| ASIANAM 114 | MRTL ARTS:GNDR&NATN | SHROFF, B. | This course combines viewing and analyzing the spectacle of "martial arts" in transnational films. The films span the geographies of Asian America and Asia. We discuss how films like Once Upon A Time in China and America position Jet Li’s masculinity in the geography of the "Wild West" with welcoming Indians, while films like Romeo Must Die construct Black and Asian masculinity as opposites and Super Cop represents Michelle Yeoh’s dazzling martial artistry in combination with Jackie Chan. We examine how butt-kicking women warriors Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock disrupt gender norms in films like Yes, Madam. The selection of films will also include Rush Hour, and Karate Kid. |