The King of Masks

The King of Masks
by Tian-Ming Wu

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DVD Reviews of The King of Masks

DVD Review: Inequality between the sexes. Beware: reveals part of plot.
Summary: 4 Stars

China has long had a patriarchal society, where the female population suffers blatant discrimination as a lower class of human existence. The King of Masks portrays this disparity between the sexes in The Middle Kingdom through the story of the last remaining master of face-changing opera who is searching for a male heir to whom he can pass his family secrets of the specialized art. When rendering the subtle plot into focus through a lens that questions the country's priorities in terms of values, two scenes stand out that demonstrate an emphasis to preserve the traditional order of masculine hierarchies.
Scanning the orphanage for a potential student and future heir of his unique training, the King of Masks is confronted by potential sellers trying to rid themselves of unwanted children--most of whom are female and therefore considered relatively useless. In fact, at one point, when one of the sellers is begging the King of Masks to take a little girl the master refuses to acknowledge the woman's pleas, even when she drops her price to a measly two dollars. At one-fifth the original price, the King of Masks quietly scoffs that no girl would be worth that amount of fortune. Yet, as soon as a boy cries out, "Grandpa," the King of Masks appears near tears at the thought of having an heir finally. Gladly he pays the two dollars and takes the boy home, hand in hand. This scene introduces the audience to inequality between the perceived to be useless females and the ruling males in the Chinese society. By only valuing the male's ability to pass on the family name and honor, the prioritization of preserving the masculine hierarchies is reinforced.
A little while later, another scene emerges and complicates the plot, while further pointing to the importance of masculine dominance in the society. The King of Masks has been doting on the newly adopted young boy and could not be happier. However, one afternoon the master's leg is cut badly at a street competition and asks the boy to pee on the wound, while he mixes the ashes of a burning cloth. This, the King claims, is an effective remedy that will help stop the bleeding and aid in the healing process. Yet, the boy refuses and after continual forceful pleading from his master he begins to cry and finally yells out, "I can't, because I am a girl." Horrified, the master recoils and his eyes turn a steely gray as he comes to terms with the fact that he has been betrayed. The once beloved child now becomes a thief and deceiver in the mind of the Kind of Masks--worthy of a miserable life alone. Begging not to be abandoned, the girl offers to be a slave of the master, cleaning the boat and preparing his food along with any other tasks that he would wish of her. With the changing roles from honored to damned, the point is painfully clear that the proper order in Chinese society dictates that men rule and are valued, while women are to be slaves and viewed as a burden.
These two scenes vividly show the priority in The Middle Kingdom of preserving the traditional masculine hierarchies and the proper male order. Despite the fact that in the end the King of Masks changes his opinion of the little girl and takes her on as his student and heir of the art, the point has been driven home that the society at large keeps an iron grips on the traditional beliefs and seeks to preserve them with great vigor. The King of Masks illuminates the inequality of the sexes in China and the problems incurred when a young girl challenges the social norms and masculine order.

Description of The King of Masks