Ok, so here’s a question for you all.

What is offensive in terms of cultural use?

Let me explain and bore you with back-story.

I made a flick awhile back that featured a cast of Gaijin [foreigners], all speaking Japanese [some good, some just plain coma inducing] and wearing a variety of kimono, Hakuma’s and other traditional Japanese fare.
It was an action/ comedy and the third film in a trilogy.

The reason for the Japanese was because the first and second films were set in Japan and it made a nice stylistic twist.

Now, this film was a hit with audiences in New Zealand, they loved the feel of Kiwi actors speaking in a foreign language, in a film that was a thick mix of East and West. The people I spoke to said it was a nice love letter to Japan.

However, recently in Japan, a friend of mine [who is Canadian] called the film ’racist and horribly offensive‘.

I was shocked to hell and back, not only because I despise racism in all it’s forms but also because someone accused it of being in a flick of mine.
He said ’Look, you have white people running around in kimono with swords and speaking Japanese and other things exclusive to this culture...when Japanese people see this, they’re either gonna think it’s strange, therefore bad or just making fun of their culture‘

I don’t believe this at all.
At no stage do I mock the culture, mannerisms or anything about Japan, there’s no parody, no winking at the camera.
It’s a simple, loud action flick with character based comedy.

I argued that Sukiyaki Western Django didn’t exactly incite mobs when it’s basically the reverse of what I did.

He showed me an educational video for Japanese people moving to America and it featured a gross array of stereotypes and horrible exaggerations about Western Emotions and Culture.

But my flick was hardly educational nor heavily important in any way.

After thinking about it for awhile and getting away from the film topic....I noticed all Japanese people wearing white wedding dresses nowadays and not the traditional Kimono.
I saw that many English words were incorporated into Japanese and often horribly misused.
I noticed film styles borrowed from English Directors or music featuring snippets of English to make it ‘cooler’.
American style food is very popular here but constantly mocked for being over-sized, usually compared to an average American’s size.

These things and more...the taking of the best parts of a culture....is it ok?
Is it natural to see a foreigner in a kimono and scoff?
Should this be the way?

As long as there is some level of respect...I don’t see any problem, be it in movies or anywhere else and shouldn’t that be enough or do we need more?
Japanese people often see American culture as ‘take, take’ but when you do that in return...does it suddenly become ‘racist’?

Blah..enough from me.

What do you think?

Funny you should mention “Sukiyaki Western Django”, as that DID incite mobs, although not for racist stereotypes. What got people riled was the movieposter. It showed someone being hung from a Shinto gate, which was considered sacrilegious. In the end the posters were changed and no longer featured the gate.

When you reach a wide audience you’re bound to offend some people, often for reasons you’d never imagine.


Try mentioning the general touchiness of citizens from Québec next time, that should be a hoot!

I think your colleague is way off in his judgement. If you cast your mind back to the ‘80s and early ‘90s, there was a whole gamut of “b” martial arts movies in which a caucasian is submersed into an asian culture - and after reading the cliffnotes and doing a couple of training montages, comes out a winner. American Samurai, American Shoalin, Kickboxer, Bloodsport - these all did the same thing. The viewer is introduced to the exotic through the eyes of the hero, then watches him tear hundreds of years of culture and tradition apart by beating them at their own game (kind of like what the rest of the world did to England when we introduced them to cricket, football and rugby).

From the sounds of it though, you’re not assuming that outsider’s point of view, and your caucasian characters are fully immersed in the culture. Sounds to me like an interesting concept which expects a certain level of intelligence from its audience.

Think about the number of western movies which prominently feature samurai swords, for no other reason than they look real cool...yes, I’m looking at you, Hitman…

Thanks dude.

Now, the film is stupid...it’s a simple enough thing only meant to entertain but I do remember the 80’s and the pillaging of culture...sometimes fun...often just insulting.

Actually, when watching ‘Rogue Assassin’ [or War as it’s know in everywhere else], I was pleased to see that the main character always respected both the Japanese and Chinese cultures in which he was surrounded, even going so far as to abuse policemen who were insensitive towards Asians.
The film still sucked though.