"The Forbidden" in East Asian Films

Directors use forbidden concepts to move plot forward in film. They give the protagonist something to fight against or rules to break so that a major event can occur as a result of doing something forbidden to them. Many East Asian films contain the forbidden in them, regardless of their region or the time they are produced. While some have the protagonist forbidding something from him or herself, others have societal laws or expectations that cannot be broken. Furthermore, watching these films gives viewers a chance to break their own societal rules by experiencing the forbidden alongside the characters. The concept of the forbidden is used in films from each region of East Asia: The Big Boss from Hong Kong, Raise the Red Lantern from China, Sandakan 8 from Japan, and Joint Security Area from Korea.

The Big Boss

Cheng is shocked after he has harmed the henchmen

Cheng's shock after the final battle

Cheng allows himself to be taken away because he knows he has committed a crime 

The Big Boss (Fists of Fury in China) focuses on the internally enforced restrictions that characters give themselves. Cheng Chao-an (Bruce Lee) initially seems to be a normal man, but viewers learn that he was involved in many fights in his home town. Before his mother died, he made a promise to her not to fight with anyone after her death. He wears a charm around his neck to remind himself of his promise and he follows it well at the beginning of the film. As the story progresses, Cheng begins to struggle with himself as fights break out and he resists his need to get involved. Viewers watch Cheng suffer from the internal conflict between assisting his adopted family and maintaining his promise. He has forbidden himself to physically fight with others. This struggle continues until Cheng’s charm is broken, and Cheng literally snaps. He brutalizes the Boss’s henchmen and easily wins the fight as a result of his previous experience. While the factory workers admire Cheng for his abilities, he is lost in despair at his harming others. Cheng can only dwell on having done something forbidden by breaking the promise to his mother. He is still aware of the impact of breaking the promise at the conclusion of the film, when he turns himself into the police for killing the Boss. Cheng gives himself up because he feels he deserves to be arrested for what he has done, even if he has avenged his family and defeated a crime lord.

Songlian initially is treated well when she begins her deception

However, she is punished terribly when she is discovered

In Raise the Red Lantern, the main female character, Songlian, fights against the set rules of her house and is punished for her behavior. She is sold to the Master of a wealthy household by her mother and must take on his family rules when she becomes his fourth wife. Songlian is adopted into the sisterhood of the wives, but she quickly learns that each wife is fighting against the others to gain the Master’s favor. Like the others, she begins to do whatever she can to have his attention. Eventually, she crosses the line and fakes her pregnancy, which angers the Master when she is caught. Tricking the Master is against the family rules, a forbidden act that results in her losing any opportunity with the Master. This punishment breaks Songlian, and she begins to complete more forbidden acts in order to attempt to regain her previous standing. Eventually, she reveals the Third Wife’s affair, betraying her friend in the process. She witnesses the execution of the Third Wife and accuses the family of murder. In this case, she has done two forbidden things: look into the execution room, the one place the women are not allowed to go, and speak against her husband. Viewers do not see the time immediately following the execution, but they do see Songlian during the following summer, where she is revealed to be insane. After breaking the rules again, she was probably punished through a continued separation from the rest of the family. The continuous punishment, coupled with her guilt at breaking her relationship with her friend, results in her insanity.

Keiko and Osaki talk inside of Osaki's rundown home

Osaki-san and Keiko are faced with societal expectations in Sandakan 8. Keiko quickly learns that her interaction and living with Osaki is wrong in the eyes of the other villagers when Osaki is confronted. While the villagers tolerate Osaki’s presence in their village, they do not want to think about her because of her past. When Osaki is a young woman, the obaasan of the brothel warns the girls against returning to Japan. Many of the girls see this as being forbidden to return, especially because they held the old woman in such high esteem. However, Osaki breaks her promise not to return and goes home to her brother. In Japan, she is discriminated against and hated for what she is. Even though being a karayuki-san was acceptable and even honored when she was a child, the Japanese people had begun to hate the karayuki-san when she returned to her country. What she had done for her family became a socially forbidden act. Her brother shunned her for what she had done, when she thought he would be happy to see her home safe. Although what she had done wasn't originally seen as wrong, it became forbidden and she suffered terribly because of it.

The borderline between North and South Korea. 

The face-off between friends

A South Korean soldier and a North Korean soldier face off across the border

This photo was forbidden, and contains the only image of the four friends together. The forbidden photo is an image of people who have committed forbidden acts. 

Joint Security Area is all about people going against what they are told and completing forbidden acts. The film is about a fictional murder that occurs when South Koreans cross the border between North and South Korea and the friendship that is discovered as the investigation progresses. Viewers learn that the two North and two South Korean soldiers have formed a friendship and would meet at nighttime on the Northern side of the border, which is where the murder occurred. People are absolutely not allowed to cross over the border between the two counties, a point which is often reiterated throughout the film. In one scene a group of tourists are on a border tour. One woman loses her hat, which blows over the line in a strong gust of wind. One of the border soldiers returns the hat to the tour guide, who has to reach across the line to retrieve it. After the interaction, the tour guide states that he would normally be executed for crossing the border. However, border crossing is a main theme of the film. Both the guard and the South Korean soldiers cross over the line. The soldiers cross multiple times, and even though they feel discomfort from it, they continue to do so. They know what the consequences of crossing will be if they are caught, but their friendship means more to them than following the rules. This results in the terribly sad conclusion, where every character except for one dies. This film shows that choosing to go against set rules can result in temporary satisfaction, but will eventually end in disaster.

Film viewers are able to participate in usually forbidden acts by seeing movies. In the case of the films described, viewers can engage in a voyeuristic vision of lives where people resist against set rules. Viewers were able to experience satisfaction as they watched Bruce Lee’s character destroy the “bad guys” because they could cheer for Lee’s character’s goals. However, people are usually punished for attacking and killing others, regardless of their crimes. People who support Cheng’s actions are participating in normally forbidden behavior as they encourage murder and mutilation. Watchers of Raise the Red Lantern engage in an act of gazing upon Songlian’s vulnerability and initial confusion as she enters the Master’s household. Viewers look upon Songlian as the Master would, admiring her beauty and her childishness. Like watching Bruce Lee beat people up, this very forward staring would normally be seen by society as creepy. This same watching of vulnerability is seen in Sandakan 8, where viewers see Osaki and other karayuki-san in various situations that would not be seen otherwise. Viewers stare at Osaki’s life, especially during scenes like the final interaction between Keiko and Osaki, where Osaki begins bawling at Keiko’s departure. People who watch JSA are also allowing normally illegal behavior as they feel compassion for the relationships shared between the Northern and Southern soldiers. While the viewers would condone such behavior outside of the theater, they can’t help but hope for the soldiers to continue to be friends as they watch the men talking and fooling around together. Watching films allows viewers to engage in normally forbidden and even illegal behavior because viewers know that the film is fiction, so they can feel whatever they want towards the characters.

The concept of the forbidden is prevalent in East Asian films. While the forbidden is slightly different for each culture, breaking the rules often results in similar consequences. In each film, characters commit acts that are forbidden and are punished by higher powers. Bruce Lee’s character is punished when he is arrested, while Songlian is punished by the Master and eventually goes insane as a result of her punishment. The Korean soldiers are all punished through death, whether they are shot during the panic in the North, or they commit suicide out of guilt. Osaki-san’s punishment is the most tragic, where she is shunned by her friends and family, even though she did not choose to commit a forbidden act. The only choice she made was to return to Japan, which was forbidden by the obaasan. The characters must each suffer some punishment to remind viewers that the things they commit are forbidden. While viewers to get to enjoy the act alongside the characters, they must forget the experience once they leave the theater.  

Japan Blossay

Death In Japanese Film

The Japanese people believe in mujou, the transience and mutability of life, which explains that death is unavoidable. They see death as a part of life. Because of this, they hold a deep respect for the deceased. This respect is shown in their treatment of the dying and their performance of funeral rights. Japanese films which contain death and funeral scenes help people outside of Japan to better understand their treatment of the dead. I will be analyzing four death-related scenes from three different Japanese films: both the wife’s funeral and Watanabe’s funeral from Ikiru, the final scene from Sandakan 8, and the boar god’s death from Mononoke Hime.

The wife’s funeral is a flashback scene that occurs when Watanabe looks into the altar he has set up for his deceased wife. The scene is only about thirty seconds long, but it helps to build on the relationship between the son, Mitsuo, and Watanabe. The scene shows how devastated Watanabe is by his wife’s death, and it also shows how young the son was when he lost his mother. The scene is silent until the flashback, where a quiet brass instrument plays in the background. The instrument is slow and deliberate, and reminds me of the American song “Taps.” The dirge lends to the morose atmosphere of the scene. The melancholy of the scene is also seen in the outfits of the characters, who are all wearing black formalwear for the funeral. Many films use rain to depict the sadness of a funeral scene, and Ikiru is no exception to this rule. The rain also eliminates any light inside the car, so the characters’ faces are in shadow.

The shot of the boy Mitsuo’s face is very revelatory. The close-up of his face at slightly below eye-level allows viewers to see where he is gazing. The boy’s intense stare is focused off-screen, but viewers can still conclude that he’s watching the car. There is no light in the shot, which actually emphasizes the white of his eyes, and his stare.

Similarly, the shot of Watanabe holding his son after he talks about his mother has little light. The eyes of Watanabe are emphasized this time, instead of those of Mitsuo. The similarities between the two shots emphasize the similarities between the father and son. They both stare off-screen in the direction of the hearse. They are also both dressed alike, in black suits with black hats. Even their expressions are similar; the trademark stare of Watanabe is mimicked in his son’s eyes. The camera angle and distance is the same in each shot so viewers can clearly see the similarities between the two characters.

The scene ends in the present, with Watanabe kneeling in front of the altar for his wife. The altar is in the corner of the room, stored next to some binders and books that presumably contain information on Watanabe’s work. Near the ceiling are his certificates of achievement. Even though his love for his wife is evident, viewers can also see that Watanabe’s work follows him into his personal life. However, in this shot, he is almost burying his face in the altar to stare at the picture of his wife. Viewers can infer that his wife is the only escape he has from work, especially because his relationship with his son is so broken. The only light is from the ceiling lamp, so Watanabe and the altar are lit, but the shadows are also visible. The scene is silent, with no music or ambient noise. The distance of the shot and placing Watanabe in the corner, coupled with the dim lighting and the lack of noise, emphasize how alone Watanabe the character is.

 The atmosphere in the funeral scene for Watanabe is still solemn, but it is not depicted the same way as the wife’s funeral. The room is brightly lit, and the light is focused on the large, overbearing altar for Watanabe. The altar covers an entire wall, which is very different from the small altar Watanabe cherishes in his own home. The people are all dressed in black, but they are not silent and are speaking about business up until the women arrive. There is no music, which leaves an empty feeling, much like when Watanabe is alone in his room. The silence is pierced by the arrival of the village women, who sob loudly as they bow to the altar. The camera cuts from each woman’s face to those of the businessmen to emphasize the contrast between their emotions and to show the businessmen’s discomfort. The characters are each quietly respectful, but they also do not show sadness in their expressions. The people are there more out of obligation, than desire, which is why the deputy mayor is so quick to escape after the village women leave.

In this shot we see all of the businessmen before the women enter the room. They are talking about nothing in particular, and definitely not the deceased Watanabe. They are each wearing a dark-colored suit, which is usual for Japanese men of the time. The women and the son are wearing more traditional costumes.

This shot is of the women from the village. They are bowed over in front of Watanabe’s altar. While viewers cannot see their faces, they are clearly sobbing audibly. The characters watching the women are expressionless, but their discomfort becomes obvious as the scene progresses. The flower arrangement in the upper left corner of the scene is huge, and shows the gaudiness of the funeral.

The altar is huge and ornate. The women and the funeral attendees seem small in comparison, because they, like Watanabe, are only small parts of a bigger corporation. The funeral is staged more than it should be. Watanabe is depicted as a relatively simple man throughout the film, so the opulence of the funeral is jarring against his character. The over-done funeral shows the distance between the father and the son. Mitsuo’s broken relationship with his father is reflected in his inability to properly remember Watanabe. The cookie-cutter funeral is broken up by the village women, who know Watanabe more than his own family.

The final scene in Sanadakan 8 shows the reporter, Keiko, finding the tombstones of the karayuki-san in the forest. The sun shines through the tree leaves as Keiko looks skyward to determine which direction the graves are facing. The graves are simple obelisks with the names of the women carved into them. Keiko shows respect for each karayuki-san by pouring water over the stone and lighting incense for the women before praying for them. This is a typical Japanese act when visiting graves. The water is used to cleanse the grave along with the incense. The music of the scene is relatively quiet until Keiko discovers the direction the stones are facing. Then, the music swells and culminates in a minor forte, showing the sadness of the discovery. The camera cuts to Keiko’s distressed face and she states that the graves are facing away from Japan. Keiko whispers the statement, to show a mixture of wonder and sadness. The scene is referencing a statement made by the obaa-san, where she claimed that the karayuki-san must never return to Japan. The stones turned from Japan represent the women turning their backs on the country.

The boar god’s death in Mononoke Hime shows the respect the Japanese have for the gods, and also the respect they have towards the dying. The shaman bows multiple times before the dying god, and mentions a burial mound. The villagers kneel behind the shaman to show their respect for the god as well, because they know they need to respect the dying god. The music right before the boar god falls is fast and loud, showing the intensity of the scene leading up to the death. However, after the god begins to die, the music cuts out and the only sounds are the speech and the god’s breathing. The lack of music is to bring the focus of the audience to the death of the god and its breathing. The shot then cuts back and forth between the boar and the shaman as each speaks to focus the viewers on each character, rather than the event.

The shaman bows before the boar god and recites a ritual statement about the god’s death. The darkness around the god is a result of the curse, but it also shows the darkness of the god’s death. The shaman’s costume from the back is very colorful and has two yellow C’s. The C’s are also on the front of her costume, and she wears earrings and a necklace to establish her position. San, the wolf girl who is seen later in the film, wears similar jewelry. None of the villagers wear shoes, which emphasizes their connection with nature. After the boar god dies, more grass around it dies as well, and the smoke from the corpse floats through the air.

Each film addresses death differently, but they also contain similar elements. The general idea of respect towards the dead is in each film, along with deliberately holding a funeral. Even though each film is very different, they depict Japanese culture accurately.

Gender Politics in Raise the Red Lantern and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

In the two Chinese films Raise the Red Lantern and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, gender politics play a significant role in the interactions between the characters. In China’s patriarchal society, men are given more power than women. However, many women strive to reach a level of power similar to their male counterparts. In Raise the Red Lantern, a young college student is forced into a marriage with an upper-class man, where she lives in his house and serves as his concubine. Songlian, the woman, is resilient and believes that she can achieve power similar to that of her Master, even though she is a woman. Similarly, Jen in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon also strives for equality with men due to her immense skill with the wuxia martial art. She uses her talents to steal the sword Green Destiny because she believes it will give her the authority that it gives to the male character Li Mu Bao. Both characters are young, and their youth attributes to their naïve belief that they can be equal to those who were considered naturally higher than them at the time. While each woman obtains power of her own through marriage or through skill, they each still fail to achieve the true equality they desire.

Songlian initially gains power in her household because she is the youngest wife of the Master, and she thirsts for the power to remain with her. In the Master’s household, power is distributed among the four wives based on whom the Master spends the night with. The woman who he chooses is given a foot massage and is also able to choose the meal that the household eats the following day. In the highly patriarchal culture, even the power to choose a meal puts the women on a level similar to that of the Master. Songlian receives a taste of such authority during her first week as the Master’s wife, when she is visited almost every night. Due to her status as an “educated” college student, she understands that women are able to hold positions of control similar to men, and she is thirsty for that same power. She strives to achieve that power again in the household after her first week, using various tactics to ensure her success, and the other wives’ failure. Her desperation for the Master’s power leads to her eventual downfall.

Songlian is forced into marriage because she is a woman

The foot massage, a symbol of the wife's power

Songlian chooses to strategize against the other wives in order to ensure her position of authority in the house. She wishes to have power equal to that of a man because it allows her to make seemingly important decisions about the affairs of the family. She uses dirty tactics to achieve this power, which include scarring the Second Wife and faking her own pregnancy to receive the Master’s favor. During the scene where she receives a massage in her room, she seems to be at the height of her false power. She is willing to risk her own life and safety to have a voice in the house. However, Songlian doesn’t realize that she will never have power equal to the Master. While she does have some authority over the other wives and the servants, the Master still has the final say in anything that happens. When the women speak at dinner, the Master is the one who facilitates the conversation, not the wife who is in favor that day. The Master’s authority is emphasized when Songlian is discovered to have falsified her pregnancy. The lanterns in her house are covered, signifying her loss of any power she might have had. While she had control over some aspects of the home, she never could have ordered the servants to cover the lanterns in another house. Even though she attempted to gain power equal to her husband, he still held the authority over her actions.

Songlian uses her body to influence the Master

During the false pregnancy, Songlian has power over the other wives

She loses her power after the deception is revealed and the Master orders the lanterns to be covered

Similar to Songlian, Jen also wishes to have equality with the male characters in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Unlike Songlian, whose power is allotted to her through marriage, Jen has strength from her secret mastery of wuxia martial arts. Her skills were taught to her by Jade Fox, another female wuxia user. Jen wants to be on equal ground with male wuxia users, even though women are not allowed to practice the martial art. Like Songlian, she is willing to do anything to achieve that equality that she feels she deserves. Jen wants to be free from the command of all men, even her lover Lo. She feels this way because she has wanted to travel the world all of her life. Unfortunately, due to her gender status, she is forced into an arranged marriage by her father. Jen is unable to resist her father’s orders because she is a woman, and she does not have the authority that her father does.

Even with her power, Jen is lower than Lo

Jen’s frustrations at her inability to rule her own life are reflected in her desperate attempts at freedom. Her numerous escape plans begin with her relationship with Lo in the desert. She chases after him for stealing her comb, and she fights him until she can take it back. Lo fails to understand her attachment to the simple accessory until she tells him that it is the only item she has that truly belongs to her. Her wish to own her possessions shows her desire to be at the same level as men, who can own whatever, and whomever, they want. She shows this need again when she steals Green Destiny, the powerful sword owned by Mu Bai. She takes the sword and runs away from her marriage. On her journey, she disguises herself as a boy because she knows that she has no power as a woman. Her need to share power with men is depicted in her fight with the other warriors in the restaurant, where she easily defeats each man. Her victory is a representation of her desired victory over the oppressive male regime. Her suicide at the end of the film also reflects her need for authority, but not because she has control over others. She wants to have control over her own life, like the male characters have control over their lives. Jen feels that, by taking her own life, she has the power to make her own decisions about at least one thing, much like owning even just a simple comb.

Jen's fighting skills

Jen is able to survive a fight with Mu Bai, but she still is not able to defeat him

Her disguise as a boy

The women in both Raise the Red Lantern and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon strive for equality with the male characters, even though they will never truly have the same power as the men. Songlian uses her sexuality to manipulate the Master and gain power over the servants and the other wives. Her plan backfires when she tries to overstep her position and gain more power than she can have. The false pregnancy, which could’ve ensured her permanent position of power in the house if it had been real, instead removed her to the role of a lesser wife because of the lies she told. Jen uses her raw talent to gain her own power by defeating other men, rather than respecting all people as a true wuxia user would. Her downfall is also her gender, because she has extreme potential throughout the film. Her potential is lost when her father arranges her marriage, because her husband gains control over her life. Even though the women are in different situations, they share the common bond of womanhood and the roles that come with it. While male characters in Chinese film are able to control their own lives and homes, the women must resort to other means to have some small amount of power.

Analysis of John Woo Films

Analysis of A Better Tomorrow and Hard Boiled

     John Woo is a Hong Kong director whose films fall under the gangster genre, while also containing heavy melodramatic tones. Two of his films, A Better Tomorrow and Hard Boiled, both depict these conflicting genres. A Better Tomorrow was filmed in 1986 and is the story of two triad members, Mark and Ho. The relationship between the two of them contains hints of brotherhood. Due to the strength of their relationship, they are each willing to make sacrifices for the other. In Hard Boiled, which was produced in 1992, a similar relationship develops between two police officers who are working on the same case, Tequila and Tony. Tequila is in charge of the case, while Tony is an undercover cop playing the role of an assassin to infiltrate the gangs. While each film contains a different plot line, the relationships between the main characters in A Better Tomorrow and Hard Boiled share the same elements of brotherhood and self-sacrifice.

Tony and Tequila talk while they are trapped

     The two relationships are founded on the concept of mutual survival, but they develop into something stronger as time passes. The relationship between Tony and Tequila in Hard Boiled best represents this concept, but Mark and Ho’s relationship also experiences similar foundations. Tony and Tequila first agree to combine their work because they know that they will be more likely to achieve their goal if they work together. However, Tequila lacks respect for Tony’s undercover behavior, and Tony does not wish to let Tequila steal the glory for solving the case. Their first interactions involve pointing guns at each other due to the lack of trust between the two characters. Mark and Ho’s relationship is already strong during the events in A Better Tomorrow, but they allude to its beginning as being similar to Tony and Tequila’s. Their “affective obsession with mutual survival” (Stringer 33) is seen in how they interact while fighting against other gangsters. In both relationships, the two men work together to defeat their enemies, and the fluidity of their fights is attributed to the bond they share. Their intent on mutual survival enables them to defend each other and to complete the task they are assigned. When Mark carries out an assignment without Ho, his partner, he is unable to focus on survival and completion, and is crippled due to his lack of diligence.

First meeting

Teamwork

      Along with a shared goal of mutual survival, each relationship is characterized by the older brother and younger brother bond between the characters. In A Better Tomorrow, Ho assumes the role of older brother in his relationship with Mark by accepting the responsibility for Mark’s injury. Furthermore, the maturity with which he handles the decision to leave the triad overshadows Mark’s somewhat childish desire to complete one last job. Ho advises Mark to forget about revenge and leave the gangster lifestyle, rather than risk losing everything. Like any brother relationship, Mark looks up to Ho and respects him. Similarly, in Hard Boiled, “A big brother’s concern for a little brother, as well as a little brother’s respect for his elder, emerges…” (Stokes & Hoover 59).  During the scene where they are trapped in the morgue together, Tony and Tequila discuss their dreams, because they know they may die before the arms-dealing case they are working on is solved. Tequila teases Tony for his wish to live in Antarctica, much as an older brother affectionately teases his younger brother. However, Tequila also feels concern for Tony’s safety, which is why he tries to joke to relieve the fear they both feel in their prison. Tony looks up to Tequila because, unlike Tony, he can live as a normal person after the conclusion of the case. Tony knows he will be forced into hiding from both the police and the triad. Like Mark and Ho, Tony and Tequila assume the roles of older and younger brothers in their relationship.

Tequila laughs at Tony's life goal

     The strength of the relationships leads to the “older brother” characters’ willingness to do whatever they need to protect their “younger brothers,” even at the cost of their own pride. Mark alludes to Ho’s protective instinct during the bar scene with Ho and Shing in A Better Tomorrow. During one of their first assignments, Mark had multiple guns pointed at his head and Ho was coerced into drinking bottles of whisky to appease the bodyguards who have Mark trapped. By doing so, Ho saved Mark’s life by endangering his own safety. Ho risks himself for Mark again during the ambush, when he allows himself to be captured by the police so that Mark can escape. Ho knows that Mark will be in much greater trouble than Ho if he is captured, so he presents himself as a distraction rather than allowing both of them to be hunted down. Tequila is also willing to put himself into harm to protect Tony in Hard Boiled. At the end of the film, Tony is used as a hostage so the villain, Johnny, can escape from the police. Johnny threatens to shoot Tony unless Tequila humiliates himself by hitting himself. Tequila willingly degrades himself rather than have Tony be shot in the head. Both Ho and Tequila allow themselves to be harmed to save the lives of their friends.

Tequila is coerced to hit himself

Tequila kneels before Johnny

     The “younger brother” figures both sacrifice their lives at the end of the films to fulfill their obligation to their friends. Mark is shot at the end of A Better Tomorrow because he wishes to help Ho reconcile with Ho’s younger brother, Kit. He returns to the site of the final shootout to save their lives by sacrificing his own. The emotions he feels for Ho drive him to give his life so Ho can survive. Tony makes the same sacrifice when he is a hostage at the end of Hard Boiled to save Tequila from further humiliating himself. Tony realizes that Tequila will do anything to save him, and he does not want the other cop to be harmed any further for his sake. He turns Johnny’s gun on himself and shoots both himself and Johnny. As Philippa Gates states in her analysis of the films, “The relationships that develop between the two men in each of these films, whether the relationship between the two friends who are divided at the beginning of the film or the two friends who prove their loyalty to one another at the end, are highly emotionally charged” (Gates 65). The strength of the relationship between the two characters drives each of them to commit acts of self-sacrifice so they can save the other.

Tony uses Johnny's gun to shoot himself and Johnny

     The relationships between Mark and Ho, and between Tequila and Tony, share many similar elements. They both are depicted as brotherly, with an older brother in Ho and Tequila, and a younger brother in Mark and Tony. They also contain elements of willing self-sacrifice from all of the characters. The older brothers are willing to be humiliated to help their friends, and the younger brothers both give their lives. The self-sacrificial nature of the relationships emphasizes the power of the bond they feel. The deaths of the two younger brother characters are devastating to their friends, and they both retreat inward as a result of the loss. The strong emotional ties between the main characters fuel the plot of the films.