Rush Hour
A common question in my workshop is "Is all this mind, body, and
spirit stuff an accident?" In other words, do writers intentionally
include it in their work, or is it something so inherent in a good story
that writers include it without even knowing they are doing so?
Personally, I think some writers do it intentionally. When you read some books or series, the mind, body, and spirit symbolism is so tightly woven into the story it is hard to believe it is accidental. In other stories, though, the symbolism comes across as almost an afterthought, like in the movie Rush Hour, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. The body and spirit characters are dominant throughout the film, but when needed to push the story forward, a mind character appears.
I don't know if the mind, body, and spirit symbolism in Rush Hour was intentional or accidental. I would like to believe it was intentional, but it doesn't have to be. It's there because it works, accidental or not.
Asian cultures, with their emphases on honor, lend themselves easily to spirit characters. In Rush Hour, Detective Inspector Lee is honor-bound to his country (China), his superior (Consul Han), and the consul's daughter (Soo Yung), with whom he has developed a friendship. When Lee and Carter are questioning a suspect, Lee pulls out a picture of Soo Yung and says he doesn't care about the suspect or anyone else, just the girl. He makes it clear throughout the film he will do whatever it takes to find her.
When the kidnappers get away and it appears Lee has failed, he returns to Consul Han to apologize and admit his failure. He then plans to comply with the FBI and return to China, facing his disgrace.
The climactic final battle occurs at an opening for an exhibit of Chinese historical artifacts. When Lee fights, he tries to protect the artifacts, even though he is unable to protect himself while doing so. This reflects Jackie Chan's real-life commitment to the preservation of Chinese historical artifacts.
Carter is all about the glory. When a bust goes bad at the beginning of the film, Carter shoots the suspects car, setting off the explosives in the trunk. He then dances in the street to celebrate his victory. With the evidence destroyed and two other cops injured, Carter is threatened with suspension, but he thinks he should be rewarded.
Carter is a "smooth talker." He is constantly hitting on different women, especially one particular female co-worker. At one point, he is having a serious conversation with the co-worker, but when that part of the conversation is over, he asks what color panties she is wearing. At the end of the film, he is getting ready to board a plan with Lee, but stops long enough to hit on the woman at the ticket counter.
Johnson does not appear consistently throughout the film like Carter and Lee, but instead shows up when necessary to move the story forward. She first appears telling Carter he is about to be suspended. Later, she helps Carter and Lee figure out a device dropped by one of the suspects during a chase is a sophisticated bomb detonator.
Carter calls on Johnson to get more information, and during the final battle, Johnson must decide which wire to cut to deactivate the bomb strapped to the kidnapped Soo Yung. Her role is considered "minor" as far as screen time is concerned, but her input to the story is critical.
Personally, I think some writers do it intentionally. When you read some books or series, the mind, body, and spirit symbolism is so tightly woven into the story it is hard to believe it is accidental. In other stories, though, the symbolism comes across as almost an afterthought, like in the movie Rush Hour, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. The body and spirit characters are dominant throughout the film, but when needed to push the story forward, a mind character appears.
I don't know if the mind, body, and spirit symbolism in Rush Hour was intentional or accidental. I would like to believe it was intentional, but it doesn't have to be. It's there because it works, accidental or not.
The Spirit Character: Detective Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan)
Asian cultures, with their emphases on honor, lend themselves easily to spirit characters. In Rush Hour, Detective Inspector Lee is honor-bound to his country (China), his superior (Consul Han), and the consul's daughter (Soo Yung), with whom he has developed a friendship. When Lee and Carter are questioning a suspect, Lee pulls out a picture of Soo Yung and says he doesn't care about the suspect or anyone else, just the girl. He makes it clear throughout the film he will do whatever it takes to find her.
When the kidnappers get away and it appears Lee has failed, he returns to Consul Han to apologize and admit his failure. He then plans to comply with the FBI and return to China, facing his disgrace.
The climactic final battle occurs at an opening for an exhibit of Chinese historical artifacts. When Lee fights, he tries to protect the artifacts, even though he is unable to protect himself while doing so. This reflects Jackie Chan's real-life commitment to the preservation of Chinese historical artifacts.
The Body Character: Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker)
Carter is all about the glory. When a bust goes bad at the beginning of the film, Carter shoots the suspects car, setting off the explosives in the trunk. He then dances in the street to celebrate his victory. With the evidence destroyed and two other cops injured, Carter is threatened with suspension, but he thinks he should be rewarded.
Carter is a "smooth talker." He is constantly hitting on different women, especially one particular female co-worker. At one point, he is having a serious conversation with the co-worker, but when that part of the conversation is over, he asks what color panties she is wearing. At the end of the film, he is getting ready to board a plan with Lee, but stops long enough to hit on the woman at the ticket counter.
The Mind Character: Tania Johnson (Elizabeth Pena)
Johnson does not appear consistently throughout the film like Carter and Lee, but instead shows up when necessary to move the story forward. She first appears telling Carter he is about to be suspended. Later, she helps Carter and Lee figure out a device dropped by one of the suspects during a chase is a sophisticated bomb detonator.
Carter calls on Johnson to get more information, and during the final battle, Johnson must decide which wire to cut to deactivate the bomb strapped to the kidnapped Soo Yung. Her role is considered "minor" as far as screen time is concerned, but her input to the story is critical.
Comments
Post a Comment