It all started with a mouse

Many years ago I told my Grandmother that I wanted to create cartoons for a living. Well, Disney was the first name in cartoons back then and in support of my dream my family made sure that I saw my share of them...Bambi, Dumbo, Cinderella, Snow White, etc. Today, Disney is everywhere doing everything in the entertainment arena. They have enterprises in film, video, theme parks, cable and network television, cruise ships, and merchandizing. In fact, Disney promotes American popular culture in 11 countries on three continents. In many parts of the world, “the mouse” is the first ambassador of everything American. (Shea, 2011)

According to the Disney mission statement, “…the Company’s focus has been on establishing the foundations for long-term growth in the emerging markets of Latin America, Russia, India and China. More recently a renewed focus has been brought first to Japan and this year to Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA)…” (Walt Disney International, 2011)

            In the Fall 2002 issue of the Global Media Journal, Lee Artz made the argument that although Disney is a “global media giant (that has) a sordid past as cold war propagandist and union-buster, and its current exploitation of sweatshop workers (e.g., $1/day for Haitian Disney employees), Disney maintains the Mickey-esque aura of Uncle Walt and wholesome family entertainment. Indeed, Disney now serves as America’s moral educator.”  How did Disney attain this role…production of their animated feature films. (Artz, 2006)

            While Mickey is an icon for the Disney Corporation, he is not always seen in exactly the same light everywhere. In the 1980’s Mickey Mouse arrived in China. While to us images of Mickey conjure a fun filled place for kids of all ages, he had a very different persona in Shanghai. Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Director of the East Asian Studies Center and Professor of History at Indiana University, described his observations while in Shanghai during this time, “I remember seeing …sweatshirts for sale on the streets emblazoned with the face of Disney's most famous creation, and a wall poster showing a stake being driven through Mickey's heart.” (Wasserstrom, 2003) It turns out that Mickey sweatshirts were actually knockoffs and the wall poster was part of a government health campaign urging citizens to rid their cities of rats. Being the most widely known rat in Asia, Mickey was used as the image. Wasserstrom also pointed out that Disney gave cartoons free to state TV to help build the brand and inspire consumer desire for the merchandise.

            American film and TV distributors are corporations whose sole reason d’etre are making money. American movies and TV shows are dubbed into any number of foreign languages and distributed worldwide. Undoubtedly Hollywood owns the lion share of the global cinema market. However, our predominance is being challenged. While there is an increase in cinematic business in foreign countries, an indigenous film community has also developed.  

For example, all Hollywood films have been banned in Iran and it has led to a film industry that is astounding the international community with its unique esthetic and quality of work.  (Plate, 2002) Duke University Professor Negar Mottahedeh documents the growth of the Iranian film industry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NczrwO3p-OQ

As a result of this growth, the feature film A Taste of Cherries (Kiarostami, 1997) was applauded by the international film community and  awarded Cannes most coveted Palm d’Or. In 2000, The Circle (Panahi, 2000) won numerous international awards including a Jury Award at Cannes. There are a number of women directors that are at the forefront challenging the traditional stereotypes of Iranian society. Dissident filmmakers are revealing the darker side of their society. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktoFKTmct0k

The film, Guards of the Revolution, (Overton, 2010) follows a number of the elite revolutionary guard as they reveal the behind the scenes actions that followed the recent Ahmadinejad election. We see inside the prisons, the violence and the abuse meted out to those who protested. It is a revelation and shocking that these guards who are among the most elite within the Iranian armed forces were willing to expose the atrocities.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL-GdeJef8A

            According to a study done by Burkle Center for International Relations at the University of California, Los Angeles, it is quite probable that globalization will lead to an import-export dynamic in the film industry.  We have seen movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Lee, 2000), a Chinese film with breathtaking imagery that grossed more than $100 million in the United States alone. (Plate, 2002)

            In this same study, Asia was deemed the most likely challenger to the Hollywood power base. Every year Hollywood releases about 250 commercial features which does not include documentaries, student, religious, and independent films.  India alone releases 800-900 commercial features a year. They are not made on the financial scale of an American commercial feature but they do have a vast international distribution.  To quote the Burkle study, “Cinematic output and creativity also are rising in the Philippines, Iran, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and of course, Hong Kong.”              “Bollywood of India is the largest film city in the world. It is a city of hopes, dreams, desires and achievements, success and failures. The Indian cinema over the years has been a great entertainer, recreation medium, motivator, teacher and a magician who draws a dream world on an empty canvas in front of our eyes.”  (Globalization of Indian Cinema, 2010)

It is possible to clearly see the effect of globalization and the burgeoning import-export dynamic in the film industries. There are 6 major influences to the Indian Cinema – the Indian Epics, ancient Sanskrit drama (the dance drama), folk theatre of Indian, parsi theatre which blended realism and fantasy; Hollywood musicals, and MTV or musical television. As a result of these influences Bollywood has western production standards, English is used in the script and there are elements of western-style plots.

In 2008, Slumdog Millionaire (Boyle, 2008) captured the imagination of the American film community. Beautifully shot in India and acted by local talent, it is a charming romance and anthropological study of life in the slum. The hero is an orphan born and raised in the slums of Bombay, India. The heart of the film is based around winning the game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Sony, 1998) The game first aired in the UK in 1998 and the maximum cash prize was one million British pounds. The payout is one million of whatever the local currency is. The show is now the most internationally popular game show and airs in 100 countries including the US.

This is globalization at its best. A British film shot in India about an Indian orphan centered on a global game which won numerous international awards including an American Oscar. Frankly, I cant wait to see what film gems the international community produces. Getting a snapshot of life in other parts of the world; seeing their culture; getting a glimpse of their values expands your own life. I live in a pretty limited and homogenized city. Being able to see the world if only for 2 hours at a time is like being transported.

Works Cited

(2011). Retrieved May 16, 2011, from Walt Disney International: http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/annual_reports/2009/keyBusinesses/waltDisneyInternational.html

Artz, L. (2006, Jan 18). Animating Hierarchy: Disney and the Globalization of Capitalism . Retrieved May 16, 2011, from Global Media Journal: http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/OldSiteBackup/SubmittedDocuments/archivedpapers/fall2002/Artz.htm

Boyle, D. (Director). (2008). Slumdog Millionaire [Motion Picture].

Globalization of Indian Cinema. (2010, July 27). Retrieved May 16, 2011, from Bollywood Calling: http://www.bollywood-calling.com/blog/?p=12

Kiarostami, A. (Director). (1997). A Taste of Cherries [Motion Picture].

Lee, A. (Director). (2000). Hidden Dragon, Crouching Tiger [Motion Picture].

Overton, I. (Director). (2010). Guards of the Revolution [Motion Picture].

Panahi, J. (Director). (2000). The Circle [Motion Picture].

Plate, T. (2002, Aug 29). Hollywood Faces New Competition: World Film Industry Is Globalization at Its Best. Retrieved May 16, 2011, from UCLA International Institute: http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=2059

Shea, R. (2011). Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the world. Retrieved May 16, 2011, from The Book Reporter: http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/0345422805.asp

Sony, P. T. (Director). (1998). Who Wants to Be a Millionaire [Motion Picture].

Wasserstrom, J. N. (2003, June 16). A Mickey Mouse Approach to Globalization . Retrieved May 16, 2011, from Yale Global Online: http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/mickey-mouse-approach-globalization