Bu jian bu san

I've seen this movie at the new year's day of 1999. Actually it is a quite good funny and happy movie, but of course with lots of shortage. I can't see any reason why the two people begin to love each other, seems only for lonely? Everything is just surface, no deep idea in it. But the screenplay is good, so I give it 7.

This isn't your typical romance movie - it deals with the ups and downs of a romance between two Chinese expatriates living in the USA. Unlike the typical Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan movie, the viewer is left guessing as to whether or not the two lovers will get together. A very touching ending.

This is a very interesting movie. This movie revealed the hardship of the previous generation of Chinese persons immigrating to America and finding no work. It had both humor and irony woven into the plot. It detailed the relationship of a man and woman both struggling in America to make ends meet, and the disillusionment of the "American dream." It used irony and American and Chinese stereotypes. One memorable part is when the man is teaching American police officers Mao-ist sayings to assist the police in arresting citizens that speak only Mandarin. This is a very funny movie, it is even funnier if perceptions of both the East of China and the West of America are understood. I do agree that this may not appeal to the average Westerner, but it greatly appealed to me...Great movie!!!

One of the reason this film so popular in China and among oversea Chinese was its direct criticism of the corruption in China, such as misuse of public funds: when the delegation came from China, the first thing was not to do something related to their mission, but to go to strip club to see naked women. This film openly criticized the corruption of this type, and although it might not be much to westerners, it was significant in China.

This is a nice movie but there are a lot of racial undertones in it. Every scene with an "American" depicts them as stupid or violent. It's true that many American films have given little respect to Asian people. It's true that the roles of Asian actors in American films are usually limited to "Chinese delivery boy" and "nerd".

But Bu Jian Bu San seems to serve as a payback for all the injustice done to Asians in American film. It's interesting how the filmmakers pull it off. It's carried out in a way that's culturally Asian; indirect. The subliminal American stereotypes are intricately woven into the story line. One scene, you see the van pull away while the camera fixes its focus on an overweight white woman on a payphone. Another scene, the main characters are talking about how cops in America will shoot you and the girl replies in fear "why?!".

Other than all of this crap, the story is nice.