Steel Dragon Introduction
China is utterly vast and mystifying. For centuries the West has imagined and reimagined this Far East land- as a place of ancient emperors and legends; a spiritual haven of temples and martial arts; modern images include the glamorous depravity of colonial Shanghai, the red terror of Chairman Mao, and the current image as the new world superpower.
I grew up enjoying adventure stories and martial arts films that portrayed China as an exotic and exciting fantasy world. Casting a critical eye on these reveals they have little interest in the real Chinese people, their culture and complex history (particularly the history of European imperialism).
With China’s spectacular growth, the nation is now actively involved in creating its own image to the West. What’s interesting is these romantic images are now being developed by the Chinese. In cinema a new genre of martial arts epics for Western audiences has emerged with films like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. These films are great spectacles, but it seems few films are engaging with what’s happening in the real China i.e. the largest and most rapid industrialisation in human history, wonders of engineering and technology, rampant capitalism in an oppressive police state, environmental destruction on an unprecedented scale. Shouldn’t filmmakers also be stimulated by this? Experiencing Shanghai at night or visiting the Three Gorges Dam are as awe-inspiring as any science fiction film, and the oppressive Chinese government is as frightening as any dystopian tale.
Steel Dragon is an adventure story exploring the new landscapes of China, taking a satirical look at Western impressions and attitudes of China, and discussing Chinese views of the changes to their own country. I’m about 2/3 through writing a screenplay for the story, and will post the finished story here in a couple of months.
In the meantime you can browse the following:
Please feel free to email with any comments you have.