In brief
Guest speaker - Dr Fraser Elliott (University of Edinburgh)
Host - Dr Pasquale Iannone (University of Edinburgh)
Title - ‘It’s so so so so so so important’: China’s role in shaping the Fast & Furious franchise
Series - Edinburgh Film Seminars
Abstract
by Fraser Elliott
To coincide with the publication of the co-edited collection Full-Throttle Franchise: The Culture, Business and Politics of Fast & Furious, this talk will explore the contemporary relationship between Hollywood and China through a focus on recent releases in the Fast & Furious franchise.
Despite being among the highest-grossing film franchises of all time, conversations around Fast & Furious have tended toward the dismissive and derisive. Such criticism focuses generally on the direction the franchise has travelled in recent releases: what began as a relatively taut undercover cop thriller set in and around L.A.’s sun-soaked street racing scene has become a bloated and star-studded genre hybrid centred on international cyber-terrorism, state-sponsored espionage and, yes, even space travel. Ridiculous as these developments may be, there is much we can learn from this transition about the textual and extra-textual characteristics of contemporary blockbuster cinema.
In this talk I will discuss one aspect of this transition and a lesser-known driving force in Fast & Furious’ growth: Mainland China, the primary marketplace for the franchise since 2011. I will explore how a consideration of the Chinese box office helps to explain numerous elements of the series’ otherwise surprising developments; what it reveals about Fast & Furious’ apparently old-fashioned investment in star appeal; and what its navigation of audience tastes and political censorship tells us about the relationship between Hollywood and China more generally.
All this only metres away from where Vin Diesel and John Cena chased each other through the streets of Edinburgh in Fast 9!
About the speaker
Dr Fraser Elliott is a Lecturer of Film, Exhibition and Curation at the University of Edinburgh, UK where he teaches on a postgraduate course of the same name. His research specialises in the circulation of Chinese-language cinema in international locations, particularly in the United Kingdom.
In addition to academic work, he was previously on the programming team at HOME, an independent cinema in Manchester, and continues to curate screenings as a member of the Chinese Film Forum UK and collaborator with the Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh, 2021.
About the series
Edinburgh Film Seminars is hosted by Film Studies at the University of Edinburgh and brings together world-leading academics within the field to discuss their research.
How to join
Events are free and everyone is welcome. Spaces are limited so please register on Eventbrite.
If you have any queries, please email Dr Pasquale Iannone.
Are you interested in studying film at Edinburgh?
Exploring crucial concepts in the development of film theory and film-philosophy, one one-year taught Masters programme (MSc) centres on the criticism, analysis and interpretation of auteur cinema, with a focus on European and American film.
We also supervise PhD research in film theory, film-philosophy, various national cinemas, the work of individual filmmakers, and cinema in relation to other art forms.
