Before showing us a short film titled "Bubblehead", Professor Francis asked us to think about why he would choose to name this course "Asian American History In Film & Theater". I hoped that the film would be openly insightful about the content of this course, and realized immediately after we started the movie that it was not going to be that simple! When we were later told to note down our reflections, I found the task of collecting my thoughts to be quite challenging and surprisingly a little frustrating. As a student who has little experience with film analysis, I believe it is going to take me some time to get a handle on how to think and write about film in a scholarly way. I rarely watch non-mainstream films and therefore still find the concept that film can serve a purpose beyond entertainment to be a little foreign. After our discussion of some film terminology, I now realize that this is something I should take into account in order to understand my positionality as a viewer.
Positionality is something I find to be especially fascinating; it was clear as soon as we began our discussion of "Bubblehead" that my classmates and I were completely influenced by our own unique experiences and stances. While watching the film I happened to be most interested by how I could relate to the young protagonist Cyrus. I imagined myself to be experiencing the boredom and frustration I believed Cyrus was feeling as he interacted with parents, teachers, and classmates. I explained in class that I could sense Cyrus' discomfort, and I realize now that the director probably intended the viewers to feel this way. The director was very subtle in her approach and exploration of the Asian American experience and I feel her portrayal was quite accurate. As an Asian American myself, I face situations everyday during which I become suddenly aware of my Asian heritage; usually seemingly insignificant instances which I can't necessarily classify as positive or negative.
I think I am slowly beginning to understand the answer to Francis' question about the name of this course. I believe he chose to name it "Asian American History in Film & Theater" because we are exploring specifically how screenwriters, playwrights, and directors choose to portray the Asian American experience in this particular artistic medium. While we may not have learned anything specific about events that have shaped Asian American history by watching "Bubblehead" we have certainly begun to dive into the realm of what it means to be Asian American, and I'm sure as we study more and more works we will slowly begin to gain a better understanding of the experiences that shape the identity of such a vast and diverse group of people. The possibilities we can explore are endless.
I agree that the director was able to convincingly portray his discomfort, and that it was reflective of the Asian American experience and not just an individual discomfort. And I agree with your comment about the "seemingly insignificant instances," because I found it interesting that the director chose something like time which is not as obvious as, say, an accent or manner of dress.
ReplyDelete