Film Analysis Essay on Eat Drink Man Woman and the God of Cookery

Introduction

Eat Drink Man Woman is a delicious complex short story that highlights the life of a troubled Chinese family who resides in Taiwan during the early and late 1990's. The main theme of the movie revolves around the traditional Chinese food and their significance championed by Chef Tao Chu. The God of Cookery, on the other hand, written by Stephen Chow describes the life of Hong Kong's most famous and revered celebrity Chef whose Restaurant attracts thousands of people to eat together despite him being a fraud. In both films, the meals act as the loadstones for different people family and foes to mean and share both their tribulation and triumphs. For instance, in Eat Drink Man Woman, the meals act the loadstone for each member and allow them to experience a glimpse into each other's lives as relatives. The meals in God of Cookery, on the other hand, do not revolve around the family; however, it still attracts different people to come and watch the famous Chef. Despite the troubles the characters in both movies endure, the meals strengthen them as they live through good and bad times.

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In both movies, the significance of food in portraying personal character comes immediately in the beginning as the stories unfold. At the beginning of God of Cookery, for instance, Chow's character is portrayed as selfish, mean but a terrible cook. He enjoys ridiculing the efforts of his chef employees who strive to make his show successful. Again despite being a terrible cook, he puts his face on the show as the main cook despite being a fraudster barely able to cook. Chow only finds happiness when demeaning his huge staff of underlying yes men who he pays just enough to survive and not to be independent. Similarly, at the beginning of Eat Drink Man Woman, the family members are seen to be keeping secrets and hiding their true character from one another either out of jealousy, respect or fear of reprisal. Despite the daughters not completely thrilled by their father's desire of being by his side, they always put a smile on their face while fulfilling the family tradition of being present for the Sunday family dinner. From the film, it is obvious the daughters do not like being present for family dinners and probably out of fear of scrutiny that often comes from other family members and particularly their father. For example, one of Chef Tao's daughters who is a successful airline executive tells he ex-boyfriend that she is needed urgently back home for the family "Sunday dinner torture rituals" clearly showing the viewer her true character and her stance about the family dinners and gatherings.

In both movies, food gives some level of significance in the society without which you are just an ordinary person. In Eat Drink Man Woman, Chef Chu cooks a feast fit each Sunday for an emperor indicating his prominence as a result of his cooking techniques. Course after course of artfully crafted dishes was served from the kitchen of Chef Chu ready to feed the emperor and his family. These dishes bear different kinds of meals as ordered by the emperor including smoked ham, roast duck and desert aplenty which gives the viewer the exact view of the traditional Chinese cooking and the reason why the emperor loves the Chef so much. However, the daughters think their father's skills in the kitchen is diminishing and that he may probably lose his job and his reputation. The girls appear to be ungrateful for the love and hard work their father puts in his meals stating that the tastes are constantly getting worse and this might as well affects their father's position in one of Taiwan's reputable restaurants. Similarly, in God of Cookery, Stephen Chow was living his best moments when he had his restaurant hosting cooking competition and could put his hands on anything money can buy; however, he was at his worst when he showed up at the temple after losing his lucrative businesses to his assistance. Sister chicken who has been a longtime admirer of Chou's work welcomes him with open arms and saving him from street hunger. Despite Stephen Chou not being the God of Cookery, sister Chicken does not care because she has finally met her longtime idol which she has been looking up to. Ideally, these conflicts of concern and derision in both Eat Drink Man Woman and the God of Cookery indicate food appreciation among the Chinese people and the role it plays in molding people's character.

Love and relationships build up around food as portrayed in both movies. One of Chef Tao's daughters Jia-Ning who is the youngest is in works at Wendy's. Even though her place of work does not represent the traditional Chinese food, it still indicates the role of food as an encroaching influence from the west. At her place of work she tries to help one of her colleagues and friends who broke up with her boyfriend, however, her advice does not yield any fruit as she falls with her friend's ex-boyfriend after some weeks. This attraction and a budding relationship were also built over meals at various noodles shops as the Chef's younger daughter tries to comfort her friend's ex-boyfriend over his relationship troubles. Additionally, after getting pregnant, she uses the famous family dinner to reveal her pregnancy as well as her relationship with her soon to be husband. In God of cookery, on the other hand, reveals a strong bond and a relationship that builds as a result of food. Sister Chicken fell for Stephen Chou when he still had his restaurant and thought he was her idol. This even got interesting as she had the same feelings when she met him outside the temple begging for food. Additionally, their new relationship after Chou lost his restaurant started when she invites him for a meal indicating how food was used during that time not only as a gesture of good faith but also as the initial steps in building relationships.

Cooking as well as food fosters strong habits from the observes as portrayed by Eat Drink Man Woman and The God of Cookery. For instance, initially, Jia-Chen, one of Chef Tao's daughters had the desire of moving out of her father's house and later out of Taiwan to pursue her career as an airline executive; however, twist and turns happen when she reveals that just like her father, she has the passion for cooking. Even though she is not as professional as her father, she shows her love for her father and his work not just by using his recipes and methods but also by telling the audience that her cooking is the true reflection of her childhood memories. She also reveals how she loves cooking for a boyfriend in their one bedroom apartment as she narrates to him her father's influence as she was growing up. At the same time, Stephen Chou's cooking in the God of Cookery influenced Sister Chicken's street vending cooking techniques. She uses the same recipes she watched on Mr. Chou's show to cooking for him the first time they met. At the same time, the strong bond she feels about Stephen Chou can be attributed to her love for his cooking. Moreover, despite Chou's dangling feelings for her she still goes ahead and blocks a knife for him thereby sustaining unnecessary injuries.

Cooking for some represents empathy and a sense of responsibility. In both the stories, some characters are feels obliged to take care of another person and only shows this in the form of cooking. For example, Mr. Tao's oldest daughter Jia-Jen who is also a school teacher defies her father and refuses to get married as she feels obliged to take care of her old father after their mother passed on. She takes it upon herself as the matron of the house as she takes care of her father and her siblings. She even took charge of the Sunday dinners; keeping her younger sisters in check not to defy her aged father. Sister Chicken in the God of Cookery feels responsible for Chou as well. She invites him to her vending business in an effort to get him back to the limelight, and with their double effort, they not only managed to create Hong Kong's best pissing beef balls but also put Mr. Chow back into the completion.

Conclusion

In conclusion, in both Eat Drink Man Woman and the God of Cookery, the meals have a way of strengthening the characters as they live through bad and good times. The best cooks in both movies have some level of significance particularly brought by food. Food also builds relationships between friend and family as well as forge some habits and character from different individuals.