Kung Fu Hustle: A Spoof of Eastern and Western CulturesEssay Preview: Kung Fu Hustle: A Spoof of Eastern and Western CulturesReport this essayWhat do you get when you mix American culture from the 40s and Chinese culture? The answer to this question is Stephen Chows film Kung Fu Hustle (2005). In this motion picture, there are clearly aspects of not only physical comedy but also a comedic spoof of both Chinese and American cultures. Being a Chinese film, it is obvious that there would be an eastern cultural influence, but throughout the film there are many instances where American culture is present. Whether it is the wardrobe, characters, or even the settings, there is a great deal of American influence in Chows movie.
One of the scenes that provides a vivid picture of the American influence in the motion picture is the opening sequence. Here the viewer sees a gang inside the police station hassling some of the deputies and the commissioner. The leader of the gang is shown beating up the chief of police and having his way with the law. Essentially this is a common characteristic of American films that include gangs, especially the mafia. In movies such as Francis Ford Coppolas The Godfather (1972) or Martin Scorseses Goodfellas (1990), the audience is presented with men who are part of the mafia or mob, respectively, and are seen roughing up police or having control over the police chief. Gangs require this control in order to run their illegal operations without having police interfere with their business. Likewise, the men from these movies show overprotective qualities toward their respective women, which is exactly how the gang leader in Kung Fu Hustle reacts to the treatment of his mistress. The reactions of the gang leader coincide with those found in American films about the mafia.
Another important factor within this sequence is when the gang heads outside and encounters a sound. When the sound gets closer, they realize it is a rival gang marching toward them. The Axe gang, as they are introduced, surrounds them on all sides of the intersection. What is important about this scene is the fact that when the Axe gang approaches, everyone reacts accordingly. The audience sees even the police station shutting down. How this scene connects with American film is the fact that when the police station was closing down, the camera moved down the street and watched the windows close one-by-one in a line. This consistent movement and traditional shot is found in the standard American western. In addition, the fact that both gangs meet on the street and are forced to face off with one another follows the same path of a showdown in American western films. Even further, the leaders of both gangs fight but the victor is from the stronger gang. These images are reminiscent of American films in that their shot sequence and interactions between the characters is similar.
Another part of this scene provides the audience with a connection to American culture through the fact that the Axe gang can be found wearing suits. For gangsters, the suit is the typical uniform to set them apart from others and create a sense of professionalism among the group. This is no exception when dealing with American films. As previously stated, both The Godfather and Goodfellas show the main characters dressed in suits. Because the wardrobe used to outfit the Axe gang is identical to that of other American gangs, it is no wonder where they get this idea. To further the fact that this is an American tradition, this same scene shows members of the Axe gang pulling up to the street in black cars. These vehicles are modeled after automobiles found in America during the 1920s even up to the 1950s. Many American films and historical settings place mafia gangsters around the period of prohibition, which lasted through
Luxurious, “No one is above the law” gangster
I’ve described the Axe gangsters on one occasion, but I’m not going to give them up. They are just too clever.
Some of these films, like Goodfellas, also have a theme about law enforcement being “the evil little people who must be stopped or killed.” To show this in the film “Law & Order,” the two characters are joined by their lawyer in a limousine which, unlike any other vehicle, has a security guard inside. While other movies present a typical “lawless gang”, the same is not true in Law & Order. One of them has an American cop who runs on his own accord for five years, but has a gang of mostly white cops. In an even more famous gang, one of the guys is the “master” of three black men in Brooklyn. One of the “champions” of the Brooklyn Mafia, Joe Bader, is a notorious crack-oper. His gang is known as the “Bash Brothers.” The story they tell their story is well captured in the classic gangster films, as a gangster in “Pleasantville” takes office in New York and his boss hires three white boys who were sent from the Bronx to arrest New York cops on charges of assault. This gang has, in fact, been in the movies for decades, with the most famous being the infamous Gang of Nuke Mafia. It is a well established tradition of the New World Order in America.
A New World Order, also, is known as the “Red King” and is the group that manages the White Castle prison in “Gone Girl.” The Red King has one of the largest numbers of members who are still alive and are doing their thing. He is the greatest criminal you’ll ever meet. “Red King” is said to have more or less a Mafia reputation. This same group uses the name because of the “Red King” moniker. This is why this Red King is such an important figure in the legend of White Castle. In Goodfellas, the Red King was a major player in the gang at the time. The story is that after his return from the White Castle, he goes to the United States to join his group of brothers in New York. Unfortunately, he finds himself under arrest and is captured by the Red King in a car full of cops. He is captured again and is sentenced to death at a white-collar murder trial. During the trial, the judge who brought him to the trial is forced to convict him of killing the Judge and put him on death row based on the evidence given in the trial which is never proven. This verdict is what will ultimately determine whether the Trial Court will convict him of that crime.
In Goodfellas, the Red King has the reputation of being an important figure in the Old World Order. This is because in this story, the Red King is shown wearing his blue suits over an American-made suit which was issued by an American law firm in 1939 . This uniform resembles one of the “Championes” in the New World Order, the “Champion Boys” in American movies. They are the most notable members of the Red King’s gang.
Law & Order: SVU , “Justice in the End”
In Goodfellas, there are two major factions in the White Castle murder case as well.
In the first case (the case of Baskin and Vollman and the other two accused in their murders) The Red King is able to prove his authority by pointing his revolver straight through every