When I was a freshman in college I watched the film Gua Sha Treatment for the first time, now I am a junior student and I come back to review the movie from a multicultural aspect, I have many different feelings after watching the film again.
At the beginning of the film, XuDatong is given an award and later he delivers a speech. What makes me impressed most is in his speech he says “one day I will become one of you, a truly successful American, today this award proved that America is a true land of opportunity and I am the living proof of that.” At that moment Xu thinks he has realized his American Dream totally with his lovingly wife and adorable son. However, I think it is ironical that to make a speech like that and I assume it is made on purpose to hind a clue for the story’s development. How many non-American people have such a beautiful American dream? One of my classmate studies in American now and before he went aboard he told me his American dream is he can stand at the top of the New York. To be honest, I also dream that one day I can get the Green Card living there happily and successfully maybe working at the Wall Street. When Xu gets the award he thinks he entirely melted in the melting pot neglecting the multicultural obstruct, later the plot goes against the way he thinks. And later Quinlan asked Xu ‘why you be the scapegoat of your father?’ Xu answers ‘because he is Chinese.’ Then maybe Xu knows that there is always a wide gap between Chinese and American cultures.
The second scene is Xu hit his son Denis because Denis hit the son of xu’s boss, at the middle of the film xu tells his boss that he hit his own son is only to show his respect to his boss John Quinlan, that time Quinlan feels puzzled “what a Chinese logic”， yes, American can never understand such a logic full of Chinese characteristic, because they respect everyone including the children, they won’t beat a child to please the boss, and there is no such a conception of degree between employee and employer, they feel everyone is equal, which is quite different from china.
Connected to the second scene, the third difference I want to analyze is the care for the children. In America, people pay more attention to the right of children which can be seen from the law—leaving children alone at home is illegal, while in China it is so common that almost everyone may experience such loneliness. And Children Welfare Agency does work in America which shows the importance Americans attach to children’s right. What’s more, I remember a line ‘No one won the case, especially the child.’ In my opinion, it also manifests the universal concern from the American public to the children.
The fourth aspect is following the procedure, in the film, more than there times, the people focus on the rule, the law, the procedure. At the Christmas Eve Xu wants to return back to his home pretending as a Santa Claus, what a pity, the security recognizes him and persuades ‘you are always a good tenement, never causes troubles for me.’ And another scene is at the end of the film , the judge says ‘I have to follow the procedure.’ However, in China people always have to ask for a favor to do something, and later you have to pay back the favor ，for myself, I prefer the American style, strict to the procedure.
The fifth and the last point is the humors, Quinlan says ‘you can’t fall, your health security is the company paid.’ ‘Datong, welcome home, maybe next time, you can come from the front door.’ ‘dady, why you come from the window’ ‘ because we don’t have a chimney.’ I really adore this distinguished American humor, especially in dangerous situations, which is quite rare in China.
That’s my whole reaction to Gua Sha Treatment.
