Cinema Times
June 5^th, 2005

Thanks to globalization, we get to see movies from around the world. If anyone should feel most excited about globalization, it is US movie makers. A study in 2001 shows that, for every 100 people who go to the theater, 85 see US movies. This may be good news for US movie makers, but not for those in other countries.

Chart 1 shows the percentages (%) of US movies in five countries in 1984 and in 2001; Chart 2 shows the percentages (%) of domestic movies in the five countries in 1984 and in 2001. In Chart 1, we can see that US movies have been popular in foreign markets. In Chart 2, we can see that domestic movies in the five countries are not doing well in their domestic market. The falling market for domestic movies may be a serious problem, but there is something more important. When people welcome US movies with open arms, they in fact also say yes to the American way of thinking. Some people in these countries worry that what is lost may not just be their domestic market for domestic movies, but also their own way of thinking that has been passed down from parents to children.