There is such a series of animated films, borrowed from the perspective of the West, to interpret a visual "feast" of oriental cultural elements.
Stills from Kung Fu Panda
As an animated film with the theme of Chinese kung fu, "Kung Fu Panda" sets the background of the story narrative in the wonderful ancient China, and is full of strong Chinese flavor in the details of the picture. This animation tells the inspirational story of a clumsy and cute panda Ah Bao, trying to realize the lofty dream of a martial arts master through his own efforts, and the narrative plot is interlocked and dangerous, which has become an indelible animation memory in the hearts of many people.
In fact, in the production process of the film, the "Kung Fu Panda" series of animations borrowed a large number of traditional Chinese cultural elements, and the spirit of "Wen" and "Wu" that implied Chinese charm ran through the storyline clues, and carried out a bit of appropriation and transformation from the perspective of Hollywood. Different from the "Chinese style" animation in the full sense, "Kung Fu Panda" takes into account the color of American humor, bringing a lot of exoticism to American animated films, while also subconsciously promoting the western local values.
It can be said that the "Kung Fu Panda" series of animated films is cloaked in a layer of traditional Chinese culture, and in fact, the theme expressed has not escaped the barrier of Western Marvel-style heroic feelings. However, this is enough to give domestic animation a profound inspiration and vigilance.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >01, the deep expression of Chinese elements in the animated film "Kung Fu Panda" shows the charm of Chinese culture and highlights the unique charm of "Chinese Kung Fu"</h1>
"Kung Fu Panda 1" is the prologue of the entire series of animation, Panda Ah Bao wants to become a generation of martial arts masters through his own efforts, under the yin and yang mistakes, Panda Ah Bao finally became the "Dragon Hero" that people respect. Many of the plot settings in the anime are very interesting, such as the fact that The Panda Ah Bao was originally the adopted son of the noodle shop owner Duck, etc., all of which have a strong American humor component. Since the Turtle Master selected him to become the "Dragon Hero", the panda Ah Bao resolutely embarked on the bumpy road of protecting the tranquility of the valley, and finally realized this slightly absurd dream.
Although the setting of the storyline is not unexpected, it can be said to be a typical slightly old-fashioned "dick counterattack" story. However, with the oriental style of character design and well-made picture presentation, it has captured a large number of loyal fans who are keen to taste the ancient Chinese culture. In "Kung Fu Panda 2", Panda Ah Bao has become the core protagonist of the entire animated film, he still bears the great mission of maintaining peace, this Western-style heroic feeling is deeply imprinted in the storyline of the storyline, deep but not deep.
In the entire series of animations, in fact, the character selection and character modeling in the animation can most directly highlight the Chinese elements. For example, the protagonist of the animated film, the panda, is China's "national treasure" and has now become a living cultural symbol. Similarly, the turtle master also has a unique symbolic meaning in traditional Chinese culture, which is a role positioning that integrates wisdom, longevity, kung fu and fate.
When depicting the animated scene of the turtle master "feathering and ascending to the immortal", accompanied by the red petals flying in the sky, the fate of the turtle master is also perfectly interpreted here. In this picture background full of rich "Chinese style" atmosphere, the death of Master Tortoise no longer becomes bleak and sad, but adds a gentle and tranquil. Just as the so-called "things are whisked away, deeply hidden merits and names", "zero falls into mud and dust, only incense as before", flowers blossom and fall, in fact, alluding to the life of the turtle master.
The animated film "Kung Fu Panda" contains rich Taoist culture and presents the spirit of traditional Chinese culture. For example, in the film, Master Tortoise comforts Master Raccoon with a sentence: "Your mind is like water, my friend, when the water waves sway, it is difficult to see, but when it calms down, the answer is clear." This sentence is actually from "Zhuangzi", the original text is like this: "People should not stop the water in view of the flowing water, but only stop the weight." "Here, 'flowing water' is likened to a constant desire to flow, while "stopping water" symbolizes "the continuum is extinguished, the drama stops", and only the mind is pure as water to taste all things.
However, the film style of the entire series is not a "Chinese style" taste in the full sense. The animated film does not present too many ink animation forms in the picture, and at the same time does not choose the narrative style of Chinese localization, which is not hurried, but runs the relaxed atmosphere of humor and ridicule through to the end, feeling a strong American humor under the intimate "Chinese style" coat.
Why is American animation obsessed with Chinese martial arts culture?
A very important reason is the profound influence of Chinese kung fu star Bruce Lee. As a visual representation of grafted on Elements of Chinese Culture, the animated film "Kung Fu Panda" can be called a "love letter to China". At a glance, the entire animation scene is an impression of ancient China, which has become a wonderful witness to the cultural integration of the new era.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >02, from China to the United States, from content to form, Hollywood animation for the appropriation and reference of Chinese elements</h1>
In fact, "Chinese elements" have long been put on the screen of domestic animation, opening a brilliant beginning for Chinese animation. Some animations of the early Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio integrated traditional Chinese cultural elements such as murals, New Year paintings, paper cuts, and prints, combined with folk tunes and opera faces, and created a large number of acclaimed domestic animations, which also benefited from the "Chinese School" promoting the national style.
Compared with the simplicity of China's early "Chinese style" animation, the appropriation and transformation of traditional Chinese culture by American Hollywood films is more modern. However, often such animated films are only superficial uses, and they just ignore the most essential emotions in Chinese culture.
From 2008 to 2011, the animated films "Mulan" and "Kung Fu Panda" swept the world. From "Kung Fu Panda 1" to "Kung Fu Panda 2", Hollyma DreamWorks has not only created a new idol "Kung Fu Panda" Ah Bao, which is loved by fans around the world, but also deeply attracted the attention of audiences around the world. Especially in "Kung Fu Panda 2", Sichuan elements and Chengdu elements have quickly become new selling points. Before the production of the second film, the animation crew had come to China to collect wind in the field, and they visited Chengdu in Sichuan, Beijing, Pingyao in Shanxi, and the Shaolin Temple in Henan, which can be said to have done enough homework.
The "Kung Fu Panda" animation continues the telling of the classic Chinese martial arts story: the location of the story is arranged in the "Peace Valley", the gathering place of various martial arts sects is in the "Jade Palace", the turtle master and the raccoon are very "worldly masters" and "masters" respectively, tigers, cranes, monkeys, snakes, and praying mantises are all disciples under the raccoon gate, the villains with strong martial arts but sinister hearts, and the saviors of the gonggao world. The two sides of the good and evil sides launched a dragon fight around the "Divine Dragon Secret Book" that can obtain the Qishi martial arts, which are the typical narrative methods and story structures of Chinese martial arts novels.
Similarly, the animated film "Mulan" is also a visual presentation of the traditional Chinese story, which still interprets American humor in the storyline. In addition to the film's efforts to retain important Chinese cultural elements such as loyalty and filial piety in the original "Mulan", some typical features of Hollywood movies have also been added, and the individual heroism and feminism used in Hollywood movies have been added. Compared with the "Kung Fu Panda" series of animated films, "Mulan" is obviously more in line with the psychological expectations of the Western world.
Stills from Mulan
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >03, what should be "alerted" in the current field of domestic animation? It is reasonable to adhere to the expression of national cultural elements</h1>
"Chinese elements" have added new vitality to the development of foreign animation, and more and more foreign animations have begun to pay attention to the use of "Chinese elements". Not only in the United States, Japanese animation also extracts character elements from Chinese culture, and has created a large number of Japanese animations rich in "Chinese elements", such as "Dragon Ball", "Guardian Spirit of the Zodiac", "Chinese Little Boss", etc., which are typical representatives of Japanese animation.
Why do foreign animations pay great attention to the plot expression of "Chinese elements"? What should the current domestic animation "wake up"? Issues such as these should be noted.
The creative method of reconstructing foreign films by drawing on Chinese elements is worth learning from the field of domestic animation. There are many excellent works in China's early domestic animation, such as "Tianshu Qitan", "Haunting the Heavenly Palace", "Hulu Brothers", "Baolian Lantern", "Three Monks", etc., although the story narrative is more simple, they are all showing the charming elements of China's local national culture, which has become an eternal childhood memory in the minds of a generation.
Stills from "The Haunting of the Heavenly Palace"
Stills from The Three Monks
In the face of the profound Chinese national culture, in fact, domestic animation is the most "right to speak". Following 1983's "Tianshu Qitan", another animated feature film Chinese mainland, "Pauline Lantern", came out, which was once considered an opportunity for the comeback of domestic animation. However, in the wandering between tradition and reality, "Pauline Lantern" still does not meet people's expectations due to its lack of depth and excessive deification.
Stills from "Pauline Lamp"
Looking back at the past and precipitating traditions, the current domestic animation should adhere to the expression of national cultural elements. Just like today's "Chinese Choir" series of animations, they have found their own clear positioning and highlighted their unique national memory!