In today’s movie industry we see a very common notion of the international cultures being portrayed in Americanised and Australian films. There is also the attachment of whether the intended use of the culture is doing it justice or is totally of track.
The globalisation of films can be seen in a negative and positive light depending on; (a) Who is watching it, (b) Does it relate to their own culture, (c) What is the intended meaning of the use of the culture and (d) What audience the producer in aiming to film to. Films are able to tweak and change the ideals behind a cultures tradition to be able to appeal to certain audiences. Huiqun (2010) looked at how Globalization becomes an advantage as it provides more opportunities for the Chinese film industry as well as more challenges in producing suitable content. The article by Huiqun (2010) also shows that American film producers have always done well and are good at adapting films from legends, including those from other countries. Mulan (Disney, 1998) and Kung Fu Panda (Disney, 2008) were both adapted from Chinese folklore.
The picture chosen can describe how we are spoon feeding (or chopsticks), cultures into the movie industry and films content.
An article by Schaefer (2010) looked at how high grossing films have borrowed ideas from cultural traditions and applied it to create an appealing awareness to people about traditional qualities that may not be aware of. Avatar uses Indian mythology, showing how global influences create a better outcome for movie content to be enriched with more meaning and values. Throughout the article by Schaefer, 2010, it shows how cultural hybridity is central to glocalization, where human agents self-consciously and creatively combine local with global cultural formations in a bid to subvert potentially homogenizing forces associated with cultural imperialism.
In any movie that we watch there are always some cultural aspects attached but we need to keep in mind that its only one view that is usually changed to suit an appealing and top rating impact. So by keeping in mind we can refrain from stereotypical views been made towards traditional cultures.
Huiqun, L December 2010, ‘Opportunities and challenges of globalization for the Chinese film industry’ Global Media and Communication, vol. 6, no. 3, pp.323-328.
Schaefer, DJ & Karan, K December 2010, ‘Problematizing Chindia: Hybridity and Bollywoodization of popular Indian cinema in global film flows’, Global Media and Communication, vol. 6, no. 3, pp.309-316.