Orientalism and oxidentalism in cinema analyzing Ang Lee films

This thesis questions the facts that have been defined as contrast, disaccord, and conflict between eastern and western cultures and these facts' presentation in Ang Lee movies. In order to find resolution to the questions presented, the thesis studies Ang Lee's views on the conflict between eastern and western cultures reflected upon his movies' technical aspects; his demonstration of the difference between eastern and western cultures as a social criticism, and as codes about aesthetics; his propositions for resolution to the conflict between eastern and western cultures, as represented in his movies' contents, and his directing style. In order for the resolution of the main question, the thesis aims to discuss the topics of the Chinese and the Western family types as a social criticism, patriarchy and power standard, selfless woman image, homosexuality and YinYang within human nature, conflict between reason and sensibility, cultural clash between traditionalism and modernism, male and female character conflicts. In the thesis, descriptive analysis research method was developed based on cultural concepts of Orientalism and Occidentalism and adhering to culture industry theory. As a result, conflicts between East and West, traditional and modern, reason and sensibility were presented by cultural symbols and the concepts that build up the society such as individual-society, individual-family, male-female were presented by conflict aesthetics, and the conflict between them was resolved with the method of making peace or making a compromise, was reached as a conclusion.