从李安电影《喜宴》中看中西方文化的冲突与融合

福州大学本科生毕业论文PAGE18PAGE15ContentsChineseTOC\o"1-2"\h\uAbstract 2EnglishAbstract 31.Introduction 41.1AbouttheMovie 41.2LiteratureReview 52.TheConflictsbetweenChineseandWesternCulturesinFilms 62.1TheConflictofMarriageViews 62.2TheConflictofFamilyEthics 82.3TheConflictbetweenFatherandSon 103.TheIntegrationofChineseandWesternCulturesinFilms 113.1TheIntegrationofMarriageViews 113.2The

IntegrationofFamilyEthics 123.3TheCompromisebetweenFatherandSon 134.Conclusion 13References 15 从李安电影《喜宴》中看中西方文化的冲突与融合摘要在文化全球化的进程中，中西文化的碰撞与冲突不可避免。本文选择李安导演的电影《喜宴》作为研究中西方文化冲突的切入点。《喜宴》讲述了在美国定居的台湾人高伟同为了向父母掩盖自己是同性恋者的真相，在父母对自己婚姻问题的催促下，与自己的女租客——非法移民的女画家结婚的故事。本文通过对影片细节的讨论，分析了中西两种文化的冲突与融合。第一章是对电影的相关介绍；第二章从文化冲突的角度对电影中中西文化中的婚姻观，家庭伦理，父亲的形象三个方面进行解析；第三章是从文化融合的角度讨论和分析以上三个方面；最后一章是对全文的总结。通过分析《喜宴》中展现出的文化冲突与融合，寻找文化冲突的原因，找到文化融合的方法，从而使我们了解并包容不同民族，理解中西文化和生活习惯的差异，在产生文化冲突时及时找到合理的方法去解决。关键词：《喜宴》；文化冲突；文化融合ViewingtheConflictandIntegrationofChineseandWesternCulturesfromAngLee’s“TheWeddingBanquet”AbstractIntheprocessofculturalglobalization,collisionandconflictbetweenChineseandWesternculturesareinevitable.ThispaperchoosesAngLee’sfilm“TheWeddingBanquet”tostudytheconflictbetweenChineseandWesterncultures.“TheWeddingBanquet”recountedthatGaoWeitong,aTaiwanesewhohassettleddownintheUnitedStates,marrieshisfemaletenant,anillegalimmigrantpainter,inordertohidehishomosexualityfromhisparentsandtosolvehisparents’urgingonhismarriageproblems.Thispaperanalyzestheconflictandintegrationoftwoculturesthroughexaminingdetailsinthefilm.Thefirstchapterisanintroductiontothefilm.Thesecondchapteranalyzesthreeaspectsofmarriageview,familyethics,andfather’simagefromtheperspectiveofculturalconflicts.Thethirdchapterdiscussesandanalyzestheabovethreeaspectsfromtheperspectiveofculturalintegration.Thelastchapteristhesummary.Throughtheanalysisofthedetailsofculturalconflictandintegrationin“TheWeddingBanquet”,thecausesofculturalconflictsarefoundandthemethodsofculturalintegrationareproposed.Sothatwecanunderstandandtoleratethedifferencesofdifferentnationalities,understandthedifferencesbetweenChineseandWesternculturesandlifestyles,andfindareasonablemethodtosolveconflictswhenculturalconflictsoccur.Keywords:TheWeddingBanquet;CulturalConflict;CulturalIntegration1.IntroductionAbouttheMovieAngLeewasborninOctober23,1954.In1992,hedirectedhisfirstwork,“PushHands”,acomedyfilmthatreflectsculturaldifferencesandgenerationgapsinTaiwaneselifeinNewYork,woneightawardsinTaiwan,suchasBestDirectorGoldenHorse.In1993,hereleasedhissecondmovie,“TheWeddingBanquet”,apopulardramaabouttraditionalethics.ThefilmwontheBerlinFilmFestivalGoldenBearAward,SeattleFilmFestivalBestDirectorAward,GoldenGlobeAwardandOscarBestForeignLanguageFilmNominationAward(辛燕,2013).In1994,AngLee’sthirdfilm,“EatDrinkManWoman”,focusedonfamilyissuesandconflictbetweentwogenerations.Thesethreeworksbecamethe“AngLeeTrilogy”,allshowingthephenomenonoftheconflictandintegrationofChineseandWesterncultures.ThisisbecauseAngLeewasborninTaiwanandgrewupintheUnitedStates,butalwayshasaChineseheart.HisowngrowthisaffectedbytheinfluenceofChineseandwesterncultures.Hegrewupinthecollisionofcultures.HeunderstoodthesubtletyoftraditionalChinesecultureandthefreedomofWesterncultures.Healsonoticedtheconflictandintegrationoftwodifferentculturesinthecommunicationprocess.Thefilmoriginatesfromlife.Histrilogyshowstheconflictandintegrationofculturebyexpressingeventsinlife,andprovidesalotofmaterialsforlaterscholarstostudytheconflictandintegrationofChineseandWesterncultures.“TheWeddingBanquet”isthesecondofAngLee“FatherTrilogy”.ThefilmusedtheuniquemoralandethicalviewsofChinesepeopletodealwiththecommonproblemsofhomosexualityinWesternculture.ThemovietellstheprotagonistWeitongwhohadsettleddowninAmerica.Affectedbyfeudaltradition,parentsinTaiwanbegantoworryabouthismarriage,andthenoftencalledtourgehissontogetmarried.ButWeitongwasgay,andhealreadyhadaboyfriendintheUnitedStates.Inordernottodiscouragehisparents,hehadtopretendtomarrythetenantGuWeiwei.Uponhearingthegoodnewsfromtheson,theparentsflewtoNewYorktohosttheirwedding.AlthoughWeitongwastopretendtogetmarriedwithWeiwei,butmadeherpregnantafterthewedding.Attheendofthemovie,theparentsacceptedthefactthattheirsonwashomosexual.Weiweiisdeterminedtohaveachild,andSimonagreestobeanother“father”ofthechild.Thecreationof“TheWeddingBanquet”isactuallybasedonAngLee’sownlifeexperience.LiketheprotagonistWeitong,directorAngLeeisalsoinfluencedbyChineseandWesterncultures.Atthesametime,theplacewhereWeitongandWeiwei’smarriageregistrationofficeinthemoviewasalsomarriedbythedirectorhimself.Themoviesceneofthetroubledroomisthescenewhenheattendedacollegeclassmate’swedding.Alltheplotsof“TheWeddingBanquet”areproducedinthecollisionofChineseandWesterncultures,sothisfilmisbestusedtostudytheconflictandintegrationofChineseandWesterncultures.1.2LiteratureReviewCulturalconflictwasfirstproposedbyAmericananthropologistObergin1958(李超民,邓露,2016).Intheprocessofglobalization,duetodifferentculturalbackgroundsbetweencountries,regionsandpeople,therewillbevariousculturaldifferences,andcollisionsandconflictsbetweencultureswillinevitablyoccur.Somescholarsbelievethat“CulturalConflict”referstothemutualopposition,exclusionandnegationoftwodifferentcultures.Theessenceof“CulturalConflict”istheconflictofvaluesbetweenpeopleindifferentculturalbackgrounds.Foreignscholars’researchonculturalconflictsmainlyfocusesonbehaviorconflicts.

Westernscholarshaveexploredculturalconflictsrelativelyearly.

Itcanbetracedbackto1961.

ClarkTomandStrobeckexploredthedifferencesbetweendifferentculturesfromtheperspectiveofsocialhierarchyandhumannature.

Inthe1970s,foreignstudiesonculturalconflictsandculturaldifferencesgraduallyemerged.

Forexample,Danielbell,Huntington,L.J.Binkley,DuWeimin,JohnTomlinsonandothersstudiedtheproblemofculturalconflicts.

Amongthem,DanielBell(1996)’sTheCulturalContradictionsofCapitalismsystematicallyelaboratedandanalyzedtheculturalconflicts,culturalhegemonyandbeliefcrisesofcapitalism.InthebookConflictofIdeals:ChangingValuesinWesternSociety,L.J.Binkley(1983)deeplyresearchedtheconflictsofvaluesinWesterncapitalistsocietyontheemergenceofWesternrelativisticvalues,conflictsofvalues,andthevariousidealsoflifeinthecapitalistworld.

AmericanscholarSamuelP,Huntington(1998)statedinTheClashofCivilizationsandtheRemakingofWorldOrder:conflictsinthefutureworldarenotcausedbyeconomicsorideology,butbyculturaldifferences.CulturalconflictswillhaveglobalimpactsandleadtoCulturalintegration.Thefollowingistheresearchfocusondomesticscholarsonculturalconflicts:thefirstistostudytheproblemsofculturalconflictsarisingfromcooperationandmergingbetweenenterprises(朱顺红,2012);thesecondistostudytheprocessofculturalconflicts(林海棠,薛静,李浩2007);thethirdistostudyeffectivemeasurestodispelculturalconflictsandthenegativeimpactofculturalconflicts;themostcommonresearchonculturalconflictistheanalysisofculturalconflictwithspecificcases.“Culturalintegrationoccursduringtheprocessofculturalexchange.Inthisprocess,nationalcultureisbasedontraditionalculture,andthenabsorbsanddigestsothercultureaccordingtotheneedsofitsowncultureandpromotesitsowndevelopment”(Net1).Whentwodifferentculturescomeintocontact,therewillbecollision.Intheprocessofcollision,onecultureabsorbsappropriateculturalelementsfromanothercultureandformsanewculturethroughaseriesofintegration.Thisistheprocessofculturalintegration.Atpresent,domesticstudiesofChineseandWesterncultureshavegenerallyshiftedfromdifferentpoliticalsystemstodifferentsocio-economicformsintheWest.Inearly

20th

century,LiangShukou(2006)comprehensivelyexpoundedthecharacteristicsofeasternandwesterncultures,andthemethodofintegratingthetwoculturesinhisbook.Inaddition,hededucedthedirectionofthefutureworldcultureinthebook,andprovidedimportantreferencesforscholarstostudythefutureculturedevelopment.Simons,TeskeandNelson(2006)believedthattheprocessofculturalintegrationisnotonlythecommunicationbetweencultures,butthemostimportantthingisintheprocessofperson-to-personcommunicationundertheinfluenceoftwocultures.Therefore,culturalintegrationshouldbethetwo-wayselectionprocess.Inthe1980s,theprocessofglobalizationaccelerated,andthepaceofChina’sculturalexchangeswithothercountriesarealsoaccelerating.Therefore,intheculturalexchangebetweenChinaandtheWest,becauseofdifferentvalueorientations,theconflictbetweenthetwoisconstant,andthestudyoftheintegrationofChineseandWesterncultureshasgraduallybecomethefocusofresearch.2.TheConflictsbetweenChineseandWesternCulturesinFilmsTheConflictofMarriageViewsDifferentculturalsystemsinChinaandtheWesthavedifferentdirections,sotheimpactonvariousaspectsofsocietyintheprocessofculturaltransmissionisalsodifferent.

Incontemporarysociety,theculturalexchangesbetweenChinaandthewestareconstantlyontherise.Therefore,intheprocessofculturalexchange,thesocialcultureinChineseandwesternculturesismoreandmorecloselyconnectedwithtraditionalculture.

Asfarasthemarriagecultureisconcerned,therearedramaticdifferencesbetweenChinesemarriageviewsandWesternmarriageviews.

Theseareclearlyreflectedinthemovie“TheWeddingBanquet”.

Inthefollowingpart,theconflictsbetweenChineseandWesternmarriageviewsmanifestinginthefilmwillbeexplainedindetail.TheconflictbetweenChineseandwesternviewsonmarriageviewsisfirstlyshownthroughthedifferentpurposesofmarriage.Chinesetraditionalmarriageistoestablishafamily,nottomarryforlove.Marriageismoreaboutestablishinganewfamilybasedonthecombinationoftwofamilies.Ononehand,theadvantagesofthetwolargefamiliesarecombinedthroughthemarriageofmenandwomen;ontheotherhand,marriageisformentoinheritthelineageofthefamilyandtocontinuetheancestralline.Ofcourse,intoday’sChinesesociety,thetraditionalpurposeofmarriageisundergoingremarkablechange.Atthisera,alargenumberofpeopletendtobelievethatthemostimportantthinginmarriageislove.ButinChina,whichisdeeplyinfluencedbytraditionalideas,itisstillnoteasytomakeaffectionthemainpurposeofmarriage.However,inthewesternview,gettingmarriedisfortwopeopleinlovetohaveahappybonding,andtofindapartnerwhocanmeettheirpsychologicalandphysicalneeds.Inwesternsocieties,whereindividualismisprevalent,marriageis

aunionof

two

people.Marriage

isbased

onloveandsexualcompatibility.Inwesterneyes,itisimmoralfortwopeopletomarrywithoutlove.Andthiskindofmarriageisinlowquality.Therefore,wecanconcludethatWesternmarriageisanindividualchoice,andChinesemarriageismorelikefamilyobligations.Atthebeginningofthefilm,Weitong’sparentshelpedhimsignupforTaiwan’sfamousspouseclubinordertofindasuitablemarriagepartnerforWeitong.Throughtheformhefilledout,theclubselectsforhimwomenwhoaresuitableforhiseducation,temperamentandpersonalconditions.Weitong’sparentssignedhimupfortheclubonlytogethimmarried.Inaddition,whenWeitong’sparentsarrivedattheAmericanairport,hismotheraskedhisfatherhowhefeltabouthisdaughter-in-law,Weitong’sfatheronlysaid,“Weiweicanhavechildrenandraisechildren”.

Hisparents’remarkreflectedthetraditionalChinesemarriagepurposeof“familyestablishment”and“ancestralreception”.

Undertheinfluenceoftraditionalculture,hisparentsholdtheviewthathedidn’tneedlove,whatheneedstodoistogetmarriedandstartacareerandhaveasontocarryonhisfamilyname.

Nevertheless,unlikehisfather,WeitongisdeeplyinfluencedbyAmericanculture.Asahomosexual,themarriagepurposeofhimistopursueloveandmeethisneedswithouthavingtoconsiderotherfactors.

ThedifferencebetweenWeitongandhisparents’marriagegoalsisthefirstconflictbetweenChineseandWesternviewsonmarriage.

Secondly,theconflictofmarriageviewsisshownthroughdifferentweddingforms.InChina,weddingsneedtoinviterelativesandfriendsofboththenewlywedsandhostabanquet.TheseshowthelivelinessandjoyofChinesewedding,themostimportantthingisthattheweddingceremonycanmeettheChinesepeople’svanity.ButwesternersbelieveinCatholicism,sointheirview,marriageissolemnandserious,whichrequiresthemtoaccepttheblessingofGod,taketheoathandexchangeweddingrings.Inthewest,marriageisamatteroftwopeople,sotheirweddingceremonyisfreeandsimple.InChina,marriageisamatternotonlyfortwopeople,butalsofortwofamilies.Newlywedsneedtomaintaintheiroriginalfamilylifeaftermarriage.ThisindicatesthattheChinesestyleweddingmustbegrandandceremonious.UponlearningthathissonWeitongwasabouttogetmarried,Weitong’sparentscametotheUnitedStatesandwantedtohostagrandweddingforhim.BeforecomingtotheUnitedStates,Weitong’smotherpreparedreddressesandgoldjewelryforherdaughter-in-lawandredenvelopesforthenewdaughter-in-law,whichisnecessaryintraditionalChineseweddings.FriendsandrelativesinTaiwanalsogavetheparentscashinredenvelopsasgoodwishesforthenewlyweds.ThecashgiftsweresupposedtobegiventoWeitong’sparentswhentheweddingwasheld,butbecauseWeitongwasholdingaweddingintheUnitedStates,thesecashgiftscouldonlybegiventohisparentsinadvance.However,Weitongsaidthatheonlyneededtogettheirmarriagecertificate,andhedidnotneedagrandandcomplicatedwedding.SoheandWeiweiwenttothecitygovernmentthenextdayandsimplygottheirmarriagecertificateundertheauspicesofapriest.Fromtheparents’perspective,whenWeitongismarried,hisparentsmustholdaweddingbanquet.However,Weitongandhisparentshaddifferentideas.Withthepreacher’spresidency,thetwoheldawedding.TheideaofparentsholdingaweddingforthesakeoftheirfacesandWeitong’sideathatWesternmarriageisamatteroftwopartieshasledtothesecondconflictbetweenChineseandWesternviewsonmarriage.Thelastconflictintheviewofmarriageisrevealedthroughthechoiceofspouse.

Becauseofthedifferentpurposesofmarriage,therearealsosignificantdifferencesinthestandardsofmateselectionbetweeneastandwest.

JudgingfromthetraditionalChinesespouseselectioncriteria,themostimportantthingforaspouseselectionistohavetherightfamily.

WesternspouseselectionstandardsareactuallyquitedifferentfromChinesespousalselectionstandards.

JudgingfromtheWesternstandardsforspouseselection,themostimportantthingisthemutualfitbetweentwopeople.

Otherconditions,suchasfamilybackground,education,gender,etc.,arerarelyconsidered.

Thefatherin“TheWeddingBanquet”isatypicalrepresentativeofthisphenomenon.

WhentheparentsjustarrivedintheUnitedStates,thefatheraskedWeiwei’sfamilystatusandcommentedonthewayhome.

Whenfacingmarriage,theChinesefirstconsiderthevariousconditionsofthetwopeoplewhoareabouttoenterthemarriage.ButintheWest,marriageisforlove,justlikeWeitongandSimon.

Ifthereislovebetweentwopeople,theycanbetogether.

WeitonghasneveraskedaboutSimon’sfamily.

Inaddition,same-sexmarriageisabsolutelyunacceptableinChina.However,homosexualityhasbeenacceptedintheU.S.Thisisthethirdmanifestationoftheconflictofviewsonmarriageinthemovie.TheConflictofFamilyEthicsFamilyethicsisacomponentofsocialethics.Itistheprincipleandnormsforadjustingfamilyrelationships.Itiscloselyrelatedtothefamilysystem.Thefamilysystemhasagreatinfluenceonthefamilyethics.Thefamilyethicsservestomaintaincertainfamilysystems.ChinaandtheWestshowsdifferentfamilyethicsundertheinfluenceofdifferentnaturalconditions,valueorientation,andculturalbackgrounds.Familyethicalconflictisalsooneoftheculturalconflictsshowninthemovie.Theconflictoffamilyethicsmanifestinfamilyrelationships.IntraditionalChinesesociety,thefundamentalprincipleforpeopletodealwiththecontradictionbetweensociety,familyandpersonalinterestsistoputthefamilyinthefirstplace.However,thevaluesofwesternersarebasedontheindividual,andtheyusetheindividualasastartingpointtostudysocialissues.Theindividualisthecenterofvalues.Affectedbytraditionalethics,Chinesechildrenhavebeenindoctrinatedwith“filial”sincechildhood.Inotherwords,parentscandotheworkfortheirchildren,andthechildrenneedcomplywiththeparents’requirements,includingmarriage.Chinesetraditionalfamilyethicsaccentuatefilialandobedience.IntheWest,parentsandchildrenhaveanequalrelationship.Childrencandowhattheywanttodoinadulthood,freefromtheconstraintsoftheirparents,sotherelationshipbetweenchildrenandparentsinthewestisdissimilarfrominChineserelationship.Inthemovie,Weitongisconstantlyurgedbyhisparentstogetmarriedandfilloutaspouseselectionformaccordingtotheparents’wishes.Hedidnottellhisparentsthathewasgay,butthesickfatherworriedabouthismarriage,sohefollowedtheadviceofhisloverSimonandpretendedtomarryGuWeiwei.ThesetwodetailsconveyWeitong’sfilialpietythoughts.Inordertotaketheparents’thoughtsintoconsideration,hefailedtoconfesstotheparentsthatheisgay.ThisisunacceptableintraditionalChina.Becauseknowingthatforhissickfather,havingawifeandchildrenwasfather’sgreatestwish,soinordertorealizefather’swish,afalsemarriagewasperformed.Onthecontrary,fromSimon’sperspective,hehasneithertheburdenofsupportinghisparentsnorthedemandsofhisparents.ThefamilyrelationshipbetweenWeitongandSimoncanbereflectedasthefirstconflictoffamilyethics.ThedifferencebetweenChineseandWesternfamilyrelationsisalsoreflectedthroughtherelationshipbetweenhusbandandwife.

Undertheinfluenceoftraditionalethics,inChinesemarriage,thehusbandoftendominatesthemarriage,whilethewifeisinasubordinateposition.

Thismarriagestructurestemsfromthetraditionalculturaldivisionoflabor.Sinceancienttimes,thedivisionoflaborintheChinesefamilyisthatthemanisresponsiblefortheaffairsoutsidethefamilyandthewomanisresponsibleforthetrivialaffairsinthefamily.

Thehusbandistheownerofthefamily,thebackboneofthefamily,andbearsthemainfinancialresponsibilityoffamilylife.

Thewife’staskistodothehousework,toservefather-in-law,mother-in-lawandhusband,andtoeducatechildren.

Thisphenomenonisalsoindicatedinthemovie:WhenWeitongandSimonwerearguinginEnglish,Weitong’smotheraskedherhusband,“IsSimonangrybecausewehavebeenheretoolong?”Weitong’smotherhasn’tfinishedspeakingyet,herhusbandbegantoscold“Shutupandeatyourmeal.”Inaddition,whenthemotherandGuWeiweichatted,“Ioccasionallyenviedthegirlsofyourgeneration,couldgetagoodeducation,haveyourownopinionsandideas,havetheability,donotrelyonmen,candowhatyouwant,butwomenarewomenafterall,husbandsandchildrenarethemostimportant,aren’tthey”(NingWanjing,2019:64)?ThisrevealsthedifferentstatusofmenandwomeninChina’smaritalrelations.

However,Westernersbelievethathusbandandwifehaveequalstatus.

Bothwivesandhusbandscanworkoutsidethehomeandsharethefinancialresponsibilitiesofthefamily.

Thetrivialthingsinthehomearedistributedthroughdiscussionsbetweenthecouple.Secondly,theconflictoffamilyethicsismanifestedinthefamilystructure.Chinesefamiliesaretraditionalfamilies.Theyattachgreatimportancetokinship.AllmembersofafamilylivetogethersinceancientChina.UnlikeChina,thefamilystructureintheWestismainlyanuclearfamilyanddoesnotattachtoomuchimportancetokinship.Childrencanchoosetheirplaceofresidenceinadulthood.Thedetailsgiventousinthefilmareasfollows:GaoWeitongandhisparentshadalwayslivedtogether,justbecausehissonworkedintheUnitedStatesandcannotlivetogether.However,aftertheparentsarrivedintheUnitedStates,thefamilyalsolivedtogether.ButSimon’sparentslivedapartforalongtime,includingSimonandhistwooldersisters,theyalsoliveseparately.TheConflictbetweenFatherandSonThetraditionalfather-sonrelationshipinChinaisbasedonConfucianismandTaoism.Thefatheristheabsoluterulerofthefamily.Thesupremacyofthefatherdeterminesthemajestyofthefatherandcannotbechallenged,butthestatusofthefatherandsoninwesternsocietyisequal.In“TheWeddingBanquet”,Weitong’sfatherrepresentsthesupremeimageofthetraditionalfatherinChina,andisalsotherepresentativeofChineseculture.Onthecontrary,Weitong,influencedbyAmericanculture,notonlyrepresentsWesternculture,butalsothesonoftraditionalChineseculture.TheconflictbetweenfatherandsonshowsthediversitybetweenChineseandWesterncultures(王爽,2011).In“TheWeddingBanquet”,thefatherisarespectedcommanderinthearmy,andisatypicalimageofaChinesefather.

Thefather’sroleinthefilmhasnotyetappeared,andthedignifiedandmajesticfather’simagecanbeseenfromsomedetails.

Forexample,theaudiofilefromthemothersaid,“Dadhasbecomestrangesincethearmyretired.

Heusedtobeadivisioncommanderandcommandedmorethan10,000people.

Nowhecanonlycontrolmeandhousekeeperathomeduringtheday,andhegetsincreasinglysensitiveandheisdifficulttoserve”，thedetailsoftheoverseascallfromTaiwanandthearrangementoftheAmericanblinddate，allwhichhasshownthedignifiedandmajesticimageofhisfather.

ThemajestyofhisfatherhasbeendeeplyrootedinWeitong’sheart.

EvenifheisdeeplyaffectedbyAmericanfreeculture,hecannotopposehisfather’srequest.Hehadtofilloutaboringblinddateformasrequired,toreceiveablinddatefromalongdistanceinTaiwan,andsatisfyfather’srequest,pretendtomarryafemaletenant.BeforehisfatherarrivedintheUnitedStates,Weitongandhisboyfriendreplacedtheoriginalphotosathomewithhisfather’scalligraphyworksandphotosofthetenants.

WhenWeitong’sfatherlearnedthathissondidnotplantoholdawedding,hethrewchopsticksoffthetable.Infather’sview,holdingaweddingwasanecessaryformforhissontogetmarried.ButwhenWeitongsaidhedidnotplantoholdawedding,hisfather’smajestywaschallenged.OnlyaftermeetingWeitong’sfather’sformersubordinatewhosaidhewouldhelpWeitonghostagrandwedding,Weitong’sfathersmiled.

Therewasalsoasceneinwhichthefatherliedlimpinareclineraftermorningexercises,butwhenWeitongwentupstairstoaskhisfathertohavedinner,hisfatherquicklyshowedhisspirit.Father’sweaknessisnevershowninfrontofthechildren,whichisanotherwayforfathertoshowhismajesty.Thiskindofmajestyalsoplantedtheseedsofconflict,whenWeitong’sfatherknewthatWeitongwasahomosexual.

Althoughthemajesticimageofthefatherhasalwaysexisted,WeitongdeeplyinfluencedbyAmericanculture,heisnolongerthattraditionalChineseson.

Hepursuedfreedomandlove.

WeitongheldaWestern-styleweddingagainsthisfather’swishes.

SimongaveWeitong’sfatherasphygmomanometer.ThefatherfeltthatSimonthoughthisphysicalconditionwasnotgood,butevenifhewasweak,hedidnotwanttoshowitinfrontofWeitong.Hefeelsthatthisisoneofthewaystodefendhismajesty.Theconflictbetweenfatherandsonisalsomanifestedinvariousdetails.TheIntegrationofChineseandWesternCulturesinFilms3.1TheIntegrationofMarriageViewsTherootoftheconflictbetweenChineseandWesternmarriageviewsliesintheconflictbetweenChineseandWesterncultures.Whereculturalconflictsoccur,theremustbeasolutiontoculturalconflicts.Theemergenceofculturalintegrationisverynecessary.Inthemovie,thedirectornotonlyshowstheconflictsofthreeviewsonmarriage,butalsoproposessolutionsforeachconflict.Thenextpartisabouttheintegrationofmarriageviews.WeitonggrewupundertheinfluenceofChinesetraditionalcultureandWesternliberalculture.DuetothedifferentpurposesofmarriagebetweenChinaandtheWest,Weitonglingeredundertheinfluenceoftwocultures,seekingthebestofbothworlds,andtryingtoachieveakindofintegration(季蓓蓓,2008).Buttheconflictofmarriagepurposecouldnotbeeliminatedinashorttime,sohehadtosatisfyhisparents’demandsonhimasmuchaspossible,andfindawaytocompromise.Therefore,atthesuggestionofSimon,hedecidedtopretendtomarryWeiwei.Althoughtheconflictofmarriagepurposehasnotfoundawaytointegrate,thisisthemostperfectstrategytoresolvethisconflict,anditcanalsoberegardedastherequirementofintegration.Whethertheweddingceremonyisheldornotisthesecondconflictintheviewofmarriage.WhenparentslearnedthatWeitongwasgoingtogetmarried,theycametotheUnitedStatestocelebrateit,butWeitongsaidthattheformisnotimportant,hisfatherthrewchopsticksoffthetable.

Inthemovie,Weitong’sfatherwasalwaysunhappybecauseofthewedding