Asian American Film Analysis

There are very few positive representations of Asian Americans in Hollywood films. Chan is Missing calls for more genuine representations of Asian American identities through its cast of complex characters and defiance of Asian stereotypes. The film also urges viewers to critically think about their own notions of identity through the use of several recurring themes and filmmaking techniques.
Asians aren’t represented often in Hollywood films, but when they are, they’re usually confined to stereotypes or one dimensional character traits. In Chan is Missing however, though the characters may at first seem as black and white as the film itself, by the end, many of the characters are well developed and seem like real people. This is conveyed

The title references the main conflict of the film, Chan Hung 's disappearance, as well as, Charlie Chan, an Asian character used in many classical Hollywood films. While Charlie Chan is usually portrayed as a skilled detective, he simultaneously embodies the yellow uncle tom stereotype; which is shown through his obedience and inability to speak proper English. The main character of the film Jo, serves as a subversion of the Charlie Chan character. He] works as a detective as he attempts to find Chan, but instead of taking orders from a superior, he works for himself. Also, he, along with almost all of the other characters, speak English fluently. In several instances, characters in the film mention Charlie Chan, even noting how Jo doesn’t fit the role. Charlie Chan is also known for his occasional pseudo-philosophical ramblings or “fortune cookie logic”. At one point in the film, a character gives an anecdote about a musician who looked into a puddle to find himself and the other characters seem to laugh it off as

In a scene in a Chinese restaurant, we see the cook, Henry. In one of very few first person perspective shots, we see a waiter give Henry an order. Henry says, “Tell those Americans we don’t have wonton soup, we only have it backward; not now.”. Though it’s meant to be an off hand joke, it also subverts the Asexual Servant stereotype by showing that his character is more than a cook who serves white Americans. Also, since it’s a POV shot, it’s as if Henry is speaking directly to the audience. By defying traditional Asian stereotypes, the film calls for more complex Asian representations in