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gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

Anyone have any good idea for a business related movie?

I'm not sure yet what I would like to focus on, but it would be useful to have some cultural difference highlighted, if possible.

This is for a Business English class for intermediate-level university students.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

A cultural difference from whom? From your students? It would help to know who they are.

A couple spring to mind, but be very careful in showing them. Here is the best of the bunch.

Gung Ho (an 80s period piece with Micheal Keaton), with Japanese and American cultures at odds.

furiousmilksheikali · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 6:40 am Post subject:

saint57 · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:23 am Post subject:

Believe it or not, I showed Russell Peters in my class. It happened to fit the curriculum perfectly. Here is a negotiation between an Indian guy and a Chinese guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoFhDZjW8Cw

My class is composed of mostly Chinese and Indian Malaysians and they loved it. It's a week later and I always hear them saying "Be a man" to each other.

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

Yes, I am familar with both 'Gung Ho' and 'Wall Street', though I was looking for something more recent.

misterkodak · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 10:51 am Post subject:

What about Office Space? I showed it to a group of businessmen I had once and they quite enjoyed it. By the way.. didn't you get the memo?

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

'Office Space' looks interesting. I'll have to see about getting a copy.

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

"The Firm" with Tom Cruise, of course.

John Hall · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 5:42 pm Post subject:

"The Firm" is fine if your students need to learn about the workings of a law firm and off-shore tax shelters; not much there having to do with cultural differences though.

I'm getting a vague memory of a movie called, "Black Rain," starring Michael Douglas (?), and involving his character having to deal with Japanese corporate culture... I'm not sure if it is realistic though.

Another movie sometimes good to use for Business English is a movie called, "Disclosure," starring Demi Moore and Michael Douglas, I believe. It's about Silicon Valley. Again, not much about cultural differences there.

Hollywood loves the mafia and stories about business scams. In some of these types of movies, cultural points come up as well. Try to focus more on those films that are based on true stories, because they will tend to have more about business and less violence.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 5:43 pm Post subject:

For short clips, I like the British sitcom, "the Office."

It's not recent, but I also like "Glengary Glen Ross." For hard core sales culture, and the dissection of the American dream.

I have a colleague who uses "The pursuit of happiness," but I haven't seen it, so can't comment.

Best,
Justin

John Hall · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 5:50 pm Post subject:

Sorry, I should have googled "Black Rain" before writing about it. I just looked it up, and it is really about the yakuza, not about Japanese corporate culture. I must be confusing it then with another movie that I have seen which is about an American's encounter with corporate Japan. Anybody know what that movie is?

John Hall · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 5:54 pm Post subject:

Justin mentioned "Glengary Glen Ross," which reminds me of a movie which makes reference to that movie, "Boiler Room." Ben Affleck is in that. It's about selling junk bonds. Lots of sales lingo and very vulgar slang of young guys from New York.

kirez · Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 29 Location: Iraq

Office Space -- Absolutely!!! +1

Also: The Hudsucker Proxy

* * * * *

You can do worse than Gung Ho --- do you remember "Rising Sun", made from the Michael Crichton novel? Very anti-Japanese.

Also as bad as Gung Ho: Tin Men, with Danny DeVito.

globalnomad2 · Joined: 23 Jul 2005 Posts: 562

You're thinking of Red Sun Rising, the movie based on Crichton's novel...about Japanese corporate culture clashing with local American values in LA. (On another but related tack, I know a Japanese girl who worked for Honda USA and was appalled that she had to put up with the same sexual harassment as back in Japan. Trust me, it's on a whole different plane compared to what we complain about in the West).

kirez · Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 29 Location: Iraq

I shouldn't have joined in the dissing of Gung Ho, actually --- to be fair, it IS a very pointed treatment of cultural differences between US and Japan and I think your audience would enjoy and sympathize with it.

Thanks for the correction on Red Sun Rising!