Chinese and Russian Movies

Many Chinese and Russian movies share some characteristics which I don't like.

Often, some characters are in a hysteric and half crazed state. They seem to be in a trance. Some performing artists may think that this is the highest stlevel of acting. Maybe so. But I, as an audience, feel tense and uncomfortable when I watch this kind of performance.

Furthermore, in some Chinese movies, many characters do some unreasonable and extraordinary things. For example, in Feng Xiaogang's movie "1942", a refugee fleeing from famine refuses to trade a toy for food, and risks death by cursing a Japanese soldier when he burned the toy. Maybe the director or the script writer think only unreasonable and extraordinary actions are worthy to be in a movie. Maybe their thinking is "Who would go to a movie theater to see reasonable and mundane stuff?" I don't know why, but in all the movies that I like, all characters behaved reasonably. Even in Feng Xiaogang's own movie "If You Are The One" , all characters behaved reasonably, and it is a much better movie than "1942".

Many Chinese and Russian movies have a half-witted character. They always say some stupid things to let the protagonist correct them and make the audience feel the protagonist is extra smart. But in real life, it is really hard to find such half-witted person.

Further more, some Chinese and Hong Kong movies have a funny character who often makes funny facial expressions. This is often not very funny. I like comedies in which the thinking and actions are funny, not the facial expressions. For example, George Costanza.