There is no denying that Cheng Huan’s image is attractive since he is graceful, helpful and loyal to his love。 But his cowardice, pedantry and addiction to opium constituted another stereotype for Chinese images。 What’s worse is that the American society showed its superiority in this film。 All civilizations have a tendency to prove they are superior to other civilizations, and the United States is no exception。 When a Westerner first came into contact with China, he would inevitably judge this foreign culture, using his own cultural background and ideology as a standard。 In this process, he would think that Chinese culture is inferior, weird, lacking in organization。 This mode of thinking is very popular in the 18th century , but now unpopular。 Although the West and China are emphasizing mutual learning , in fact, not being familiar with the "foreign image" makes people easier to get negative evaluation, rather than positive one。
This tendency is also reflected in the film A Bitter Tea of General Yen。 Attracted by the beauty of the heroine, the Chinese robbed Davis to his palace and prohibit her contact with the outside。 And Davis used her sincerity to impress the general, so he did not kill his concubine。 Under her persuasion, a mob became good。 Finally, when his concubine and subordinate worked together to beat him down, he gave up the comeback, and, with a cup of bitter tea, ended his own live。
Through the appearance of love story, it was a story of the good fight down the behind, the story of the missionaries' efforts to knock down the pagan resist。 The film wants to tell us that Americans come to China not to conquer but to save the suffering people。 The film said, "if there is no Christian spread, China will lag behind the world for two thousand years。" This is clearly discrimination and prejudice against China。
In the Daughter of Dragon, Anna May Wong played the role of Ling Moy who can be seemed as a replica of Fu Manchou。 She is beautiful and sexy, tempting, while engaged in the campaign against white people。 In the film Mr。 Wu, lord Wu didn’t approve of his child’s marriage with exotic girl。 That is typically feudal。
简析美国电影中中国人形象的变迁(4):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_202416.html