Film Review--Joy Luck Club

  Using the image of swan to symbolize the mothers, the movie sets off with highly symbolic narration. Swan is described as a creature stretching its neck, in hope of becoming a goose. This implies how the mothers spare no pains to flee from China to America for freedom. The giving of swan’s feather to her daughter infers the mothers’ expectation on their daughters as well. Unfortunately, the symbol is mentioned once only throughout the whole movie. As a result, I can scarcely recall the image of swan after two hours. I trust the idea of swan could have been made much more impressive if it is reiterated in the ending as well. However, the movie concludes with a mundane statement “I'd found the best of myself”.  Indeed, the ending can sound more intriguing and have a more emphatic effect with even simple wordings, like “Now the feather is treasured by the daughter with deep and heartfelt care”.

  Instead of a stark plot presented with trough and climax, the movie is linked by vignettes depicting the protagonists’ encounters in life. Although the absence of plot is the unique style of the film, I can hardly appreciate it due to the poor cinematic technique. Frankly speaking, the time shifting effect is badly done, making it extremely daunting to differentiate various characters’ stories. The transition between the Rose’s quarrel scene with Rich her husband and June’s conflict scene with Waverly, for instance, is unacceptably sudden and grotesque. As an audience, I have got used to the pattern that every time after the delineation of one character’s story, the camera shot will return to the feast with Joy Luck Club members. However, the dispute between June and Waverly does not happen at the union party but months before that. This is exactly the reason why I find the transition unsmooth, seeing that it does not stick to the usual pattern for time change in other parts of the movie.

  Despite the above drawbacks, the distinguishable characterization of the four daughters is worth compliment. June is exemplary. Compared with Waverly a gifted chess player all the time by her mother in childhood, June a relatively ordinary girl seems to have no talents. Such sense of inferiority constitutes her self-depreciating outlook on life. In fact, Ming-Na Wen the actress skillfully expresses her sense of loss in her eyes, as she will never look at people sharply in the movie. What I see on the screen is apparently a directionless and timid girl. In my discretion, she has triumphed over this role.

  On the whole, this movie is not unsatisfactory, in spite of the fact that it demands the viewers to watch it at least twice in order to get a better understanding. The thought-provoking theme about how we can cope with the conflict between different cultures may inspire you as well. If you have plenty of time and are only sensitive to the theme and meaning of the movie, Joy Luck Club may be your cup of tea.