Nurul CAPS Blog #2: Interpretive Approach

Every nation has its own culture and identity. Culture does not have a definite definition as it is very subjective and the meaning of culture changes depending on the nation and regional context. "Mao’s Last Dancer" is a tense movie about cultural conflicts and dilemmas faced by a Chinese who is learning ballet in America. By using interpretive approach, a researcher could collect information through observation. The goal of interpretive research is to understand and describe human behavior (Martin & Nakayama, 2012, p. 59). From the interpretive perspective, there are three clear cultural patterns could be identified in this movie; cultural conflicts, lifestyles, and life disciplines. 

"Mao's Last Dancer" is based on a true story.

China government and communism ideology.

"Mao’s Last Dancer" is a true story about a poor boy named Li Cunxin, a ballet dancer who is facing various dilemmas due to his culture and his government ideology, communism. Li comes from a poor peasant family and he has seven siblings, which is considered as a big family by most Western people. Li is very lucky as he is chosen by China government to learn classical ballet in Beijing. At first, Li dislikes for being in art academy and he is always scolded by his instructor, Teacher Gao for being so weak. At night, he cries at dormitory. One of the communist officers at the dormitory warns him and says, “Crying is a sign of weakness. You will be sent for detention if you continue crying and being weak” (Beresford, 2009). Cultural conflict arises when communist leader wants to put revolutionary elements into ballet. Teacher Chan disagrees with this idea as it opposes the softness and originality of ballet art. Revolution and ballet can’t be together at once. At the end, Teacher Chan is arrested by the government since he is a counter –revolutionary. Another example of cultural conflict in this movie is when the communist officers refuse to send Li to America because he does not politically ready to resist capitalism. 

Li does not understand why he is chosen to learn ballet.

Students are trained to do ballet so that China government could spread the communism ideology through it.

Another cultural pattern could be seen in "Mao's Last Dancer" is lifestyle. Two different lifestyles, Chinese and Western lifestyles are well portrayed in this movie. Li never eat muffin for breakfast when he was in his country, China. He and his whole family only eat tapioca every day. When Bobby asks him to eat muffin, he says, "Horse?" (Beresford, 2009). America is a land of liberty and people have freedom of speech unlike in China. Li tells Bobby that he really admires China's president at that time, Chairman Mao. He is very shocked whenever Bobby says he dislikes the president of America. Bobby says, "This is America, Li" (Beresford, 2009). One of the "Mao's Last Dancer" themes is the importance of freedom. It illustrates what we can sometimes be asked to sacrifice to attain it and why we should not easily give it up-especially not in the name of security (Trueax, 2012).

The third cultural pattern could be seen in this movie is life discipline. Students in China learn about communism at school. The main intention of China government is to demolish class distinction. One of the students asks the communist officers, "Which country has the lowest?" They answers, " Capitalist and imperialist nations" (Beresford, 2009). Consulate-general of the people of Republic of China in America once advises Li to live according to communist principle. America is totally opposite of China. A lot of fun things can be explored in America. Americans can do whatever they want to do without being afraid of government. After several months, Li could adapt to American's lifestyles quite well and he even falls in love with an American girl, Elizabeth. For Li, who was taken from his isolated village as a child and has spent his entire life training to be both a dancer and a communist, it isn't until he finds love that he discovers that the West has too much on offer to resist (Morris, 2012). However, China government did not allow Li to live under Western influence anymore since he is still young. 

Li with his American girlfriend, Elizabeth.

They get married in America without China government permission.

Li faces a lot of difficulties in his life because he lives in two different cultures at the same time. He experiences bounded versus dominant identities where he needs to adjust his life according to the norm set by Americans but at the same time, he has to preserve his culture and identity as a Chinese and spread the ideology of communism. According to Martin and Nakayama, Li may generate attitudes and behaviors consistent with a natural internal struggle to develop a strong sense of group identity and self-identity (2012, p. 187).

"Mao's Last Dancer" trailer. This is the best movie ever. My favorite quotation from Li, "My father has 50 dollar one year, you spend 500 one day" (Beresford, 2009).

References

Beresford, B. (Director). (2009). Mao's Last Dancer [Motion picture]. Australia: Samuel Goldwyn Films and ATO Pictures.

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2012). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.

Morris, A. (2012). Mao's Last Dancer [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.webwombat.com.au/entertainment/movies/maos-last-dancer.htm

Trueax, R. (2012, Jan 08). Mao's Last Dancer [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://rainydaythought.blogspot.com/2012/01/maos-last-dancer.html