Discuss the female action heroine in 2-3 Hong Kong films. To what Essay

Discuss the female action heroine in 2-3 Hong Kong films. To what extent does she transgress conventional gender roles and to w - Essay Example Besides, the unique socio-cultural and political setting of Honk Kong deeply influences the foretold difference in gender roles. Thesis statement: The female action heroine in Hong Kong films transgresses conventional gender roles and does not simply conform to male fantasies (Special references to the star Brigitte Lin in the Hong Kong films: Swordsman II, Ashes of Time, Bride with White Hair). Prominence of women actors in Hong Kong action cinema The prominence of women actors in Hong Kong action cinema challenges the conventional mode of masculine power vested upon male actors. Kar, Bren and Ho (2004, p.109) state that ‘Historians of early Chinese cinema often regard Hong Kong as a cultural â€Å"branch† of the more sophisticated Shanghai’. An alternative version of masculinity can be seen among women actors in Hong Kong action cinema. Pang and Wong (2005, p. 137) state that ‘The ideological implications of masculinity can be radically re-examined by not simply looking at men exclusively but also mapping and recognizing the culture of a certain female type’. Within this perspective, masculinity is not fully vested upon male. Instead, masculinity is expressed through the search for one’s identity, especially by the female heroine. 1. Transvestite/Cross-dressing in Chinese (Hong Kong) films Transvestite/Cross-dressing in Chinese (Hong Kong) films creates sexual ambiguity and transforms gender identity from hero to heroine and vice versa. One can easily identify that cross-dressing in Chinese Operas deeply influenced the same process in films, especially the Hong Kong films. Vojkovic (2009, p. 43) states that ‘Here, we also have to consider the fact that Kung fu comedy as a genre makes much less of an appeal to authenticity, reminding us also that Kung fu comedy draws its origins from Beijing Opera’. Besides, cross-dressing indirectly challenges male primacy and patriarchy in the Chinese society. Generally, c ross-dressing helps the female heroine to hide her biological gender but the same will be exposed in front of the audience in the final unmasking scene. Garber (1997, p.45) makes clear that ‘Women who cross-dress must fall into two categories: the occasional, recreational cross-dresser who does not wish or try to pass and the transsexual’. Within the context of Chinese (Hong Kong) films, cross-dressing (assuming gender codes) lead to transvestism (transformation to opposite sex). In short, the Chinese (Hong Kong) films make use of cross-dressing as an innovative tool to challenge the hierarchy of power. 2. Transsexual/ Swordswomen in Chinese (Hong Kong) films The transsexual/ swordswomen in Chinese (Hong Kong) films are capable to demonstrate skill similar to their counterparts. But these transsexual/ swordswomen are not portrayed as independent warriors because they are attached to their male counterparts. Hunt (2003, pp.117-118) states that ‘But as Asian audienc es and critics were well aware, women warriors are nothing new in Chinese storytelling and have a much longer history than their western counterparts’. The unique socio-cultural and political setting within China, especially in Hong Kong unveils the feminine side of transsexual/ swordswomen. For instance, womenfolk in Chinese society uphold traditional