American Studies, School of Modern Languages and Cultures HKU

“The Orient” has always held a dual attraction of romance and danger outside Asia, and this tradition has since been reinforced by Hollywood. The allure of wealth, trade and exoticism that brought millions of Americans across the Pacific provided rich material for movie drama. This combination of geographical attraction and cultural appeal was further reinforced during the wars the United States fought in Asia. War, violence and romance fill America’s movie screens, pulling in vast crowds and in the process shaping and mis-shaping America’s view of Asia. Asking what is Asia and how far it extends, this course will explore cinematic representations of the continent and its people as constructed by Hollywood during more than a century of selling romantic myths to a public that often has no first-hand experience of Asian culture and no firm grasp of its history.

Elective Course
AMER2033	Asia on America’s screen	6 credits

“The Orient” has always held a dual attraction of romance and danger outside Asia, and this tradition has since been reinforced by Hollywood. The allure of wealth, trade and exoticism that brought millions of Americans across the Pacific provided rich material for movie drama. This combination of geographical attraction and cultural appeal was further reinforced during the wars the United States fought in Asia. War, violence and romance fill America’s movie screens, pulling in vast crowds and in the process shaping and mis-shaping America’s view of Asia. Asking what is Asia and how far it extends, this course will explore cinematic representations of the continent and its people as constructed by Hollywood during more than a century of selling romantic myths to a public that often has no first-hand experience of Asian culture and no firm grasp of its history.

Prerequisite: Nil
Assessment: 100% coursework
(Offered in 2021/2022)