In April 2024, a South Korean film called "Broken Tomb" caused an uproar in overseas markets.
The "Broken Tomb" movie uses the mysterious elements of Chinese characters as a highlight, but it puts forward a controversial point in the publicity: Chinese characters do not belong to Chinese.
The announcement quickly provoked a backlash from the global Chinese community, especially Chinese audiences, sparking a debate over cultural identity and a widespread boycott of the film.
The plot of "Broken Tomb" and its marketing methods have sparked heated discussions about cultural conflicts. The film uses Chinese character culture as a core element, but in its promotion it puts forward a controversial position that Chinese characters have nothing to do with Chinese, which challenges traditional cultural perceptions and provokes widespread dissatisfaction and cultural identity debate, especially among Chinese audiences.
Chinese character culture has become a selling point, and overseas audiences don't buy it
In the film "Broken Tomb", the actors' faces are depicted with Chinese characters, and this artistic design is not only to convey the unique charm of Chinese character culture to a global audience, but also to explore new expressions of Chinese characters in the visual arts, thus triggering a new understanding and discussion of the aesthetics of Chinese characters.
The Chinese character elements in the film "Broken Tomb" were originally a tribute to this ancient script, but during the promotion of the film, the producers surprised audiences by unexpectedly claiming that these Chinese characters were not part of the Chinese, but rather a cultural symbol unique to Korea, a stance that surprised audiences and sparked widespread discussion about cultural belonging and identity.
As soon as this statement came out, it immediately caused a storm of skepticism and sarcasm among the international audience. Many netizens have said that this statement is not only a fundamental misreading and misinterpretation of the profound heritage of Chinese character culture, but also a kind of disregard for historical knowledge, and can even be regarded as the appropriation and misappropriation of cultural heritage.
This act provoked widespread public concern and criticism, triggering a deep reflection on cultural respect and historical authenticity.
Korean netizens supported it, and the doubts were masked
In South Korea, the film "Broken Tomb" has won the support of a wide range of netizens, who have given high praise and enthusiastic response to the film's unique perspective and innovative expression.
Many people believe that "Broken Tomb" is not only a movie, but also a symbol of Korean culture going global, representing a cultural success.
Although some viewers have raised questions about the borrowing of Chinese character culture in Broken Tomb, these doubts are often drowned out by the claim that "Chinese characters are not Chinese", resulting in the debate of cultural identity being overshadowed by this controversial statement.
Far from alleviating accusations of cultural appropriation, this self-justification and evasive stance has deepened suspicions about cultural appropriation in South Korea, turning what was originally a cultural exchange into a controversy over cultural respect and historical authenticity.
The professor media denied it, but netizens didn't buy it
Amid international criticism and skepticism, South Korean scholars and journalists have spoken out in support of "Broken Tomb", arguing that the film is an innovative expression of Korean culture, not cultural theft, in an attempt to quell the controversy over cultural appropriation.
South Korean creators are adamant that Broken Tombs is their own work of art, inspired by their native culture, rather than any form of cultural borrowing or misappropriation. They see the film as a modern interpretation of Korean culture that aims to show its uniqueness rather than an appropriation of foreign culture.
However, such a statement is clearly unconvincing. Netizens have pointed out that the cultural elements of Chinese characters in the movie are obviously an integral part of traditional Chinese culture, and such a statement by the South Korean side is just self-deception.
Obsessively stealing culture, or because of incomplete Korean expression
Although the South Korean production team insists that "Broken Tomb" is a reflection of local culture, the Chinese characters in the film are clearly rooted in traditional Chinese culture. Many netizens believe that this statement is a kind of self-consolation, but in fact a misuse of China's cultural heritage, which cannot be recognized by international audiences.
There is an opinion that because the Korean language is not comprehensive and precise in some aspects, Koreans want to enrich their language expression by borrowing and incorporating other cultural elements.
However, this borrowing and integration should be based on respect and understanding of the original culture, not simply plagiarism and distortion.
Conclusion: Cultural exchange needs to be respected, and plagiarism is not advisable
The controversy caused by the film "Broken Tomb" is not only an evaluation of a work, but also a reflection on the issue of respect and plagiarism in cultural exchange.
In today's globalization, the exchange and integration of cultures of various countries has become a trend.
However, such communication should be based on equality and respect, and any form of plagiarism and distortion is undesirable.
It is hoped that the South Korean side will face up to this controversy, treat other cultures with a more open and tolerant attitude, and truly realize cultural diversity and coexistence.
Today's topic:
Do you think the cultural elements of Chinese characters in the Korean movie "Broken Tomb" are borrowed or plagiarized?