Oh, no, I’m perfectly aware of real Chinglish. But line after line, for minute after minute, each supposed to be a mistranslation, is massive overkill and makes it very obvious that it’s all very scripted and calculating.
That’s what I thought, too.
Bet and believe whatever you want. It was overdone and idiotic.
Puerile? Sure. Adolescent? Possibly. Hyperbolic? Definitely. Idiotic? Nope.
Thanks for posting this. They got my attention when they said that population of the US is just rounding error compared to the population of China. I don’t know if I’d call it a great film, but it has a potent theme.
If you get past the music (ears are bleeding), the photography, the editing (trying to look amateurish on purpose?), the translations (which at times were amusing but not hilarious), the message should be a wake-up call to anybody paying attention: “America, laugh now, but China will have the last laugh. We’re coming to eat your lunch.” The US is using China to produce low-cost goods (“Those stupid Chinese work so cheap!”), but in doing so is fueling the Chinese economy. While Americans get fatter, dumber, and happier, China’s economy will reach critical mass and become the next economic superpower.
I’m no economist but sounds plausible to me.
Y’know, this movie just proves that Americans are the most provincial people on earth. And only the most provincial people on earth would believe that Americans are the most provincial people on earth.
The movie isn’t about China, it’s about the director’s obsession with America’s status. If China manages to haul itself out of impoverished third world status to the level of prosperity enjoyed by, say, Mexico, it will be an enormous accomplishment. And what the fuck does that have to do with nationalist comparisons to America?
This film isn’t about how China is progressing, it’s an American’s attack on globalisation. America, America, America. Y’know, I bet over in China they’re sick about how Americans only care about America. I bet they sit around all day and complain about how much we suck and how soon they will surpass us. Because the most important thing in a Chinese worker’s life is economic conditions in America. We suck so bad people the only thing people all over the world can think about is us, and how much we suck.
Y’know, for once I’d like to see an American criticize America in the age of globalization and for once take a fucking global perspective. Nah, to much trouble. America is number one! Number one! Even when we suck, we’ve gotta be number one at sucking! It’s fucking pathetic.
Somebody needs a hug.
Great little film; I thought it accomplished something extremely difficult, making a complicated point about international trade without boring the audience to sleep. It could have been shorter, but I thought it was fine.
Moreover, we (Americans) should get used to hearing things like this.
The balance of world trade is going to shift dramatically in the next few years; China joined the GATT last year, and is about to explode commercially. (They’re planning to introduce a Chinese-made car to the US market soon.)
Moreover, China keeps its currency artifically pegged to the dollar; it’s something like 8.2 yuan/dollar, while currency experts suggest that the actual value of the yuan is more like 5/dollar. From here:
This is going to be a big deal for years to come. China is looking to leave the US sniffing Fragrant Monkey Tail.
As far as the pidgin English was concerned, I was reminded of the South Park episode with the Japanese businessmen plotting to take over America with the Pokemon-ripoff. Whenever an American would start to question them, they’d placate him by saying, in comically accented English, how big his penis was compared to their tiny little penises. The American would walk tall as he strode off, completely forgetting what they’d been discussing.
The laughing Chinese guy may give me nightmares.
I’m not sure this is what you meant to say. Wouldn’t that be the government keeping the yuan artificially high?
Not that I can see. If it takes 8.2 yuan to equal a dollar officially, but the market value would be 5 yuan to equal a dollar, that mans each individual yuan is worth less than what it’s actual market value would be if it weren’t kept at an artificial equivalency by the Chinese government.
Correct. At 8.2 yuan to the dollar (as the Chinese government maintains), then one yuan = 12.2 cents. But at 5 yuan to the dollar, a yuan is worth 20 cents.
It was kinda cool actually. A music video a 7th grader might put together. Needs a techno beat, and MTV might even pick it up.
Won awards at Sundance? Oh, please. :rolleyes:
Thankfully, it didn’t actually win anything, or at least it’s not listed here: http://www.sundancechannel.com/festival/history/?sContent=2006&PHPSESSID=e9b13758de7b20d911428eb14f27204a