Director Feng Xiaogang’s sixth film, "Big Shot’s Funeral" is far from being an instant classic, but still manages to shed a humorous light on filmmaking itself. Composed of a balance between English and Chinese dialogue, the feature is not afraid to utilize nods towards Western media. Despite being labeled a comedy, the most fascinating part of the motion picture is not its humor, but the clash of American and Chinese values.
A cameraman, Yoyo, is hired to film a documentary about famed elderly American director Don Tyler during the filming of a big movie. During this, Yoyo becomes a personal companion to the director. Tyler then implores about the afterlife and its funerals. He showed great interest in having a “comedy funeral.” However, Tyler was abruptly stripped of his role as director and then fell ill. Before falling into a coma, Yoyo was asked to create a meaningful memorial for the ailing director.
Yoyo enlists the help of Louis, a Chinese promoter, in creating a television broadcast of the outlandish memorial. After running into financial straits, the pair decides to open up the ceremony for product placement from whatever company decides to partake in the funeral. As a result, many offers for different businesses’ advertisements start rolling in. However, the huge event is called off once Tyler recovered from his illness. The once sick director then went on to continue creating films.
While charming at the core with a unique plot, "Big Shot’s Funeral" is not an exceptional film. The humor featured throughout is not a strong point for the feature and the same applies to the performance of its actors. No one element from "Funeral" stands out as its crowning achievement, making this picture an average affair. The casual moviegoer may find entertainment in Feng Xiaogang’s film, but with the lack of an effective climax, it may be best to go to an actual funeral for a fulfilling ending.
What the film succeeds at is portraying a stark depiction of American capitalism. The juxtaposition of having this Western system alongside the reverent nature of Chinese culture during the planning of Don Tyler’s funeral makes for a fascinating contrast in the motivations of both societies. There is an abundance of capitalist images on display throughout the film. During a preview of Tyler’s memorial video, images of the US flag are flashed on the screen in a subliminal manner, leading Lucy, Tyler’s assistant, to question the reason behind the American imagery. Later into the film, American companies, such as MTV, and numerous Chinese companies as well have purchased ad space for the funeral, with many of their logos covering the ceremonial floor of the memorial.
In one way, the inclusion of advertisements in something as solemn as a funeral satirizes the profit-led nature of America. In another way, even though the country itself is communist, the involvement of Chinese companies also looking for financial gain sheds light on how much capitalist values have become an essential part for Chinese businesses to thrive. No matter the viewpoint, the pervasiveness of capitalism is clear.
