LLEA 40615 - Hong Kong Action Cinema

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

East Asian Lang & Lit

Description:

This course addresses the global significance of the gong fu vague [kung fu new wave] that hit world cinema in the early 1970s and its ripple effects up to the present. As the signature genre of the Hong Kong film industry, it does not stand in global isolation but is rather a product of careful market research in developing a distinctive genre that could have global popularity outside of its traditional regionalized domestic market (HK and Southeast Asia) and its overseas ethnic Chinese enclaves in numerous Chinatowns across the world. Some of the key issues that we will cover include: How does a small non-national population sustain a commercially viable film industry? How can a film industry create a version of action cinema that supercedes Hollywood's dominance in the genre? Is this purely a "Chinese" phenomenon or one that is inherently dependent on non-Chinese participation? Do these films have ideological, aesthetic & economic significance within a larger framework or must they be critically dismissed outright? What does it mean that "everybody was kung fu fighting" and continuing to do so? Taught in English. No knowledge of Mandarin or Cantonese is required. Whenever possible, we will view the films in their original language with English subtitles. A few films will be dubbed in English.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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