Comparing Eastern and
Western Cinema (eventually):
with a viewing of
Infernal Affairs (2002)
LAAF Series # 3
July 27th, 2008
David Kitani
Rationale
Many of the differences in Eastern and Western
Cinema are related to the difference in
aesthetics (values of the senses) which are
themselves rooted in cultural beliefs.
With this is mind we will explore the arts of
these cultures, then look at some underlying
beliefs, and finally arrive at a comparison
between the two films which can continue
through the viewing of our film. (oh yes, and
our LAAF Advice Column will be somewhere
in there!).
ART OF THE PAST
West
Da Vinci, Leonardo (1452-1519). The Last Supper. Milan, Italy.
West, Art of the Past
“The first object of the painter is to make a flat plane
appear as a body in relief and projecting from that
plane” - Leonardo Da Vinci
•
•
•
•
•
Full, detailed
People in prominence
Round
Big (15 x 19 Feet)
On the wall of a church
East
Tang Yin (1470-1524).
Seeing off a Guest on a Mountain Path
China, Ming Dynasty
East, Art of the Past
•
•
•
•
•
Minimal
Nature in prominence
Flat
Small (roughly 4 ft x 2 ft)
Hanging scroll
POETRY
West
SONNET 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
- William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
East
THE BLOOM IS NOT A BLOOM
The b loom is not a blo
o m, the mist n o t mist,
At midnight she comes, and goes aga
in at dawn.
She comes like a spring dream
- how long will
she stay?
She goes like morning
cloud, without a trace.
- Bai Juyi (772 - 846 )
MODERN ART
West
Animation is a children’s genre
Comic books are for little boys
East
Animation is valued as a serious art form
Comic books are read by all ages
BELIEFS
WEST
• More is more
• Freedom
• Fullness
• Verbal
• Meaning through what is
said
• THE DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE: life,
liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness
EAST
• Less is more
• Restraint
• Emptiness
• Visual
• Meaning through what is
not said
• CONFUCIUS:
“A superior man is modest in
his speech, but exceed in
his actions.”
CINEMA
The Departed / Infernal Affairs
The Departed (2006 - Hollywood film) was inspired by
Infernal Affairs (2002 Hong Kong film).
More like copied!
West : The Departed
SOME DIFFERNCES:
Of course there is
Leo who plays a cop
mole in a gang. He
talks, yells, and
gets angry to
express his
feelings.
Urrr…how did I get into
this f*^#*^d up
predicament!?! Who
am I?! I’m depressed
And angry! BLAH blAH
bLAH BLaHHH!
East : Infernal Affairs
The original character on which Leo’s
character was based is played by…
TONY LEUNG(s eyes)!
‘Nuff said!
West : The Departed
Then there is this guy
(played by Mark
Wahlberg). Basically,
this character talks a
lot (more like curses)
and administers
his own brand of justice.
East : Infernal Affairs
This character did not exist in the original.
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
Infernal Affairs / The Departed
SIMILARITIES
• the dilemma of having to pretend to be
someone you are not
• Cop is a gangster / Gangster is a cop
• What is good and and what is evil?
• justice must be served
The Differences
• THE DEPARTED
• Catholicism: to die is
judgment
• Love story is major
• Hollywood ending:
resolution
• Value of fullness and
speech (IMDB has 13
pages of memorable
quotes)
• INFERNAL AFFAIRS
• Buddhism: to continue
living is judgment
• Love story is minor
• Asian ending: openended
• Value of empty space and
silence (IMDB has 1.5
pages of memorable
quotes)
LAAF ADVICE COLUMN
Dear Mr. Kitani.
There are two boys in my life and I can’t decide which one to
date. One speaks so sweetly to me but kinda ignores me when
he’s with his friends. The other treats me well but he doesn’t
really talk much. What should I do?
Sincerely, Confused Girl
Dear Mr. Kitani.
Man, im in a jam! There’s this one girl that is so hawt with some
crazy curves but when I hang with her she’s kinda boring, but
this other girl…she is off the hook fun but she is how do I say
it…not as well endowed. Who should I go with yo!?
Sincerely, Confused Dawg
Dear Confused Girl and Confused Dawg,
Wow, well it seems you two are in quite a pickle. It’s
interesting though that your issues are not actually
too different from each other. You both seem to
have a conflict of interests and aesthetics.
Consider that what you think is soo great may be
shaped a lot by the culture you were brought up
in. Its hard to always know what is more
important in this changing world so you must go to
the unchanging standard of God. He knows what
is best so you should ask Him! Remember
“Beauty is fleeting and charm is deceptive but a
woman (and man) who fears the Lord is to be
praised!
Sincerely, Mr. Kitani
Dear Mr. Kitani,
My dad is not around very much because
he is always working to put food on our
plates. He makes sure we are provided for
but he doesn’t really talk to me that much.
Does he love me?
Sincerely,
Child of an Asian Father
Dear Child of an Asian Father,
Its hard for me to really say how your father feels
about you but his actions seems to show to me
that he cares for you and your needs. Sometimes,
to Asian dads this is their way of saying to their
child “I love you.” Remember just because he
doesn’t express himself like your friends’ dads,
doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care. He may just
value certain actions more.
Sincerely,
Mr. Kitani
Dear Mr. Kitani
My father left me and my family at an
early age. I was really broken up about
it. I used to be a pretty happy guy but
now I kinda keep to myself. What hope
do I have to make it in life?
Sincerely,
Young Tony
Dear Young Tony,
Don’t be too down Tony. In fact, your hard
experiences as a child will become a rich well
of blessing for you. You will develop very
soulful eyes that express much and will make
you an incredible actor that can channel your
feelings into your work. You will go on to win
at least 14 prestigious acting awards and
inspire many people to sit at a lecture just to
watch your film!
Sincerely,
David Kitani