EmilyChenisdiscussingherexperienceofwatchingmovies.(PhotoprovidedtoGMW.cn)ByEmilyChenHeroism,anthropomorphicmonkey,andpost-apocalypticworld–theseconceptsinvokeaspecificsetofimagesinaChineseviewer’smind.Theypromiseaction-orientedscenes,oranotherMonkeyKingwithhisgold-bandedstaff,payingtributetotheChineseclassic.Yetiftherewaseveranintentiontocreatesuchafilm,thedirectorelucidated,ithaddiedduringthe10yearsthatittooktorefineChosen.PremieringthisJanuary,Chosendepictsin3Danimationtheheroicdevelopmentofamonkey(Kong),dragon(PaoPao),andhumangirl(Nuwa)onanAI-dominatedplanet.ThenarrativeopenswithNuwa’sgrandfatherrecountingtheirfirstresistanceagainsttherobot-menandthelegendofalittledragon.PaoPaoseeksa“chosen”heirforthehero’sgoldenhoop,andinadvertentlyfindsitinathievingmonkey.Ultimately,thelivesofthethreeintersectastheystrivetoliberatehumanityfromaraceofmachines.Thefilmdrasticallydefiedmyexpectations.Chosenisapostmodernistcollageofelements:fromEasternandWesternallusionstoorientalandcyberpunkaesthetics,andtomythandmodernAI.Itisacauldroninwhich,everyotherminute,anewintertextualreferenceiscast:theeyeglasses,fingergesture,andsimulatedtrainingplatformofTheMatrix;the“chosen”monkey’sexpeditionandBuddhistmasteroftheAcademyfromjourneytotheWest.Yetthisfusionoccursonlyaftervaryinglevelsofdeconstruction.Chosenfragmentstheaudience’sossifiedimageofheroismandclassicssuchasJourneytotheWest,disintegratingbarrierstoconstructaunifiedworldforitscharacters.EmilyChencommunicatedwiththedirectoronsite.(PhotoprovidedtoGMW.cn)ChosendeconstructsJourneytotheWestbyinvertingitssymbols.AnidiomdescribeshowSunWukong“canneverleapoutoftheBuddha’spalm”,foragoldenhoopandBuddhistincantationwillnullifythemonkey’spowers.InChosen,however,thishoopcanonlybeunfastenedbythewearerhimself,creatingaself-imposedconstraint.Consignedtothedragon’scarebyhismasterandlabeledasa“burden”bytheAcademy’sheadmaster,thehoopsymbolizestheencumbranceofothers’expectations.ItalsorepresentsKong’sownneedforexternalvalidation;fortheassurancethatcomeswithbeing“chosen”byadivineforce.Hence,itpropelstheBildungsromannarrativebymarkinghistwoinnerchanges(contrastingagainsttheMonkeyKing’s72physicaltransformationsinJourneytotheWest).Thefirstiswhenitsacquisitionawakenshimtoasenseofresponsibility,andthesecondiswhenthemonkey,experiencinganagnorisisafterthedeathofafriend,choosestodiscardit.Theidealwhichthehoopembodies,likeparentalexpectations,issomethingthathelpsinitiatethecharacter’sjourney,butbelongstochildhoodandmustbeoutgrown,flungaway.ThisallegoryinternalizesthepilgrimagethatthemonkeyundertakesinJourneytotheWest.Yettheprotagonists’actionsresistbeingconstruedasasymbol.Chosenhumanizesitscharactersandexposestraditionalheroismasachimericdream.“SunWukongmaybeKong’sidol,asheistheidolofeverymonkey,”theorizedChosen’sdirector,“buthecannotbehim.”UnliketheMonkeyKing,Kongwasnotbornfromthesplittingofarockorotherwisedistinguishedfromthetypicalmonkey.Evenhisname,“Kong”,signifyingnegligibility,isaparodyoftheBuddhistphilosophybehind“SunWukong”.Ratherthantheprerogativeofa“chosen”one,themonkey’sevolutionafterseizingthehoopandhisopportunity(bychoice)istheshiftingofasidecharactertocentre-stage.Notably,Kongonlybeginstobecharacterizedaftergainingpossessionofthehoop:prankishandinfuriatingasheinitiallyis,themonkeyextendshishandtothedragoninperil,withwhomhewasquarrelingonlymomentsbefore.Hence,Kong’smundanecompassioncompensatesfortheabsenceofsuperhumanheroism.Charactersarenolessdisillusionedabouteachother,whichisvividlyexemplifiedbythedragonPaoPao.Atthebeginning,Nuwahearsfromhergrandfatherofthefableddragon;mighty,infallible,asublimemyth–thentheshotcutstoadrolllittlecreaturetoddlingalongacobbledstreet;eccentric,unreliableeven,butcertainlynotheroic.PaoPao’scharacteratonceexperiencesabatheticfall,addingatouchofcomicrelieftothegravecircumstancesinNuwa’svillageaftertherobot-men’sarrival.Thewhimsicalityofthefilm(endingabruptlyandsteeredbycoincidentalencounterssuchasNuwa,PaoPao,andKong’sunlikelymeetinginthedesert)islikethatofitscharacters,butbothareimpelledbyrealistichumanmotives.WhenKongrelinquisheshishoopandthenametagofa“hero”,itisnotforsymbolicreasons,butfromgriefatafriend’ssacrificeandtheguiltofoccasioningit.MovieposterprovidedtoGMW.cnThisself-recognitionechoestheemphasisplacedoninnerdrive,mirroredbythefilm’spostmodernistfocusoncontentoverform.Chosen’sprotagonistsundergoaninternalodysseywhosepathisdictatedonlybythemselves.WhetherthroughKongtossingawayhishoop,orthecrumblingawayofthedragon’sashenskin,charactersstripawaytheextrinsicappearanceandaccessoriesonwhichtheydependtounearththeirtrueselves.ThisislikebeingextricatedfromtheMatrixsimulation,abandoningavirtualworldforarealone,howeverunpalatabletheknowledgeofthatrealityis.Chosensubvertstradition,butalsoredefinestherelevanceofthepast.Nuwafollowsnothergrandfather’steachings,butherinnercompass,defyingtheChineseprincipleoffilialpiety.Yetthoughhergrandfatherarguesthatthe“pastmustbeburied”,hedisproveshisownword.AsheandNuwafleefromthemachines,Grandpahasaflashbackofhisventuresomeyoungerselfasasailor,anexperienceextractedfromthepastthatinformshisdriving.Afterall,dosteeringashipanddrivinganenginenotsharethesameprinciple?Thisbelongstoagreaterpatternofrevivalthatmodernizespastknowledge,justasChineseclassicsandlegendsofoldaremaderelevanttoacontemporaryaudience.Hence,Nuwa’sgenerationandhergrandfather’sareportrayedaseducatingeachotherandcollectivelymovingforward.Inasimilarsense,KongrealizestheridiculousnessandimpracticalityoftraditionalcombattechniqueslearntattheAcademywhenhedeploysthemagainstarobot:theneedtoadaptandgrowfromexperienceisparamount,evenafterthesetwoframesoftimeareunified.MovieposterprovidedtoGMW.cnFromthemetalliccityoftherobot-mentoamber-tiledrooftopssheathedbygossamercloudsandalabyrinthofquaintChinesecourtyards,theplotispropelledbytransitionofscene,asinaroadfilm.ViewersarelikeAlicesinWonderland,ushereddownaninfinityofrabbitholes.Chosenalsodistortsthespatialsense,creatingamultiverseinwhichcharacterscanfreelyroam.TheAcademyofMagic–onecouldpictureitnestledinmysticalwoodsorsky-highwithgilded,majestichalls–isnotsituatedinaspecifiedtimeorlocalebutspanningacrossallagesofgeniusandinvention.JustasitispossibleforWilliamBlaketo“seeaWorldinaGrainofSand/AndaHeaveninaWildFlower”,hereeveryrockholdsanearthlydestination;ineachlittlecharacterliesaseedofgoodnessandpotential,which,ifitcannotquiteblossomintoworld-savingheroism,canatleaststimulatechangewithinthemselves.Chosenbegsmuchofitsaudience–forustoopenourmindsandembraceaunionofEastandWest,pastandfuture;tobreakfreefromourselves,andoverthrowpastideals.Simultaneously,itisonlyacompellinganimation,andasksnothingbutforviewerstoroamitsmultiverse,waitingtoelicitalaughfromfamilies.Yinuo(Emily)Chenisa16-year-oldChinesestudentatBranksomeHall,Canada.SheisamemberoftheChinaFilmCriticsAssociationandhaspublishedanumberofreviews.Asanactress,shewoninternationalawardsforherperformanceinthemovie"WhenaPekingFamilyMeetsanAu-Pair".Shehasalsowritten,directed,andstarredinpublicwelfareshortfilms.Inhersparetime,Emilyenjoyswriting,musicaltheatre,graphicdesign,andstudyingvariouslanguages.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.