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Buddha Bless America

Buddha Bless America. Amy Tsai. Background & Theory. Tiffany Huang. Background. Time: 1960s Place: One traditional village in southern Taiwan Adapted from one of the director’s friends’ life

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Buddha Bless America

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  1. Buddha Bless America

  2. Amy Tsai Background & Theory Tiffany Huang

  3. Background • Time: 1960s • Place: One traditional village in southern Taiwan • Adapted from one of the director’s friends’ life • Main Scene: Under America’s great political, economic and cultural influence, how did Taiwanese react to the power? And how deep the influence is on Taiwan society at that time.

  4. Post-colonialism • Time: 1980s • Definition: The social, political, economic, and cultural practices which arise in response and resistance to colonialism.

  5. Neocolonialism • Time: After 1940s • The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (2000 edition) defines “Neo-colonialism” as “the economic and political influence which a powerful country uses to control another country.”

  6. Major Argument • The obstacles between the powerful and the powerless • The acceptance and resistance shown by different positions in the film • American & KMT government’s attitude • Symbolic images and scenes

  7. Obstacle Amy Tsai Willa Chang

  8. Obstacles • Obstacles/Miscommunication: Reason-Unequal status • Space • Language • Beliefs/Values of life

  9. obstacles

  10. Amy Tsai Acceptance: Mimicry Amy Tsai

  11. Unconsciously accept the influence from America • Cultural colonization > Military Control (unconsciously) (consciously)

  12. Language Mimicry • 國家機密 • Hello! 哈囉!--- unify the way for greeting • Hey you! --- the U.S. military ↓ Hey you 啦你! ---Children

  13. Conscious Mimicry 1. Protagonist 仙仔 a. Intellectual b. Objective viewpoint the high-tech and medical technology 2. Military Translator a. Speaks English b. flatterer 3. Prostitute a. Realistic- money

  14. Cultural Mimicry • Music: broadcast of American music • Food: peach can, cigarette • Style: -Stolen clothes -阿憲’s western style- hair and clothes -Western interior style in Bar -Western style of dancing -Playboy magazine

  15. Amy Tsai Resistance of the Villagers Constance Chang

  16. Children Threw Stones at Soldiers • Went to the field to find shell cases • Military drill

  17. Villagers Confront the Army • Cinerary urn ran over by tanks • Crops ruined

  18. Grandmother Directing the Tanks

  19. Grandmother Guards her Field

  20. Theft • Villagers stole canned food and other resources from the U.S. Army

  21. Amy Tsai American & KMT Government’s Attitude Toward the Lands of TW Billy Lu

  22. American • Ruin of the tomb(阿婆‘s husband)– which symbolizes American’s disrespect and ignorance toward Taiwanese tradition and culture. • Troops on the farm– they do whatever they want on the land=their football field. • Easy come, easy go— Taiwanese land as their gym, after the training they just left.

  23. KMT • “政府支持人民,人民就該支持政府”– however, KMT government is “using” the village people instead of “supporting” them.

  24. Amy Tsai Symbolic Image Doris Hsu

  25. Dream • 阿婆’s dream of her husband who has passed away • Sexual hint Superstition Vitality and lust

  26. Reversed Words (23:16) • WELCOME EMOCLEW • Villagers’ assumption of Western culture • Irony: They do Not welcome Americans!!!

  27. Broken Fingers • His fingers are broken while he is working in the Japanese factory. There’s no well indemnification or medical protection for the native labors. • “At least you won’t serve as a solider.”  Most Taiwanese accept their own fate

  28. The Black Man and Kid • The kid is in the “restricted” area, leaning on the black soldier. Benefit exchange (?) Paedophilia (?)

  29. Throwing Stones • Kids’ throwing stones at kids: Taiwanese  Taiwanese Split in the group

  30. Dead American Soldiers (1:21:02) • Coffin • Dead soldiers  Advanced technology and medical development in America?  Peaceful America?

  31. Coin • Army left a coin on the road after they retreat.  Western culture is left.

  32. Music • Vertical bamboo flute (28:24-29:14) • “Crying in a Storm” (1:47:17) -Singer: Emy Jackson (Japanese American) -Background

  33. Crying in a Storm Take me, take me, take my heart and all I was born to be yours. Love me, love me, get me hold me tight Now I'm crying in a storm I know that You've got a crazy sports car Kitty Cris and Ronnie Jully, Nancy and Patsy. Why, why, not me

  34. Amy Tsai Symbolic Scene Melody Jeng

  35. Symbolic Scenes • The tomb scenes appear at the beginning and toward the end.

  36. The helicopter flies across the sky. • Tradition  modern • Invasion

  37. Tradition: tomb, cart Modern: helicopter, combat aircraft

  38. Prostrate Scared

  39. Bar vs. villagers’ accommodation

  40. Huge tanks vs. small children and 阿婆

  41. 阿憲 flights with some villagers. • Blurred

  42. 仙仔’s reaction…

  43. Friendship?

  44. 1:35:36~1:36:40

  45. Word Cards as Interludes

  46. Purposes • Narrator • The use of comical handwriting • common people with low level education • more delighted

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