-- Question: Throughout the film Kung Fu Hustle, many elements of the film can be tied to western influences. Why do you think the director chose to use these western influences? What effect does the use of these western influence have on the film?

Answer: The class seemed to believe the western influences seen throughout the film Kung Fu Hustle were meant as a tactic to market the film to western audiences. Its possible the intent of providing audiences with elements that they were familiar with was to strike a cord thus making the media relatable to western audiences despite cultural differences in background. Such scenes as the blood pouring out of the doorway and the slow motion “bullet vision” were connected to similar scenes from western films such as The Shining and The Matrix. The physical humor could then be connected to western element such as that of the Looney Tunes in which the overly exaggerated violence is reminiscent of cartoon violence. The overall effect that the class believed came from such portrayals of western elements was that the film was able to create a truly global film that was able to gain popularity despite language barriers. By using primarily physical humor, the film was able to portray humor without being reliant on language allowing jokes to be perceived whether or not audiences spoke mandarin.