On Family Ethics Of Ang Lee’s Films

The present study, from the perspective of Hofstede’sindividualism-collectivism value dimension theory, taking Ang Lee’s familytrilogy as the case, discusses the differences and conflicts between Chineseand American family ethics of Ang Lee’s films, and probes into the strategy ofrealizing the cultural fusions as well as the family harmony in the context ofglobalization.The thesis suggests that there exist tremendous differences betweenChinese and American family ethics, influenced by collectivism andindividualism respectively. Such differences induce the conflicts between thetwo cultures in the course of cultural communication. In Ang Lee’s films theconflicts manifest in the following forms: Chinese paternity and Americanequality, Chinese filial piety and American personal freedom and Chineseoppressive love and American passionate love. Besides, in family trilogy,father is the typical representative of Chinese family. His retreat andcompromising has intrigued the deconstruction and reconstruction oftraditional Chinese family ethics, which provides the possibility of culturalfusions by depicting the deconstruction and reconstruction of traditional Chinese family ethics.Through the researcher’s profound analysis and research, someconclusions have been drawn in the end of the thesis: as a cross culturalinterpreter, Ang Lee possesses the tolerable view towards the great differencesbetween Chinese and American family ethics, which provides feasiblestrategy of resolving the conflicts during the intercultural communicationbetween the Chinese and the American. Such view is not to exclude theAmerican family ethics, but to take tolerant attitudes, on the basis of theChinese traditional family ethics. In the context of globalization, in order torealize the harmony, the strategy of cultural fusions should take Ang Lee’scultural view in his films as the reference. We will benefit from the study ofthe collisions between cultures. Seeking similarities among cultures whilerecognizing the differences of the cultures, we can promote the prosperity ofnational culture and global culture in a harmonious atmosphere.