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Love is probably the only feeling that is not influenced by time. Just like many years ago when Shakespeare wrote his tragedy about Romeo and Juliet, today every person wants to love and be loved. Undoubtedly, love has evolved into different forms but true love is still desired by every person. The movie Lust, Caution proves that loyal relationships based on love are more important than loyalty to the government. While Mika in the movie The Sky of Love has to go through numerous hardships of modern life, she does not lose hope to be happy with a person she loves. The Asian culture is unique and has always differed from Western values and morality. While traditional values are still alive in Asia, globalization has affected ancient culture in many ways. Lust, Caution shows that the traditional, pre-modern concept of loyalty in China is very different from its modern interpretation as portrayed in the movie The Sky of Love in Japan.
Modern Japan is known to the world as a technologically advanced and economically developed country. The Japanese people are considered to be exceptionally polite, respectful, and undoubtedly loyal to everybody around. While an opinion exists that many of the Japanese old values have been eroding, the movie Lust, Caution suggests that pre-modern concepts of love and loyalty were rather strong in Chinese culture. Extensive research has been conducted on traditional Chinese values and culture. The cultural roots of exceptional loyalty can be traced to purely economic lifetime career paths typical for Asian nations. As Orosco (2003) notes, love and loyalty to a partner are no longer considered to be important (p. 205). The global system requires new norms, culture as well as expectations from people. Wong in the movie Lust, Caution makes a difficult choice between loyalty to government and loyalty to a man she loves. She prefers loyalty to a lover, a person who will take care of her and become a partner for love. While the choice made by Wong reflects traditional values of pre-modern China, it is hardly possible to state with confidence whether a modern woman would make the same decision. The ending scene of the movie shows the consequence of Wong’s choice: she betrays the loyalty to her country for the sake of her lover’s life.
Mika, the main female character in the movie The Sky of Love is similar to Wong in many regards. Both women are young and they seek love. Both are willing to give up their own interests and devote themselves to their partners. The exceptional loyalty of women and the culturally defined quest for love reveal the unique essence of Asian culture and moral values. Nevertheless, Wong in the Lust, Caution does not go through the same challenges and difficulties to be with her man. Wong has to solve a moral dilemma and make a choice between her career and a person she loves. Mika, on the other side, has to struggle for her right to love. Over the course of the movie, Mika goes through many trials, such as kidnapping by Hiro’s (her first lover) former girlfriend Saki, pregnancy, the love triangle between Hiro and Keisuke (Mika’s second lover), miscarriages. Eventually, Mika loses her loved ones by the end of the story. Mika’s loyalty and love do not result in happiness for her. In particular, in science when Mika interacts with Yu, she meets with Hiro. She loves Hiro but she is already with another person. Thus, her loyalty to the former boyfriend undermines her relationship with the new lover. It is possible to suggest that Mika, a modern symbol of Japanese loyalty, does not realize the consequences of her actions. She does understand the true value of relations and eventually ends up being absolutely alone.
Hanson (2003) points out that the concept of loyalty is eroded as the globalizing community does not attach any importance to it (p. 30). Hanson argues that loyalty and love have become rare qualities despite the increasing pressure for tolerance. However, the pre-modern concept of loyalty in China was based on the purity of feelings. Wong listens to her heart and her feelings. She does not pay attention to the opinion of others and she definitely does not care about the consequences of her choice on her life. Wong realizes that the save her loved man is to betray her loyalty to the country. Mika, as a representative of the modern society of Japan, also has to deal with the moral dilemma but it appears that she is a victim of circumstances and is not even able to change the outcome. The movie The Sky of Love starts with Mika loses her cell phone. She finds it by accident and receives accidental phone calls from Hiro. Thus, even the acquaintance of Mika and Hiro is a matter of chance. The movie The Sky of Love is a perfect example of modern society being not free but rather dependent on circumstances. As Nelson and Neack argued, modern people are detached from their cultural history as they view themselves as global citizens who in most cases mean Western citizens. Mika has no traditional Japanese values as she is behaving and even thinks not as a Japanese girl but as an American teenager. The instance when she sees Hiro suggests that Mika does not have any loyalty or respect to her new partner. It is one of the main reasons why she fails to be happy. Wong, as a symbol of traditional Chinese values, finds happiness because she realizes the importance of loyalty.
Current cultural and moral norms are defective: while love and loyalty are still highly valued, the relationships are increasingly based on mutual benefits rather than feelings and personal affections (Nelson, 2002, p. 354). Lust, Caution depicts the traditional concept of loyalty. Traditional Chinese culture emphasizes the value of loyalty, mutual respect, love, and family. Today, on the contrary, more attention is paid to material values such as money and social position while loyalty and relationships are put off. Wong’s character is rare in modern society. Globalization has brought the liberation of women who enjoy equality with men (which is a positive factor) but they have also lost the true value of loyalty. Under the influence of globalization, women have become more pragmatic as they do not believe in traditional values, they do not trust men, and they seek professional success rather than personal happiness. If Wong lived in modern China, her choice would probably be different. Mika, for example, betrays her new partner when she meets with Hiro. She thinks only about herself (modern Japanese value of loyalty) while Mika thinks about her partner in the first place (pre-modern Chinese value of loyalty).
In conclusion, traditional Asian values are not able to survive under the pressure of globalization. The movie Lust, Caution tells a beautiful and yet psychologically intensive story about a woman who managed to put her love above the loyalty to her government and ever her country. Wong represents that traditional Chinese values of love, family, relationships, and of course loyalty. The movie The Sky of Love, on the contrary, creates a picture of the modern girl living in the global society. It appears that Mika wants to be happy and she wants to be loyal to her lover, or both of them, but she is put into a position to accept the pressures of globalization. The movie The Sky of Love is not a warning for young people about the danger of love. Mika is a young woman who symbolizes a modern person who cannot change her life. The pre-modern concept of loyalty is purer in its essence as there is the value of personal relationships. The modern concept of loyalty is pragmatic because, as Wibowo (2001) suggested, modern people do not trust each other and there is no place for love and loyalty. The economic benefits of globalization cannot be underestimated; however, globalization has a devastating effect on the traditional concept of loyalty.
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