And the Spring Comes and Mona Lisa Smile
Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:19 pm
Siti Nur Arifah Mohamad Azhar
Briefly, the movie And the Spring Comes tells about the hardships suffered by Wang Tsai Ling, a female vocal teacher with an impressive voice who dreams to become a famous opera singer and perform at the National Opera House in Beijing, who also had encounters with other frustrated artists who are struggling as much as she was in achieving their dreams. Meanwhile, the story of Mona Lisa Smile shows the challenges faced by Katherine Watson, a young female art history professor who taught in a prestigious all-female campus called Wellesley College, with her intentions to free peoples’ minds from the prison of traditional rules and systems that define one’s success (especially as a woman) while coming to terms of her own heart’s desires. Although both movies share the same focus on the inevitable struggles one has to face as a part of his/her journey to their dreams/goals, these two movies nevertheless were filmed in different demographics and cultural backgrounds that expose us to both different and similar kinds of experiences.
First of all, the most significant cultural difference that can be observed between these two films is the student-teacher relationship. In China, it seems that students respect their teachers by offering them their obedience, determination (referring to their willingness to listen and to be taught by), and commitment to learning. In other words, the students in Chinese culture fully devote themselves to their teachers with the intention to improve themselves even if they are naturally talented/skillful. For instance, there’s a scene where a girl with an already excellent opera voice approaches teacher Wang to ask for her help in achieving her wish to perform in Beijing (even when she later caught lying to have cancer to gain teacher Wang’s pity). In contrast to American culture shown in Mona Lisa Smile, the students seem to undermine their teacher’s qualifications to give lessons that, they claimed, can be self-studied. For example, Katherine’s first class was overruled by her students’ obnoxious smarty-pants attitude. In fact, Katherine herself had to find ways to get her students’ recognitions; which contradicts Chinese culture in which the students themselves have to fight for their teacher’s approval instead. In other words, Chinese culture has greater sense of superiority compared to American culture which stands with the idea that everyone can stand on the same stage-level.
In spite of the differences, these two films also share cultural similarities: gender discrimination and stigma in relationships. Both films demonstrate the same individual function(s) of a man and a woman, although with a slight difference in local stereotypes/standards that describe what is proper and what is not. In general, both films put men above women in every matter: career opportunities, love relationships, status indicators, and family. For instance, teacher Wang holds her steps towards her dream to let the young male painter pursue his dream of becoming the next Van Gogh; meanwhile, one of Katherine’s excellent students named Joan gave up her dream to go to Yale Law School to follow her husband instead who got admitted into University Of Pennsylvania. In most cultures, women are meant to be wives and bear children, not preparing themselves for graduate schools which in this case, required for the men instead -to be highly educated and work high paid jobs. As a matter of fact, womanhood in American culture involves perfecting oneself with proper ethics, eloquence, and poise; in other words, a woman of elegance. While men are allowed to choose their future careers, women are shaped to be perfect-wife-material individuals.
As both men and women are expected to abide by their appointed roles and complement each other as a couple, it was quite unacceptable during those times to be in homosexual relationships. Although the perceptions of this idea have changed across time, it was quite a taboo to be in such circumstances during the times depicted in both films. For example, the gay ballerino in the movie And the Spring Comes was harshly treated and criticized and was labeled by the local people as abnormal. The same prejudice appears in Mona Lisa Smile when Katherine’s housemate, Amanda’s partner (Josephine) was introduced by Kat’s other housemate (Nancy) as her companion instead as a form of showing her disapproval towards such a relationship.
All in all, the obstacles one has to encounter in pursuing his/her dreams oftentimes rooted in the cultural aspects developed in a society. In the case of these two movies, the different cultural perceptions in the student-teacher relationship in Chinese and American society is definitely a significant aspect that enhances the distinct cultural norms between these two major cultures in the world. Meanwhile, gender discrimination and stigmas in homosexual relationship are commonly known, and still is a taboo, in many social groups around the world. In addition, most cultural norms are, globally recognized to be, harsher to women over men. It is truly an irony for us to have our own life be shackled to the public’s expectations; even though we do have the key on us to free ourselves from those fetters.
Briefly, the movie And the Spring Comes tells about the hardships suffered by Wang Tsai Ling, a female vocal teacher with an impressive voice who dreams to become a famous opera singer and perform at the National Opera House in Beijing, who also had encounters with other frustrated artists who are struggling as much as she was in achieving their dreams. Meanwhile, the story of Mona Lisa Smile shows the challenges faced by Katherine Watson, a young female art history professor who taught in a prestigious all-female campus called Wellesley College, with her intentions to free peoples’ minds from the prison of traditional rules and systems that define one’s success (especially as a woman) while coming to terms of her own heart’s desires. Although both movies share the same focus on the inevitable struggles one has to face as a part of his/her journey to their dreams/goals, these two movies nevertheless were filmed in different demographics and cultural backgrounds that expose us to both different and similar kinds of experiences.
First of all, the most significant cultural difference that can be observed between these two films is the student-teacher relationship. In China, it seems that students respect their teachers by offering them their obedience, determination (referring to their willingness to listen and to be taught by), and commitment to learning. In other words, the students in Chinese culture fully devote themselves to their teachers with the intention to improve themselves even if they are naturally talented/skillful. For instance, there’s a scene where a girl with an already excellent opera voice approaches teacher Wang to ask for her help in achieving her wish to perform in Beijing (even when she later caught lying to have cancer to gain teacher Wang’s pity). In contrast to American culture shown in Mona Lisa Smile, the students seem to undermine their teacher’s qualifications to give lessons that, they claimed, can be self-studied. For example, Katherine’s first class was overruled by her students’ obnoxious smarty-pants attitude. In fact, Katherine herself had to find ways to get her students’ recognitions; which contradicts Chinese culture in which the students themselves have to fight for their teacher’s approval instead. In other words, Chinese culture has greater sense of superiority compared to American culture which stands with the idea that everyone can stand on the same stage-level.
In spite of the differences, these two films also share cultural similarities: gender discrimination and stigma in relationships. Both films demonstrate the same individual function(s) of a man and a woman, although with a slight difference in local stereotypes/standards that describe what is proper and what is not. In general, both films put men above women in every matter: career opportunities, love relationships, status indicators, and family. For instance, teacher Wang holds her steps towards her dream to let the young male painter pursue his dream of becoming the next Van Gogh; meanwhile, one of Katherine’s excellent students named Joan gave up her dream to go to Yale Law School to follow her husband instead who got admitted into University Of Pennsylvania. In most cultures, women are meant to be wives and bear children, not preparing themselves for graduate schools which in this case, required for the men instead -to be highly educated and work high paid jobs. As a matter of fact, womanhood in American culture involves perfecting oneself with proper ethics, eloquence, and poise; in other words, a woman of elegance. While men are allowed to choose their future careers, women are shaped to be perfect-wife-material individuals.
As both men and women are expected to abide by their appointed roles and complement each other as a couple, it was quite unacceptable during those times to be in homosexual relationships. Although the perceptions of this idea have changed across time, it was quite a taboo to be in such circumstances during the times depicted in both films. For example, the gay ballerino in the movie And the Spring Comes was harshly treated and criticized and was labeled by the local people as abnormal. The same prejudice appears in Mona Lisa Smile when Katherine’s housemate, Amanda’s partner (Josephine) was introduced by Kat’s other housemate (Nancy) as her companion instead as a form of showing her disapproval towards such a relationship.
All in all, the obstacles one has to encounter in pursuing his/her dreams oftentimes rooted in the cultural aspects developed in a society. In the case of these two movies, the different cultural perceptions in the student-teacher relationship in Chinese and American society is definitely a significant aspect that enhances the distinct cultural norms between these two major cultures in the world. Meanwhile, gender discrimination and stigmas in homosexual relationship are commonly known, and still is a taboo, in many social groups around the world. In addition, most cultural norms are, globally recognized to be, harsher to women over men. It is truly an irony for us to have our own life be shackled to the public’s expectations; even though we do have the key on us to free ourselves from those fetters.
