Crazy Rich Asians: the Good and the Bad

NOTE: this piece is part of a series discussing and highlighting Asian-American representation in light of the media success of Jon Chu’s “Crazy Rich Asians,” “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” on Netflix, and Kelly Marie Tran’s essay in the New York Times.

Crazy Rich Asians hit the screens back in August and immediately became a part of the cultural conversation. For the first time in years, a majority Asian cast was featured in a major studio film. The movie did amazingly well at the box office and with critics.

Most importantly, it moved several young Asian Americans to tears as they watched people like them on screen for the first time in their lives. Watching the small references to their experience treated like it was normal made them feel “seen” in a way they had never been before.

Of course, the most important reason behind this movie’s success was its all-Asian cast. Though it wasn’t a horrible movie, most romantic comedies don’t break into the top 10 summer movies like Crazy Rich Asians did. Asian Americans are rarely seen on screen in a good light- not math nerds or punch lines.

Representation is important. Most Asian Americans have experienced daily microaggressions, from rude questions such as “where are you from?” to scowling white children confused by their strange lunch. Seeing people like them in the media provides an escape from the Otherization they experience on a daily basis.

Most romantic comedies feature conventionally attractive white American leads falling in love in a comical or touching fashion. Crazy Rich Asians gave that role to Asian people. For once, people of color were able to fall in love and laugh and cry. It showed that we aren’t just toys, but people with real emotions.

With that said, it’s also important to analyze the film’s use of women of color, who have their own struggles in the film industry and media in general. I’d argue that this film breaks down two major stereotypes that plague Asian women’s portrayals in media.

Asian women often face fetishization in the media and in real life. They are seen as “exotic” by the West, and are often susceptible to the white male gaze. Luckily, the film’s leading lady, Rachel Chu is treated as attractive but is also a smart, capable professor who is in control of her life. The lack of objectification in the film is imperative to Asian women and their futures in America. For Asian women to be taken seriously in the workforce and society in general, they need to overcome the stereotype that they are submissive.

Another common image of Asian women in the media is the “Dragon Lady,” the intimidating and spiritual villainess. This trope is beautifully subverted by Eleanor Young, the mother of Rachel’s boyfriend. While she first comes across as cunning and treacherous, her character shows real love for her son and sympathy for the protagonist that give her a depth that older Asian actresses rarely get to explore on screen.

However, certain audience members were less enthralled by the cast’s diversity. While many were happy enough to see an Asian face on screen, there were still those who care about how those faces were represented. Even though the movie is a step in the right direction, it’s always important to look forward.

Despite the film’s many virtues, its problems need to be addressed if we want better representation for all Asian Americans in the future. Although the film was advertised as an “Asian film”, its focus is exclusively on light skinned East Asians.

As a South Asian woman, hearing this film being described as a breakthrough for Asians in the movie industry and listening to my East Asian friends rave about the film made me feel uncomfortable since I didn’t feel the same.

The film mostly takes place in Singapore, which has a sizable Southeast and South (the brown Asians) population yet none are seen. With the fear of terror rising, and South Asian women often being depicted as feckless fools who are forced into arranged marriages, better representation would prove a point.

Actually, I’ll take back what I said before- there is a scene featuring South Asians. When Rachel drives to an extravagant party, she suddenly finds herself surrounded by darkness after getting lost. The lights flash and all she can see are a group of dark skinned guards with large moustaches and turbans. According to the movie, the light skinned people are the heroes and dark skinned Asians are either comic relief or something to be feared. How is this different from typical American cinema exactly?

Another related dynamic to explore is imperialism. Singapore was originally majority Southeast Asian until several rich Chinese families settled there. Like America, it is now a hierarchy with Chinese settlers at the top and natives or South Asians at the bottom. Thus, the celebration of the wealth amassed by these families in the movie seems misguided. These people profit off of a system that marginalizes dark skinned people in Asia.

None of these issues are nitpicks since they both harm the movie’s message. Ultimately, it’s a film celebrating exclusively light skinned people with massive amounts of political and economic power. Even the idea that the Asian characters in the film can combat prejudice with their wealth, as shown in the opening scene where Michelle Yeoh’s character buys a hotel from a racist owner, just supports the capitalist logic that money can overcome any other disadvantages. There’s nothing relatable about a group of wealthy people who are so above the global racial dynamics that they aren’t anything like most Asians.

Some may argue that films don’t have to represent everyone. That’s true. But with many claiming the movie to be a savior for Asians in the media, understanding that it isn’t ensures that Hollywood can represent those other groups in the future. If every Asian really does deserve to be represented, then ignoring the flaws in current media prevent growth.

Still, the movie is worth seeing if you love diverse films. It’s definitely enjoyable as a romantic comedy. And if you want to watch some more films with Asian representation, check out our list of overlooked Asian American films!

by RIA BHANDARKAR