The Hints of Kung Fu Panda

The Hollywood newly made blockbuster "Kung Fu Panda" has made its day both here in the US and its story hometown China.

Actually the movie is so authentically flaw-proof that it has caused quite a stir among Chinese moviemakers and cultural market. Basically they are asking themselves why such a typical China theme movie is not made in China but America? The Washington Post had a report associated on July 12 and here is the web link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/11/AR2008071103281.html?sid=ST2008071102625&pos=

In my opinion, Kung Fu Panda has sent out its strong signal in two folds, from its content and influence respectively.

Its content tries to re-shape the world's mindset on China from a brand new angle: yes, the Panda is from a lower class family of small restaurant entrepreneur, and his first look may leave an impression of being clumsy and naïve. But this guy has his dream, a great dream of ambition and fighting for the good and justice. That dream will push him through all tedious and tough practice of Kung Fu (Dao of Wisdom and Action) and reach all the way to a much higher level. In a word, don't take this guy just by what he seems to be, he can be in charge one day.

Also the way Panda fights with its biggest rival Tai Lang- the Snow Leopard is also very interesting. If we pay attention, you can see there's almost no any pre-emptive attack from the Panda side during the process and he seems to be in sheer defense. Even when Tai Lang punched him in a series of severe boxing combination, the Panda at first just chuckled and withdrew. Then all of sudden from the deep inside of this seemingly withdraw, the Panda threw a tremendous hit back that simply blew Tai Lang out in a long distance.

When Tai Lang managed for a last rushing back, the Panda however used his belly with "Qi" or "air" to bounce the Snow Leopard high into the sky and then falling deep down the ground. When the decisive moment came, the Panda released a nuclear like power to smash and bury his rival. The message here is also clear: don't mess up with the Chinese smiling face, yes, they may not seem to be aggressive at all, but when the final defensive comes, it can go easily lethal out of total surprise.

Then the influence of this blockbuster actually provides quite a lesson learnt to the current Chinese elite and leadership. Namely to have a real masterwork done either in the academic or artistic, or in general cultural and intellectual world, the environment for people to achieve would need nothing repressive and arbitrary but the ruling of law.

The biggest challenge today's China still facing, after 3000 years of history, is how to maximize the freedom and civil liberty under the framework of rule of law, and therefore to re-ignite and release the creative power and potential of Chinese people and culture.

While some old ideological guards on the Chinese side today may still scold Hollywood for whatever they do, but most Chinese people now can tell the gap between the Chinese pop culture and Hollywood's lies in that the latter enjoys a much bigger latitude of freedom of speech and creation, which allows folks in Hollywood can mostly work on their impulse, ideas and imagination.

While art can not 100% avoids becoming a political tool, a direct and frequent ideological interference and control over art works is surely unwise and disastrous. China is long due to shake off the shackles around its art and culture world so as to reach the real superpower status.