Released in theaters in Asia on December 4, the film Monster Hunter directed by Paul WS Anderson and starring actress Milla Jovovich has just been the subject of controversy in China. The reason for this bad buzz? A ten-second dialogue between the characters of Josh Elman and Jin Au-Yeung (MC Jin) deemed racist by the Chinese public, who were quick to share the footage (filmed over the phone) on social networks. This exchange of dialogues, massively relayed on Chinese social networks, therefore caused an outcry, to the point that the film was purely and simply withdrawn from all cinemas in China, shattering the hopes of the producers who hoped to make a hit in the country.
Indeed, actor Jin Au-Yeung makes a reflection about his knees, asking his partner: “Look at my knees!” (Look at my knees). The character played by Josh Helman then responds: “What kind of knees?” (What kind of knees?). The first responds: “Chinese”. It is actually a play on words which plays on the sound of the words “Knees” and “Chinese”) and which refers to a rhyme with racist connotations which one often finds in the playgrounds in the United States. which aims to reduce the physique of people of Asian origin, referring to the cliché that among Westerners, girls’ breasts are more developed. This racist joke has the words “Chinese”, “Japanese”, “Dirty Knees” and “Look at these” linked.
The spirits were even more heated since the subtitles indicate a completely different translation, doing more service to the importance of never putting one knees on the ground, just for honor. Chinese spectators saw it as a petty way of hiding the truth. If we doubt that the goal of the producers were intentional, we wonder on the other hand how they did not see the controversy coming during the test viewing sessions. Monster Hunter is due to arrive in the United States in a few weeks, while we will have to wait until February 2021 to see it arrive here.
