 

The Flowers of War

If you've watched the 2011 film The Flowers of War, we can probably agree on the loaded historical controversies well-depicted in nearly every scene of this fast-paced experience. We can also probably agree that this isn't the movie you'll want to choose if you're looking for a quiet, relaxing couple of hours. This was a big movie with an even bigger vision--and East Asian politics aside, it was clearly produced by expert filmmakers. 

Director Zhang Yimou, a veteran director/producer from mainland China, is no amateur when it comes to his country's oftentimes stringent and complex approaches to artistic expression. Starring Christian Bale, the film documents the story of a Westerner stuck in Nanking during the then-capital's fall to the Japanese army.

Zhang shared his perspective on being an internationally-successful filmmaker vis-a-vis China's political landscape at last week's Marrakech International Film Festival (interview highlights here), where he was given a special festival tribute for his works. 

While Flowers of War wasn't the biggest commercial success in the US, other aspects of the project seem to continue to move forward. Christian Bale was soon involved in a highly-publicized situation regarding an attempted meeting with blind activist Chen Guangcheng, and Hollywood now looks abroad for future film projects more than ever before. This kind of movie--not Hollywood-based but starring well-known Western actors--is probably a sign of more to come. 

Reactions to Red Dawn's North Korea

MGM's Red Dawn remake sparked plenty of controversy even before the film's release just before Thanksgiving last week, mainly for the producers' decision to swap the "bad guy" roles from Chinese to North Korean people. For most viewers, North Korea hardly represents a feasible existential threat of any kind.

Strangely, emotions continue to run high regarding the portrayal of North Korea. In a Times Square theater in the middle of New York, a handful of North Korean sympathizers actually picketed outside the film's screening and later stormed the venue to protest the "complete nonsense" showing inside:

These individuals, who are associated with the World Workers Party, are clearly an extreme side to this dialogue. As a Korean American highly interested in North Korean issues, I question the motives behind this incident.

But this doesn't mean there aren't any other issues, such as the backlash towards the archaic "yellow peril" theme of the movie. A snippet of post-Red Dawn tweets shows how volatile our country's racial atmosphere is even today:

While a movie is just a movie--just as a book is just a book--stories are powerful things that can both inspire as well as stain minds. I think the only valid criticism of using North Koreans as villains (nobody wants to anger Chinese viewers anymore because big projects now depend on that very audience) is that the plot seems to take the easy way of storytelling by reliving the ignorant days of old Hollywood. Remember "classy" movies like Breakfast at Tiffany's, where some white actor depicts an Asian character with astounding amounts of aggressively-racist features, most of which are far from realistic or accurate. 

Red Dawn didn't fare too well at the box office. Maybe that's just because the movie itself sucked, but it certainly is a positive sign that old-fashioned racism as a premise is no longer compelling and simply isn't what moviegoers wish to spend their time on any longer. 

Video of the NYC protest:

Joseph Nye on Romney's Soft Power Stance

Television and film are probably the most influential American instruments of soft power today, but somehow this obvious fact seems to elude Mitt Romney. But don't take my word for it (insert Levar Burton voice)--Joseph Nye, the originator of the soft power concept, seems to agree: 

"Sesame Street is a great example of American soft power. It attracts others to us, and costs very little. It is interesting that Romney singled out that program for cutting, since his book has a page or two on the importance of American soft power. Maybe he forgot?" 

Maybe he did forget the frightening "math" involved in such an argument about our budget and whatever he believes China will be paying for in our future. He probably also forgot that this children's program airs in more than 150 countries. That is priceless but extremely cost effective--a near perfect example of soft power and influence.

Such a simple equation. The thing is, Romney could probably prevent future gaffes (recall his recent Europe trip) this month by simply reviewing some of Nye's books before election day. Heck, he should review them just for his own business career regardless of the election. Too bad he probably won't. 

The Canadian Caper's Real Role in "Argo"

Ambassadors aren't always attending fancy events and sipping champagne with a country's elite. 

This is a sketch of Mehrabad Airport's interior by Ambassador Ken Taylor, which he drew on the evening just before the 1979 Iran hostage escape. Somehow the film Argo, which is an account on the crisis, forgot Taylor's role.

Argo, directed by Ben Affleck (he also stars in the film), is the story of Canada's role in helping Americans escape the hostage crisis. The movie recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and some of the audience members--many of whom are friends with former ambassador Ken Taylor--were upset at how Argo's ending actually minimized Canada's involvement in the story. 

The film's postscript solidified this reaction, which "implied that Canadians took credit for the rescue before the CIA's role was revealed." By now it's obviously too late to rewrite and reshoot, so the next logical solution was to have ambassador Taylor write a new version of the postscript:

The involvement of the CIA complemented efforts of the Canadian Embassy to free the six held in Tehran. To this day the story stands as an enduring model of international cooperation between governments. 

That's better, though it's a little concerning how such a significant detail slipped through the cracks. Ambassador Taylor even acquired the nickname the "Canadian Caper" from his crucial role in getting the hostages to safety, and was thanked and admired profusely by Americans across the border at the time. 

Hawaiian Soft Power via Hollywood

Music to my ears...Hawai'i has been pretty busy hosting Hollywood sets for filming the past few years (Lost, Tropic Thunder, The Descendants, etc.). The Aloha State is making a smart move by recognizing the inevitable influence of projecting its soft power through cinema, evidenced by both short- and long-term tourism and economic boosts for the islands. 

The Cultural Controversy of "King of the Sands"

It's hard not to notice how more and more communities are embracing the power and influence of filmmaking in order to raise their status in an increasingly globalized and connected world, and King of the Sands is a perfect example of a movie depicting certain cultural relations in a fascinatingly strategic and highly controversial cinematic cultural power move. The film, an unauthorized biopic on the life of Saudi Arabia's first monarch Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd al-Rahman Al Saud (or "Ibn Saud"), is a bold project by Syrian television producer Najdat Anzour, the son of the "pioneer of Arab cinema," Ismail Anzour.

Clearly the stakes are visible here--Najdat Anzour has a reputation for embracing the controversial, and with King of the Sands, the director has already received lawsuit threats from third parties desperate to prevent the movie from being released. The dichotomous plot, which reveals both Ibn Saud's impoverished struggle to reconquer his homeland as well as his brutal ways in achieving such goals, has angered many in Saudi Arabia--where the film will of course not be shown (apparently the country lacks movie theaters anyway). 

Western- and Hollywood-style appeasement is quite evident in the trailer, which tries to depict an epic historical plot rather than anything remotely controversial or so culturally-brazen. And of course, there is the requisite Western actor in the film, Bill Fellows, to connect with viewers familiar with Downton Abbey (though, interestingly, his IMDB doesn't seem to have any information on his role in this dicey film just yet).  

The filmmakers recently took out a big visual ad in Variety for King of the Sands without any information on the movie--no website, no names, etc., which is unique, to say the least.  Should be quite a story--both this movie as well as how Syrian and Saudi Arabian audiences interpret the project. 

China Conglomerate Buys AMC--So What About Freedom of Expression?

AMC Entertainment's failure to go public last year apparently eventually led Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group to purchase the American theater operator for $2.6 billion yesterday. The deal, controlled by billionaire Wang Jianlin, includes about $1.9 billion of net debt (when was the last time you went to the movie theater?).

The agreement also potentially reveals warming relations between the US and Chinese film industries--just in February, China agreed to finally open more of its movie theaters to show American films. Chinese investment in its soft power has clearly been on the rise along with its economy, but we won't necessarily be seeing Chinese films through AMC until their cinematic content organically finds a place in the global film market (in other words, they're not going to force Chinese films that are subpar only because they now own AMC). 

I find this deal to be especially exciting for Chinese filmmakers who have long endured a lack of total freedom of expression in their work. Perhaps now, with this very global move in the international film market, freedom of speech and artistic expression issues will be better addressed and served. The thing is, a burgeoning economy is usually on a trajectory towards democratic values, no matter how gradual the process may seem….hopefully this is the case for China now, too. 

India to Streamline Movie Market Strategy

India is strategizing its soft power growth with plans to set up a national film commission in the coming months. This simplified clearance system will simplify the permit-obtaining process for both domestic and international filmmakers, usually an arduous task that many complain about. 

The decision is obviously a smart move, encouraged by the growing number of foreign film crew requests to operate in India. Even though only 10 foreign film crews requested permits in 2009-10, the I & B ministry granted permission "on 80 occasions to foreign feature film and TV reality shows to shoot in India" between 2008 and 2011.

We all know Bollywood is already huge, but this kind of organization and strategizing may serve as a significant gateway for a new cultural growth spurt for India.