University of Siegen
African / Asian Encounters in Film
2005

"Rush Hour": Lost in clichés?

by: Nadine Schneider

 

“In Rush Hour, Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker represent an ideal in cooperation: two minorities striving to understand each other. I only hope their message of racial cooperation won′t be lost on audiences who just want to laugh at old stereotypes.”¹ (Marian Liu)

But starring Jackie Chan, one of Hongkong′s most popular martial arts exports, who is also highly recognised for his comedic abilities, and Chris Tucker, African-American comedy star known at the latest from “The Fifth Element”, it was no surprise that the two “Rush Hour” movies, shot in 1998 and 2001 under the direction of Brat Rattner, would primarily become funny and entertaining. However, to agree with Marian Liu, the “Rush Hour” sequels are indeed more than the bare combination of humorously presented Kung-Fu action and black cool- and tartness. I would rather call the movies well-balanced compositions of action, slapstick and sociopolitical critique.

By focussing on the many stereotypes the movies bring up, I will discuss those political and social issues and characterise the clichés′ intentions. Furthermore, I will prove that all stereotyping is vested comically not only for the purpose of entertainment but also to criticise mankind′s lacking knowledge of foreign cultures and the political structures of other countries. While talking about the sociopolitical matters of “Rush Hour” I will also examine both the protagonists′ positions as ethnical minorities and analyse their life on the margins of society to conclude what this means for their relationship to each other.

Stereotypes of Asians

To begin with, it cannot be denied that the “Rush Hour” movies deal with a huge variety of ethnical stereotypes: Asians tourists in the USA, for example, seem to be shy beings who know to suborder and behave themselves. In movie one they are permanently smiling and apparently satisfied with life when they are allowed to visit the sightseeing attractions of other countries. So “Rush Hour” brings up the stereotype of Asian decency which enormously differs from the loud and hectic life in the United States.

But this cliché will be denied soon: Some Chinese criminals, who are terribly bad and brutal, appear. It even turns out that Asians might be wicked men who buy bombs and kidnap little girls. And even the kidnapped child breaks with cliché by not being a “quiet yes-woman Asian”² (Marian Liu) but a confident little woman who knows how to survive in a world where everybody has to assert oneself. After she has been joyfully singing a Mariah Carey song, and thereby has rejected the stereotype that Chinese girls only listen to Chinese music, the kidnapper catches her despite becoming wounded because of her astounding self-defence qualities. It is clear that a seven year old girl cannot win against an adult man, so help from outside is necessary.

And that is the reason for Jackie Chan′s character Inspector Lee to enter movie one and fly to the USA after having failed to catch Jintao, who turns out to be the same villain who has kidnapped the young girl. Lee is highly motivated to solve the case, because the girl, Su Yong, is his own goddaughter, but becomes prevented from his mission by some egocentric white FBI agents. Can Lee′s figure be associated with stereotypes? Yes, he is not only a calm and polite Asian who often smiles, but is also able to fight perfect Kung-Fu and seems to be much more flexible than a Caucasian or a Black could ever be.

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1cf. “Rush Hour: Extinguishing Old Stereotypes”, 1998: http://www.thecodepro.com/yo/show_article.php?sid=28

2cf. “Rush Hour: Extinguishing Old Stereotypes”, 1998: http://www.thecodepro.com/yo/show_article.php?sid=28