Asian Images in Film - Turner Classic Movies

Throughout June 2008, Turner Classic Movies is broadcasting a series entitled "Race & Hollywood: Asian Images in Film". The special website dedicated to this very important film festival says that it "explores the variety of Asian characters depicted in American films, ranging from negative stereotypes and caucasian actors made up to look asian to the emergence of martial arts films that created their own Asian superstars, and the more sensitive and sophisticated vehicles of such dedicated actors as Sessue Hayakawa (*早川 雪洲, Hayakawa Sesshū), Miyoshi Umeki (*梅木 美代志, Umeki Miyoshi) and Pat Morita." Curated by University of Delaware professor, Peter X. Feng, in collaboration with TCM's great host, Robert Osborne, the festival -- with films ranging from the silent era through the start of the 21st Century -- is not only expository but, in the purest sense, provocative.

Asian Images in Film kicked off last night (June 3) with a one-hour documentary entitled "The Slanted Screen". It concentrates specifically on the "portrayals of Asian men in American media, chronicling the experiences of actors who have had to struggle against ethnic stereotyping and limited roles." The Slanted Screen features 15 interviews -- from Oscar-nominated actors James Shigeta and Mako (マコ岩松, Iwamatsu Makoto), to TV pioneers Dustin Nguyen and Bobby Lee, to director Justin Lin and more -- which, in a way, summarize the entire TCM series to come. That summary is their important perspective on the overwhelmingly maddening, virtual shutting out of Asian and Asian-American performers, and particularly Asian/Asian-American men in U.S. cinema. For all of the distinguished Asian and Asian-American artists who have directed, produced, written, photographed, and graced the screen in U.S. films, there are still today, in 2008 (!), virtually no major Asian or Asian-American actors on the U.S. cinema scene who command the same salaries as Caucasian actors. The rare exceptions are those who, even in very high quality films, still, in blatent or subtle ways, perpetuate Asian stereotypes.

TCM's series has purposely opened this and many other complex "doors" to the issues of Asian images on screen--with films to admire and admonish, respect and decry, sometimes simultaneously. Ongoing commentary by Professor Feng and Robert Osborn will bring out topics of discussion which will, no doubt, demystify, puzzle, inspire, enrage, empower and educate.

Race & Hollywood: Asian Images in Film can be seen on TCM on Thursday nights throughout June (check local listings).

From YouTube: The Trailer from Sidney Franklin's (and the uncredited Victor Fleming) "The Good Earth" (1937):