Hollywood Treats US Viewers as Fools, Chinese Screenwriter Lashes Out

The latest Marvel movie, ‘Captain America 4,’ has finally surpassed 100 million yuan in box office revenue in mainland China after 12 days since its release.

Captain America 4 Chinese Mainland Box Office

Currently, box office software in mainland China predicts that the final box office revenue for this film will only be 111 million yuan. Despite receiving ratings from over 38,000 users on Douban (a Chinese movie review website), the film has only received a score of 5.2. It is the worst-reviewed film in the “Captain America” series and the worst-performing Marvel movie in mainland China apart from “Captain Marvel 2.”

Marvel movies used to be highly anticipated by countless fans even before their release, and they used to dominate the box office. In 2018, “Avengers: Infinity War” grossed as high as 2.39 billion yuan in mainland China. The following year, its sequel “Avengers: Endgame” even raked in 4.238 billion yuan, becoming the highest-grossing foreign film in Chinese cinematic history. While Marvel movies of the past were magnificent, they now face a dismal situation. This also reflects the state of Hollywood movies, and even American influence in China.

In the United States, many aspects of culture are worth learning from, with one of the most prominent being its spirit of introspection. America is not afraid to face problems as evidenced throughout its history. McCarthyism, the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy, the Vietnam War – each crisis has sparked reflection within American cultural circles, giving rise to outstanding works, shaping trends, and propelling societal advancement. Crucial to this has been the cultural influence of the American left. It has endowed America with the capacity for self-examination, enabling a clear-sighted understanding of itself and the world.

Scripts crafted by a group of unnamed American Communist Party members were adapted into films, including “Roman Holiday,” “Spartacus,” “High Noon,” “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” and more. Woody Allen also collaborated with former American Communist Party members post-release from prison. These remarkable works have contributed to Hollywood’s success, upholding American culture.

However, since the turn of the century, there has been a significant transformation in the left-wing cultural forces in America, leading to fragmentation. Some have become the mainstay of the LGBT movement, delving into identity politics. While actions against racial discrimination and environmental advocacy continue, the once potent forces advocating against imperialism, war, and progress have faced diverse opposition worldwide post the 9/11 incident. Politically, America has labeled them all as terrorism. Culturally, the formerly rational, progressive, lucid, and self-regulating cultural forces have collapsed, disintegrated, and even vanished, lacking reflection and serious scrutiny. America has never lost its introspective ability as it has today. Currently, Western civilization, including Christian civilization, is grappling with numerous issues and even crises, yet America remains oblivious, lacking introspection, and plunging into political hysteria and cultural self-numbing.

Present-day America is culturally feeble, with its cultural circles focusing on what? What does its film industry portray? One would notice that America is no longer at the forefront of global popular culture, no longer the nation that raises questions first and contemplates deeply. It seems to be solely focused on profit, devoid of ambition in culture, blindly following the crowd, aimlessly present without purpose or direction.

Why is Hollywood failing? In fact, Hollywood is not entirely failing on a global scale; it’s just that its influence in the Chinese market is not as strong as before. Why is this? Hollywood no longer provides us with dreams; it is no longer a beacon, and this is crucial. “Love and courage” have always been Hollywood’s timeless themes. But where is its love manifested today? Where is the courage? Supporting Palestine, the American cultural sphere has not continued to steer society towards significant change. While stars like Cate Blanchett have spoken out, it is far from sufficient. Hollywood is no longer a formidable political force; the so-called diversity has overwhelmed justice, leaving students largely isolated and helpless. Jewish capital controls the media and Hollywood.

Today, Hollywood’s voice is feeble. They can easily organize hundreds of thousands to march for the legalization of same-sex marriage but cannot change anything for the children in Gaza. Powerless in the face of reality and lacking the courage to confront it, this is Hollywood’s weakest moment. So, can we still rely on the “love and courage” it preaches?

The Chinese might be one of the first groups in the world to realize this. We hope for a new interpretation about the direction the world should take. The Chinese have proposed a “community of shared future for mankind,” a theme reflected in “The Wandering Earth.” If Hollywood does not agree, then present your own. After all, the old narratives of arrogance, zero-sum games, and the Noah’s Ark story from Christian civilization have been preached for centuries. Are there any new ideas now? Not really; the same old ideas are being repeated. While the world undergoes significant changes, Hollywood’s transformation remains minimal.

Editor: Leo Cai