RUSH HOUR

In class this week we learned about intercultural communication, which occurs between two cultures. Intercultural communication is very important. BUT, it can lead to using many stereotypes when you first encounter it. Rush Hour one of my favorite movies as a child shows this communication happening front and center. I remember when it came out and whenever anyone couldn't understand someone they would yell "DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH." Just like Chris Tucker did in the movie. In fact that entire friendship between Lee and Detective Carter (the characters in the movie) uses intercultural communication and there's a conflict between Detective Lee and Detective Carter because of it. Below is the first encounter that the characters have. Detective Carter is meeting Detective Lee for the first time and because Detective Lee is Chinese, Detective Carter amuses that Detective Lee doesn't understand english.

But after their first encounter Detective Lee sees that Detective Carter had a preconceived notion that he doesn't speak english, Detective Lee decides to stay quiet for the first half of the movie; leading Carter to stereotype Detective Lee by bringing Lee to chinatown and much more. 

We also see it when Detective Carter enters a bar, he says hello to people in the bar; but he uses a word that black people use. Lee not knowing of this intercultural communication, misuses this word and in term gets in a lot of trouble. 

https://youtu.be/VcGw1u-XSH4 

It's seen again throughout the film series and especially in Rush Hour 3 when both Agent Lee and Detective Carter encounter an Asian man speaking French 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTC628TKyag

But what is to be reminded is Detective Carter learns what's proper and what's improper when engaging in intercultural communication. Throughout the film series the characters became brothers and understood how to communicate with each other through their cultures.