Seeing 'developing' countries through American animated films --- An analysis of 'Kung Fu Panda,' 'Rio,' and 'Madagascar'.

摘要

People's impressions of "developing" countries have been shaped to a great extent by fictional narratives such as novels, plays, films, etc. Among all these form, American animated films can have a special influence on a global scale. For billions of children who are forming their perception of the world, as well as adults who do not have the chance to travel, American animated films that are set in so-called "developing countries" serve as an avenue of knowledge to the outside world.;Despite their global impact, American animated films, especially those that are set in "developing" countries, have not received much academic attention, because they are often deemed as merely entertaining and childish. This thesis analyzes three recent representative American animated films that are set in developing countries on three different continents: Kung Fu Panda (ancient China), Rio (Brazil), and Madagascar (Madagascar), and discovers the problematic animated representations of "developing" countries and their audience reception around the world.;Analyzing these films as texts, this thesis first explores four aspects of cinematic representations of "developing" countries: the dichotomy of living conditions, the portrayal of social phenomena, the construction of indigenous cultures, and the contradiction between celebrating diverse cultures and promoting Americanization. Delving into contextual aspects of the selected films, this thesis also analyzes how audiences from different cultures receive, revise, and even reject the film texts.;With analysis on both the cinematic and the social aspects of the selected films, this thesis gives a well-rounded picture of the questionable representations of "developing countries" in animation: on the one hand, it can be an opportunity for a certain country to move from the periphery to the spotlight; on the other hand, the westernized representations of non-American countries are also exploited as a reservoir of exotic cultural stereotypes for capitalist purposes. This thesis will hopefully contribute an important insight into film studies, cultural studies, and globalization studies.