Justin Lin

  

 

Justin Lin had the intention of breaking down Asian stereotypes and the "model minority" by portraying darker persona of characters in his film,  Better Luck Tomorrow.  This film had the objective to generate controversy and discussion, especially for its intended audience teenagers and was inspired by youth.  His film has depicted a drastically different view of the Asian American, yet still keeping some of the realistic pressures that viewers can relate to.  Recently he wrapped up on the film, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.  A promising director, his next project is an adaptation of the Korean film Oldboy.

Steven Spielberg

                            

 

The success of Steven Spielberg goes without saying. He has been recognized countless times, and stands as a pillar for excellence in direction. However, the success of Spielberg has given the chance to use his talents and production powers to point our racial injustice through film. Presenting Amistad, Schindler’s List, and Munich Spielberg takes a step back, and directs his aim against historical injustices which impact our society today.

Spielberg has won three Academy Awards and has produced some of the most lucrative box office hits of any filmmaker. This fact makes his willingness to produce films that impact the racial climate of the America quite unique. In Amistad, Spielberg told the story of a slave ship mutiny. Using the vivid imagery of history, he showed with great detail atrocity and injustice. In Schindler’s List, Spielberg depicts the holocaust in a solemn tale reflecting the horrific past of humanity. Finally, one of his latest projects Munich again was devoted to showing the historical injustice of the Munich Olympic bombings. This film in particular focuses on the injustices between the tense Israeli and Palestinian conflict. Also, Spielberg helped produce Memoirs of a Geisha, which too stands as a movie with a insightful racial theme.

Directors with success and power have free range to choose any project they wish. Spielberg is an important example for his willingness to look beyond profit and acclaim to participate in films with a cause he believes in.

Denzel Washington

       

 

For the modern generation, there is no actor who has taken more risky roles or made career decisions for the sake of racial justice than Denzel Washington. Appearing in Glory,Remember the Titans, Malcolm X, Training Day, The Hurricane, Philadelphia, and most recently, The Inside Man.  Denzel has made it a goal to take projects not just for his pocketbook, but for ideals he believes in as well.

Specifically The Hurricane (1999), Remember the Titans (2000), and Malcolm X (1993)  show how Denzel has used his talent as an actor to get across important issues of race in America,.  These particular movies were based off of true events and people in history, which created a greater impact to audiences everywhere.  The Hurricane was a film about the falsely tried boxer, Rubin Carter, whose plight reached national attention when he was released of his crime having been wrongly imprisoned.  In Remember the Titans Washington played an African American football coach who desegregated  the school in the midst of racial turmoil. Though a Disney movie, the film was able to captivate audiences and reach young minds teaching them the values of tolerance, understanding and cultural difference. Finally, Spike Lee’s Malcolm X stands out as a powerful example of Denzel’s stance against racism.

Claiming to have been inspired by Sidney Pointer, Denzel Washington lives as an inspiration to all. He has won two Academy Awards and holds the respect of both the movie industry and the public. For taking roles that could be “risky” and having the courage to act in films that present in justices and faces racial differences, Washington represents the ideal blend of talent put to worthy causes in the media today.

Ang Lee

                                                      

Director Ang Lee represents an artist whose works have made leaps and bounds in propagating awareness to the difficulty of moving to America. The culture shock many immigrants or even first generation Americans face is a subject that few Americans can address. Though most people know Lee for his highly acclaimed work and Academy Award winning film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and more recently, Brokeback Mountain.  His previous movies have had strong focus on Asian American integration and struggles.

Ang Lee’s role in educating people about the struggles of Asian Americans is best exemplified in his 1993 film The Wedding Banquet and in his first feature film in 1992 Pushing Hands. Both movies deal specifically with immigration from China to New York City and the problems that people encounter in such a move.  Blending Chinese and Taiwanese traditions with American problems and contexts, Lee’s films are both insightful and inspiring.

Lee's personal successs includes an Oscar for his direction in Brokeback Mountain. Though this film was not a depiction of racial tensions in American, Lee’s accomplishment represents an unbelievable stride for all people and culture in the film industry. He was the first non Caucasian to win this award, putting him in a category with so many greats as an inspiration to all, particularly Asian Americans in cinema.

Spike Lee

                                                          

“Spike Lee’s work as a whole has been more perceptive and useful than any other single cinematic source in helping us understand the situation of the races in modern America.” (Ebert, 536) 

When the racial landscape of America is looked out through the artistic forum of cinema, one is instantly drawn to the work of director Spike Lee. Graduating from New York University’s School of the Arts, Lee has made a name for himself with his uncanny ability to present the inequalities and injustices racism provokes in modern America. Having earned the respect of both the public and his colleagues by pushing the envelop and daring to say what others will not, Lee continues to bring important racial topics to the forefront through using clever direction, screenwriting and moving storylines.  

Spike Lee is a role model for changing the boundaries of racial difference because of his affinty for taboo topics with racial tension. The film Jungle Fever, written and directed by Lee, was the winner of the Political Film Society Human Rights Award. More impacting then this distinction, Lee’s Jungle Fever explored the idea of interracial marriage in a modern way. Addressing the notion that racial norms and stigmas still exist within the context of romance between races, Lee is persistent at quelling any racial injustice that lingers. Spike Lee has also devoted work to pay respects to those who fought racial injustice before him. In his 1992 film Malcolm X,  Lee presents the life and lessons of Malcolm X in a powerful way to a modern audience and generation. In  She's Gotta Have It, African Americans are portrayed in a realistic, everyday normal reflection of their lives. This movie serves to remind the industry that black are not just portrayed in comedic roles or the bad guy.  By showing how injustice has been battled and pointing out the racial injustices of today, Spike Lee is a role model for tolerance and understanding.