Looking at the Chinese Image in the French Vision from "Into the House"
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"Into the House" does not tell the story of the Chinese in France, but the foreign country that is mentioned the most in this film is China. From ideology, to economic activities, to cultural life, this film outlines a fairly three-dimensional image of China. This is not only a reference to China, but the image of China is also involved in the main content of this film, and even affects the main theme of this film. When we say "the image of China in the eyes of the French", of course, this does not mean that the opinions of all French people are collected, but only based on a certain medium. Here is an attempt to present the image of China in the multi-faceted French vision according to the appearance of the film, and to participate in the subjective feeling.
【Ideology of Chinese Image】
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In "Into the House", we can directly see the image of Chinese ideology from the art store. ...
Such expressions no longer consist of those false polite words, whether limited or not, at least more honest. There are also communists in France. Before the 1960s, they were not so disgusted with ideological China, they even regarded China at that time as an ideal society. Perhaps, as Voltaire did, it was merely a critique of France's own polity. In any case, the terrible collective madness that took place in the second half of the 1960s and into the 1970s changed the way French communists viewed an ideological China. ...
According to Marx, the great revolutionary teacher, the political system or ideology is only the superstructure, and the economy is the foundation. It is said that the reason why the current French communist groups criticize the Chinese polity is because China's developed economy threatens the interests of the French working class. For the French capitalists, as long as the Chinese economy can bring them benefits, they don't bother to pay attention...
【Economic Activities of China's Image】
After Voltaire, as France colonized or invaded the feudal Celestial Dynasty, French capitalists became closer to China, and the Celestial Dynasty under the management of the feudal regime was regarded as a very good market and resource. Later, ... it was no longer just a market and resources, it had become the main body of capital itself, and affected France. At this time, France even became the market and resources of the former.
In "Into the House", Claude's classmate's father is engaged in economic activities with the Chinese. We can see the impact of China's economic activities on the French from his point of view. He summed up the image of China in the eyes of the French: "We are afraid of China, but China is also our greatest opportunity." They are afraid of China, which means that those French people are worried that the booming Chinese economy may impact France and harm France's economic interests; China is also an opportunity for these French people, which means that as long as these French businessmen can follow the Chinese economy. Development and development, that can also gain huge benefits.
It is both daunting and hopeful, an ambivalent attitude towards China. Fear will make these French people have the idea of confrontation and do things that are confrontational; hope will make these French people feel good about them and do things that are cooperative. These French people do not need to choose between fear and hope, because this mixed ambivalence is related to the position of reality.
According to Claude's description, we can see the impact of China's economic activities on the life of this French economic clerk. The Frenchman not only likes to talk about the Chinese, but in some ways is also influenced by certain Chinese prejudices, such as, he said, "Those Chinese say that Koreans are the most insidious and cunning." Economic activity in China affects the way the French talk about buying and selling. They learned to negotiate business according to the Chinese custom, that is, "entertainment" or "drinking with customers". Otherwise, they would not be able to negotiate business with the Chinese normally. The funny thing is that when the deal is not negotiated, these French people will be angry for paying 300 euros for Chinese customers to eat.
According to a report, a British university student felt that a few weeks of internship in China would give more experience than a year in London, and he gave the example: In China, drinking with clients is important, while in Europe it is Not a problem. .
As can be seen from "Into the House", China has a huge advantage in economic activities: cheap labor. The French said that the Chinese used to breed like rabbits. As the so-called "many people are more powerful". And now, Chinese businessmen come to do business with the French, and they can proudly wield the advantage of imitative power and cheap labor. In the film, a Chinese businessman brings an investment opportunity to these French people. They want to launch a doll, designed by the French and made by the Chinese. This doll costs 3 euros and can be sold in France for 30 euros . The low cost of manufacturing in China is inseparable from the abundance of cheap labor in China. By cooperating with Chinese manufacturing, these French businessmen can reduce operating costs and thus gain greater profits. .
We need not be particularly concerned with this criticism of ideological castles in the air. It is said that "Made in China" toys have occupied more than 50% of the French toy market, and sometimes even as much as 60% or 80%. Such a proud achievement!
【Culture and Art of Chinese Image】
China's ideology used to be the best. In the history from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, any foreign nationality invaded China, even if they won by force, they would end up being assimilated by the Chinese ideology. Chinese culture fits the best feudal regime. Later, European culture became the mainstream of world culture, and European culture dominated the time, space and concepts of human beings. Any other culture, in comparison, can only maintain itself by merging into European culture. The same is true of Chinese culture and art, which has to be integrated into European culture to maintain its own characteristics. Some Chinese intellectuals still maintain a very primitive self-esteem, thinking that they can "learn from the middle school as the body and learn from the west as the application." They don't hesitate to "invent Chinese tradition" for this, although such culture and art are already in the framework of European culture and art.
In "Into the House", the works of a remarkable Chinese female artist are exhibited, titled "Shanghai Sky". This is a group of paintings with Chinese characteristics, the reason for this is that it uses traditional Chinese ink painting pigments. Such a group of so-called paintings with Chinese characteristics makes people laugh. It is simple and boring, like random smudges of ink and wash.
It seems perfect for anyone trying to pretend to understand art, like the twin sisters in the film, and the middle-class woman who isn't enthusiastic about art. Although this group of so-called paintings uses Chinese ink and wash, the reason why it can be exhibited as a work of art is that it is incorporated into the framework of European culture and art. It does not show the content of traditional Chinese art, it shows emptiness and boredom. It should be clearly influenced by twentieth-century European cultural and artistic stylistic innovations, but it does not have the roots of European culture and art. It's a nondescript mix. It is indeed a "collision of Eastern and Western cultures", but it only produces some fleeting sounds.
Gilman, the French literature teacher in "Into the House", also criticized a "art catalogue" of Chinese artists. He criticized that the catalogue of Chinese artworks was the worst to read, full of useless piles of vocabulary, and the introductions were rubbish, even perverted. What he criticized was actually the language of the so-called Chinese modern art, which was actually developed in the process of imitating European culture and art. ...This kind of situation, on the one hand, shows the weakening of the Chinese art language, and on the other hand, it tries to integrate into the framework of European art language, and still keeps its own name.
However... China will not always be influenced by the standards of European culture, and Chinese culture will also refer to the standards of European civilization to set up awards. This may indicate that Chinese culture has tried to turn against European culture. But in postcolonial culture, ideology is not what it appears to be.
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