Changes of China’s Images in American Films: From “Daughter of the Dragon” to “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Introduction
The image of Chinese people, as an important component of China’s national image, has always received widespread attention from Western society. As part of the Chinese community, physically, Chinese females have different features from the Western; Internally, they have been influenced by traditional Chinese culture and have a different mindset from the Western. With the disadvantaged group status of females themselves, they have always been a key target in shaping foreign images.

Australian film researcher Turner (2010) believes that movies are not only an independent cultural event, but also play an important cultural function. In fact, due to various subjective and objective limitations, movies have become an important channel for people to accept foreign images, and are related to the audience’s imagination of a country and a nation. Although the United States has only a history of China's image for over a century, its influence has gradually increased since the 20th century, even controlling to a certain extent the discourse of Chinese image in the world. The representative figure of imageology, French scholar Baron (2001) believes that, Image is the description of a cultural reality, through which an individual or group who creates this image displays or expresses the social, cultural, ideological, or fictional space in which they are willing to immerse themselves.
Hollywood, as a leader in the dissemination of American culture to the outside world, shoulders multiple goals of business, entertainment, and politics. Since its inception, it has been closely monitoring the land of China and shaping the image of Chinese people. Since the beginning of the new century, there have been more and more Hollywood films featuring Chinese female characters. They have portrayed diverse character images in the films and also reflected the image of China in the eyes of Americans from a specific perspective. This research aims to analyze the changes in China’s images in American films by examining the films “Daughter of the Dragon” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” as case studies.

Literature Review
According to Martínez-Robles (2008), the representation of China in Western media has always been problematic. The Western media often presents China as a land of exoticism, backwardness, and mystery. However, recent studies suggest that there has been a significant shift in the way China is portrayed in Western media. 

For instance, Kim and Brunn-Bevel (2020) provide a comprehensive analysis of Hollywood's representation of China and its impact on the Western world's perception of China. The authors argue that Hollywood films often perpetuate negative stereotypes of China, such as the exoticism, mysticism, and backwardness of Chinese culture. Moreover, Hollywood films tend to depict China as a monolithic entity and ignore the country's diversity and complexity.

According to Jihan and Ali (2021), the representation of China in American films has become more diverse and nuanced. They argue that the increasing presence of Chinese actors, directors, and producers in Hollywood has contributed to this change. Moreover, they suggest that the changing representation of China in American films is partly due to the growing economic and political ties between China and the United States.

Recent years have seen a shift in the representation of China in American films. Films such as "Crazy Rich Asians" (2018) and "The Farewell" (2019) have presented a more nuanced and authentic portrayal of Chinese culture and identity (Zhu, 2020). This change is a result of a growing interest in China and its economic and political influence, as well as a response to the criticisms of the stereotypical representations of Chinese people in Western media (Chen & Liu, 2023).

In the context of this study, we will be examining the changes in China's image in American films by analyzing two specific films: "Daughter of the Dragon" (1931) and "Everything Everywhere All At Once" (2022). "Daughter of the Dragon" is a classic example of Orientalist stereotypes, where the protagonist is a Chinese woman portrayed as a villainous and seductive figure (Wang, 2012). "Everything Everywhere All At Once", on the other hand, presents a more complex and nuanced representation of Chinese culture and identity (Liu, 2022).

The analysis will be guided by the following research questions:
What are the dominant themes related to China's representation?
How do the representations in the films reflect the Western world’s perception of China?
How have these representations changed over time, and what factors have influenced these changes?

Theoretical framework and method
This research combines Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism and Roland Barthes’ semiotic theory, uses qualitative content analysis and semiotic analysis as its primary methodologies. 
Orientalism refers to the Western world’s representation of the East as exotic, mysterious, and inferior, and it serves as a form of cultural imperialism that justifies Western dominance over the East (Said, 1978). Roland Barthes’ semiotic theory, on the other hand, provides a valuable analytical tool for uncovering the latent meanings and symbolism embedded in the visual and narrative elements of the films under study. Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols as a means of communication (Barthes, 1967). Barthes argues that texts can be analyzed as a system of signs that convey a certain level of meaning – both intended and unintended – to the reader or viewer.

The integration of Orientalism and semiotics in the theoretical framework allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the changes in China’s image through different time periods and cultural contexts. While Orientalism helps to contextualize the depiction of China within broader power dynamics and historical perspectives, semiotics enables a deeper analysis of the specific symbols, narrative tropes, and visual cues through which China’s image is constructed and transformed.

Qualitative content analysis is a research method used to analyze the content of communication systematically and objectively (Schreier, 2012).Semiotic analysis, as previously mentioned, will be employed to further delve into the visual and narrative aspects of the films.

This research will rely on a sample of two American films,"The Daughter of the Dragon" is a 1931 film considered one of the earliest and most notable Hollywood films to feature an Asian lead actress, and tells the story of a woman seeking to avenge her father's death by taking down a criminal organization. "Everything Everywhere All At Once" is a 2022 science fiction film follows a woman who discovers she is connected to multiple parallel universes, and must team up with her alternate selves to stop an interdimensional threat. 

The selection is based on their different time periods and cultural contexts. One was released in 1931 and reflects the Western world’s representation of China in the early 20th century. In contrast, the other was released in 2022 and represents the current portrayal of China in the Western world. The content and semiotic analysis will focus on identifying the themes, messages, underlying meanings, and visual symbolism related to China’s representation in the films.

A primary rationale behind choosing qualitative content analysis and semiotics as methodologies for this study is that they complement each other and illuminate different aspects of the representation of China in the selected films. While content analysis allows for the systematic examination of salient themes and patterns within the films, semiotic analysis provides a lens through which to scrutinize the more subtle symbolic elements that contribute to the overall construction of China’s image. 

Main analysis section
The use of Chinese cultural symbols in Hollywood films not only describes the reality of Chinese culture, but also shows Hollywood’s knowledge and understanding of China. For Hollywood, Chinese characters are the most direct symbol of Chinese culture. According to Said in his book “Orientalism”, the East is the stage used to define the East. For the Western world, China, as a mysterious Eastern country with a history of 5000 years, has naturally attracted the attention of film enthusiasts around the world, especially Hollywood.

Early Hollywood films expressed their understanding of China by depicting Chinese characters. These images are mostly poor and cunning, so the films were full of distortions and misinterpretations of China’s image. These distortions and misinterpretations were essentially caused by the American’s own sense of ethnic superiority and ethnocentrism, and cannot objectively present Chinese cultural symbols.

In Sun Meng’s book, The Image of The Other: Chinese Women in Hollywood Films, she summarized the images of Chinese women in Hollywood into 15 categories, including Madame Butterfly, Prostitute, Dragon Lady, Nala, Mulan, Angel, Demon, Handmaid, Slave Girl, Concubine, Spider Woman, Princess, Earth Mother, Housewife, and Professional Woman, covering a wide range of female identities, of which more negative than positive. Sun Meng believes that Chinese women are created into ‘wonders’ by Hollywood movies according to the psychological needs of viewers, for Western audiences to ‘gaze at’, and are ‘objectified’ in this power relationship, becoming objects of desire. Dragon Lady is a typical representative of this. It is the “traditional role” assigned by Hollywood to Chinese women. She is generally ruthless and is a pawn of villains. For example, most of the roles played by early Chinese actress Anna May Wong were the same.

Born in Los Angeles to traditional Chinese parents in 1905, her star-struck ambition and her svelte good looks coincided with a taste for Oriental exotica on stage and screen in the U.S. and in Europe in the 20s and the 30s. Starting from "The Red Lantern" in 1919, Anna May Wong entered Hollywood and became an important character in several films from running the show, gradually gaining the attention of the Western mainstream film industry and playing major roles. However, due to the limitations of the times, there were almost only two types of roles for Chinese actresses on the Hollywood screen at that time, either as non-existent maids or as deadly seductresses, and Anna May Wong mostly played the latter, which put her in a dilemma. On the one hand, she could not change the status quo and wanted to continue her career, on the other hand, she was questioned and criticized by the Chinese audience. In 1928, the much criticized Anna May Wong left Europe and repeatedly told audiences on stage: “No matter what role I play, it does not represent the whole of my Chinese people.”

However, this cannot change the stereotyped perception of China in the western film industry, nor could it change the living condition of Anna May Wong. She returned to the United States forced by contractual pressure, but has begun to screen her role in the film, but still played the daughter of Fu Manchu in “Dragon Lady”. It represents viciousness and sinisterness. “Dragon” is a symbol of authority and good luck in China, while in Hollywood movies it often represents evil incarnate.

From the perspective of character portrayal in Hollywood film works, compared to Chinese men, the female characterization of the “Dragon Lady” is the right counterpart to the “Fu Manchu” image when compared to the Chinese male characterization. However, in terms of the Chinese female characters, sexism and racism discourse intersect under the influence of patriarchal notions of gender is significantly richer than the male counterparts gender “Orientalism” corresponding to men. In the discourse practice of it, Chinese female’s identity suffers from the double suppression of sexism and racism.

But at the same time, as China’s economy and culture continue to rise and develop to an unprecedented level, their impact on global culture is also increasing. Over time and now, the number of Chinese symbols in Hollywood films has gradually become increasingly rich. The image of Chinese symbols in Hollywood movies has begun to move from superficial to deeper understanding and research, and its impact has deepened Western portrayal of Chinese images.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once”, starring Michelle Yeoh, made a splash at the 95th Academy Awards, and won seven awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing. Michelle Yeoh also became the first Asian and Chinese -American actress to win award at the Oscars, creating history and receiving global attention.

The movie depicts many Asian images, including the female lead, Evelyn, and the male lead Waymond. The design of Evelyn’s real world conveys the constraints of her vision and the parameters of her life, which is imbued with overwhelming exhaustion, loneliness, and an aversion to new ideas. The home she shares with her husband Waymond located above their laundromat, is cramped and crowded with Post-it notes, bills, white-and-blue porcelain bowls, bamboo plants, and Chinese talismans for prosperity. 

The dialogue between the characters in the film is in two languages, English and Chinese.Chinese kung fu is a prominent factor throughout the film, especially in the later scenes, where the routine design that transforms enemies into friends, and has healing effects is unparalleled in martial arts films. Most importantly, there is something unique from the Chinese culture in the film’s most crucial moral and ethical theme. When the demon-haunted Joy tells Evelyn that Bagel is the end and rushes to the black hole to destroy herself, she calls her mother “Evelyn”. Evelyn solemnly corrected, “Don't call me Evelyn!” and then said word by word, “I/am/you/mother!” It is common for Americans to call their parents by first name, but in Chinese culture, this name is a taboo, it is a force of division.

The role played by Michelle Yeoh in the movie breaks through the positioning of Chinese female characters, demonstrates the strength of women, and also breaks through the stereotypes of Chinese female. In addition, presenting the haggard and frustrated middle-aged women as the protagonist is also a step forward that breaks through the imagination of oriental style.

“The role of Xiulian played by Michelle Yeoh plays an important role in reshaping the screen image of Chinese people,” said Li Mu (2022), an associate professor at the School of Art at Nanjing University. He believes that the previous image of the “model minority” as a gentle and respectful woman always had some weak and negative overtones, but with Asian faces like Michelle Yeoh taking on different roles in Western films, overseas people will have a new perception of the Chinese.

He also said that the laundry was an important place for early Chinese immigrants to make a living, and the image of hardworking immigrants in the laundry was close to the real society. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” reshapes reimagines the Chinese mother in such a scene, the character is rounded and its transformation is very convincing.

Due to the stereotype of Asian characters, it is difficult for Asian actors to have room for surprises in their performances. Starting from the early 20th century, Hollywood’s Chinese image was demonized for a long time. Men were weak and evil like Fu Manchu; Women were like Anna May Wong’s Madama Butterfly and Dragon Lady. Although the kung fu fever brought by Bruce Lee later brought back a positive image of the Chinese people, today we still see that Chinese Americans in Hollywood focus on kung fu stars and funny supporting characters. “Shang Qi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” through the superhero and Marvel’s, has brought Chinese characters to a new level of attention, but still hasn’t completely broken away from the trope of martial arts fighters and funny characters.

However, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is different. Because of the multi universe setting, each Asian character has enough space to perform in the film. Everyone can be varied and tear-jerking. Each parallel universe of Michelle Yeoh, each seamless face change of Kwan Jee-wai, each set of costumes reflecting Jobu’s pompous aesthetics, are all a brick in the face of Asian stereotypes. The film even explores the presentation of Asian actors to the LGBTQ community through their daughter Joy, and Evelyn from the Hot Dog Finger universe.

Conclusion
This research conducts an in-depth analysis through the early Chinese female images and the Chinese female images in the new era, summarizes the characteristics of Chinese female images in Hollywood films in the early Western context, analyzes the new images of Chinese female in the context of the increasing influence of China, and analyzes the We analyze the reasons for the evolution of Chinese female’s image from relatively negative to relatively positive.

The limitations of this research include the small sample size of films used for analysis and the subjective nature of content analysis. Therefore, the findings should be interpreted with caution.                                              ACCORDING TO THE ABOVE, HELP ME REWRITE THE CONCLUSION PART: Summarize the overall findings through the case studies in the research essay, and reflect on the limitations of the current research and further research directions. These could include thematic considerations, or methodological considerations.