The Cultural Differences Between China And The West Reflected In Movies

This paper describes the differences in various aspects in Chinese culture and the western culture on the basis of the analysis of the vivid plots which reflect the China-West cultural differences in the movies "Guasha", "Pushing Hands" and "The Wedding Banquet". Then it analyzes the causes which lead to the cultural differences.What is new in this paper is that it makes an overall summary and analysis of the cultural differences reflected in the three movies. The results show that the cultural differences between China and the West are bound to be there due to the differences in perspective of philosophical ideas, mode of thinking, national customs, mentalities and attitudes, religious belief and the attitude towards nature. It also probes the ways to solve the cultural conflicts on the basis of that.Chapter One briefly describes the main plots of the three movies.Chapter Two mainly describes the cultural differences between China and the West in the three movies and then analyzes these plots from the angle of the differences in Chinese and western ethics and the traditional cultures.Chapter Three mainly analyzes the causes leading to the cultural differences between China and the West on the basis of Chapter One. This chapter focuses on the analysis of the different geographic environment, perspective of philosophical ideas, mode of thinking, national customs, mentalities and attitudes, religious beliefs, social structures and management styles and the attitudes towards nature. The result shows that the formation of the cultural differences between China and the West is neither the work of a single-day, nor the result of a certain element. Instead, it is the result of the comprehensive elements in the long history.Chapter Four mainly probes the solution to the cultural conflicts between China and the West It starts with the criticism over two wrong ideas in the China-West cultural exchanges: the wholesale Westernization and the complete rejection against western culture. Then it puts forward the opinion that the only way for the development of the Chinese culture and the Western culture is to strengthen the exchanges and blending between the two cultures.