美国国家公共电台 NPR Chinese Blockbuster 'Wolf Warrior II' Mixes Jingoism With Hollywood Heroism

 

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

There's no question what the blockbuster film in China is this summer. An action flick¹ called "Wolf Warrior² II" has taken in more than half a billion dollars in its first two weeks. That's a new box office record for China. NPR's Anthony Kuhn looks at some of the factors behind the picture's success.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ANTHONY KUHN, BYLINE³: The wolf warrior of the movie's title is a Chinese special forces soldier named Leng Feng. When the cops in Leng's town don't protect his home, he takes the law into his own hands and gets kicked out of the military for it. That's an unusual plotline for a Chinese movie, says Shanghai-based film critic Dong Shu.

DONG SHU: (Through interpreter) The film uses a Hollywood style of storytelling and production quality, and Chinese audiences go for this kind of thing.

KUHN: Leng gets a security job on a ship headed to Africa. Meanwhile, Chinese workers and some of Leng's friends are trapped in an unnamed war-torn African nation.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC, GUNSHOTS)

KUHN: The Chinese military can't save them because the African country hasn't invited them in, so Leng goes in alone to save his friends and find the mercenaries who killed his former girlfriend. Again, says Dong Shu, not your average Chinese propaganda movie. In fact, he says, it's kind of reminiscent of Sylvester Stallone in the "Rambo" series.

DONG: (Through interpreter) I think what's good about this movie is that the hero's not motivated by some higher national or collective interest. His main motivation is individualistic.

KUHN: Leng Feng is played by actor Wu Jing. He also directed it. Although he's a martial⁴ artist by training, the fight scenes are not done kung fu style.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "WOLF WARRIOR II")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character, grunting).

KUHN: Leng's nemesis⁵ is played by Frank Grillo, who, like the fight choreographer⁶ "Wolf Warrior," comes from the "Captain America" franchise⁷. In an online chat with state media, Wu Jing explicitly⁸ compares himself with Hollywood characters.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING⁹)

WU JING: (Through interpreter) Why do only foreign nations get to have superheroes? In Hollywood, the hero can take on a whole army. Why can't my character take on a dozen mercenaries?

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "WOLF WARRIOR II")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character, foreign language spoken).

KUHN: In the end, the Chinese military does come to the rescue. The final scene in the movie is just a Chinese passport. The message seems to be that Chinese can now go overseas to study, invest and work, and the Chinese government will be there for them. By contrast, Leng's female American companion calls the U.S. Embassy hoping to be rescued, but there's nobody there and she just gets a recording. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Beijing.

(SOUNDBITE OF DAMU THE FUDGEMUNK'S "PARANOID REMIX")

1 flick   

n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动

参考例句：

• He gave a flick of the whip.他轻抽一下鞭子。
• By a flick of his whip,he drove the fly from the horse's head.他用鞭子轻抽了一下，将马头上的苍蝇驱走。

2 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

5 nemesis   

n.给以报应者，复仇者，难以对付的敌手

参考例句：

• Uncritical trust is my nemesis.盲目的相信一切害了我自己。
• Inward suffering is the worst of Nemesis.内心的痛苦是最厉害的惩罚。

6 choreographer   

n.编舞者

参考例句：

• She is a leading professional belly dancer, choreographer, and teacher. 她既是杰出的专业肚皮舞演员，也是舞蹈设计者和老师。 来自辞典例句
• It'stands aside, my choreographer of grace, and blesses each finger and toe. 它站在一旁，我优雅的舞蹈指导，并祝福每个指尖与脚尖。 来自互联网

7 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

8 explicitly   

ad.明确地，显然地

参考例句：

• The plan does not explicitly endorse the private ownership of land. 该计划没有明确地支持土地私有制。
• SARA amended section 113 to provide explicitly for a right to contribution. 《最高基金修正与再授权法案》修正了第123条，清楚地规定了分配权。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

9 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。