Yvonne Tasker argues that in typical Hollywood films the protagonist’s body is their only weapon. However, in the case of most white, male action heroes, their bodies are seen as damaged yet still able to walk around. This idea is not consistent with the body of Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon. Unlike most white male heroes, Lee’s body is not damaged and instead is his only source for betterment, strength and success. Even though he may be small in stature and as Tasker points out, his physical strength may be hidden, he is undoubtedly strong and skillful. The beginning scene in Enter the Dragon demonstrates this idea perfectly. Since Lee is fighting a much larger man it can be assumed that the larger man would typically win a fight. However, Lee shifts this idea when he presents the audience with a skillful display of martial arts, defeating his opponent and introducing not only his character but his body as well.
Another interesting point that Tasker argues is that the idea of physical empowerment that is seen in Hong Kong movies appeal to black and white working class audiences. Since those are the audiences these films appeal to, Enter the Dragon uses these two types of people as characters. The black character of Kelly is seen as the deviant one, which relates back to stereotypes of minorities while the white male character is less skilled at the martial arts, showing the damaging effects the white male protagonist encompasses. The use of these characters relates back to the idea Stephen Teo expresses about Hong Kong cinema bringing the East and West together because the film not only represents Chinese, but also whites and blacks. However, because martial arts are very traditional and the character of Bruce Lee exemplifies those traditions, the film appeals to a wide Chinese audience. Martial arts are most focused on skill than just everyday strength, which contradicts typical images of masculinity in Hollywood cinema, such as John Wayne and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Even though Asian Americans are rarely displayed and represented in Hollywood films, the Hong Kong cinema changed not only American views of masculinity by utilizing a more Eastern approach to masculinity but it also created more of a representation of Asian American men in mainstream Hollywood cinema. Along with Hong Kong cinema, Bruce Lee was a very influential image even though his career may have ended short, his ideas and films continue across generations.
Other than Hong Kong cinema, what other types of films are Asian men represented in Hollywood cinema?
What is a recent film that could be described as a Hong Kong film? If there are no recent films, why?
How have martial arts films influenced Hollywood cinema? Has the idea of masculinity changed because of these films? Why or why not?
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