Was the boxing match between "Ski" and the Mako character intended as a metaphor for the fight between East and West, a topical metaphor for the 60s, what with Vietnam etc? The big, brutal West hammers away at the little East, but the East hangs in there, he's in for the long run, and eventually wears his bigger opponent down?
shareI think the obvious metaphor was the stereotypical, loud-mouthed, obnoxious, know-it-all American white-trash country bumpkin getting his comeuppance by a stereotypical, wimpy, unattractive, timid, nerdy Asian (in this case, Chinese) man, who was jabbering away in pidgin English and too obviously inferior to the Caucasian race.
The metaphor managed to insult BOTH the American and the Chinese peoples.
If there's anything positive about a metaphorical message, its that before anyone starts talking trash about beating up someone else, you had better be in good physical shape to back up your smart mouth.
Stawski was a joke to look at, with his pot-belly a victim of overindulgence with too much beer, over-eating, too much sex, and not any semblence of physical exercise. I can't believe the U.S. Navy allowed its service personnel to get out of shape like that in this time period. By contrast, Jake Hollman should be a U.S. Navy recruiting poster boy and an inspiration to all military noncommissioned officers for inegrity and professionalism. But please, do try to get along with other people who do not measure up to your own standard of excellence.
Nonetheless, after Stawski's boxing match defeat and beat-down by Hollman (check out his jeet kune do moves!), Stawski modifies his behavior and becomes notably less obnoxious and nicer to be around.
I agree, especially about the part where both sides were 'insulted.' And this was absolutely intentional. Ther writers, and the filmmmakers pulled no punches on this one (pun intended).
Rich