Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Thesis - ECU Access Only
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
Degree Name
Bachelor of Communications Honours
Faculty
Faculty of Communications and Creative Industries
First Supervisor
George Karpathakis
Abstract
The Man From China is a feature film screenplay that takes inspiration from both the concept of the so-called "eastern western" and the historical event that was the 1851 Victorian gold rush. Using the backdrop of Chinese migration to Australia in search of a "New Gold Mountain", and the subsequent race relations between this group and the non-Chinese miners, The Man From China weaves a familiar story of revenge and justice as the son of a Chinese nobleman travels to Australia to find the murderer of his father, a Chinese bushranger. Inspired by the hybrid mix of traditional western genre conventions with Asian action and protagonists in films such as Shanghai Noon, the balance of story and entertainment in the swashbuckler Pirates of the Caribbean and the melding of multiple genres in French period epic Brotherhood of the Wolf, The Man From China employs a wide range of sources, both historical and cinematic, in order to create a film that is unique and appealing to a wide audience. Hedging on the vast audience potential of Asia, The Man From China could also serve as a catalyst into further innovation in the Australian film industry, a source of potential filter-down effects for other sectors both within and outside the film industry, as well as serving as a document of contemporary Australian cultural values and an insight into the past of this country.
Recommended Citation
Rethuan, H. (2004). When Hong Kong Action Meets Australian History : The Man From China, a Feature Film Script : An Exegesis. Edith Cowan University. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/986