In the original novel, Fogg only passed through Hong Kong, but did not enter the mainland of China. In the movie, not only three people travel to Lanzhou, China, but also a bridge crossing the Himalayas. In the film, there are many Chinese actors, including Jackie Chan, Karen Mok, Daniel Wu, and international superstar Schwarzenegger. This film also made Jackie Chan and Chinese culture more familiar to the world, and also gave Chinese actors a place in Hollywood.
The appraisal of the film can be said to be both positive and negative. The detractors think that the plot is chaotic, the logic is different, and there is even a suspicion of misunderstanding of Chinese culture. But appraisers find the movie exciting and very inspirational.
Some people think that Karen Mok's role in the movie is over-demonized,
but it is not unreasonable to look at it from the perspective of the Western world in the nineties. China is a big eastern country with a history of five thousand years. The world in the 19th century was in a rapidly changing industrialized era. Many Westerners may not understand their own country. How can they understand China?
In the eyes of Westerners in the 19th century, China may be a mysterious country in the East. Chinese Kung Fu, Mahjong, and Chinese belief in Buddhism are all explained in the film.
The film shows the Westerners' sense of worship and awe of Chinese culture, which is indeed true. But the essence of the film should be understood by borrowing a passage from Fogg at the end of the film. He said, "I saw the whole world, I learned about the new customs and culture, I flew over the ocean, I wore a woman’s clothes, A friend who has fallen in love, who cares whether he wins the gambling game or not!" These are even more significant to Fokker.
Since this novel has become a must-read book for Chinese primary and middle school students, it must carry too many childhood memories. This novel is like a window to the world, opening up too many children's wireless reveries about this world.
I think you must have been attracted by "Around the World in Eighty Days" when you were eight or nine years old. You were fascinated by the plot, and believed in the story, right?
I traveled the world for inspiration, and found it in a man, who lives what he dreams.
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