Difference between revisions of "Ideology in Chinese Films"
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| − | + | =Introduction= | |
| − | + | Throughout the history of Chinese cinema, the changing ideologies that were present in films in flux as time passed seemed to rotate [[File:100_4543px-Chinese_conference_room.JPG|250px|thumb|right|Chinese_conference_room. Photo by Melanie Woodbury.]] through in a roundabout way. Early Chinese films began with a more humanistic focus and geared toward entertaining audiences. These films became more intellectually inclined as the years progressed. | |
| − | + | Throughout and following WWII, Chinese films began to take on a message of patriotism, and many were used for the purpose of documenting war and training troupes. | |
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | + | Throughout the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), creativity in films became highly suppressed, as they became more focused on expressing the ideology of the Communist Party. | |
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | + | Chinese films began to become more free to artistic expression and less focused on political ideologies as China opened up their doors to the West (starting 1978-1982), thus becoming increasingly geared toward a documentary approach toward the human experience of people in China. | |
| − | + | Thus we see a rotation in the way that films express certain ideas: First with creative films to intellectually driven documentaries, then from becoming more patriotically driven to becoming nationalistic tools for Communism, back to regaining some artistic freedom while documenting realistic experiences and emotions with the 5th and 6th generation of Chinese filmmakers. | |
| − | + | Chinese film had also evolved as an art form as a result of the influence of globalization and from a new generations revolutionized thought process that challenges the status quo compared to previous Chinese generations who would not dare to think of questioning the ways of society and government. | |
| − | |||
| − | From the 1950’s-1970’s with the rise of Mao Zedong came an increase in socialist media as a propaganda tool. In this period of time, intellectuals became classified as “petty bourgeois” who must reform their ways to contribute to the Communist effort. 1957 begun | + | =Early 20th Century= |
| + | [[File:100_5115px-Chinese_winter_palace.JPG|250px|thumb|left|Chinese_winter_palace. Photo by Melanie Woodbury.]] In the early 1900’s Chinese cinema started out with more of a documentary style of film making (the earliest films were just documentations of opera plays without camera movement). Within a few years, films, such as "The Difficult Couple and Conquering Jun Mountain" were produced more with the intent to entertain the audience, and to show Chinese culture as a spectacle in a way to draw attention to the film in order to captivate viewers. During this period of time, film making was generally uninfluenced by the government, because at the time, China was divided by regional warlords it wasn't until 1927 when the KMT established its central government in Nanjing. (Zhang 2008:1) | ||
| + | |||
| + | Many Chinese films produced in the early 1920’s were about family dramas. Early filmmakers, such as Mingxing produced such family dramas that emphasized traditional ideologies, such as Confucian virtues, as well as making films that were situated close to “butterfly literature” — highly conservative popular urban fiction, at that time mainstream literature. Such Confucian ideas expressed in these films involve virtues of female chastity and filial piety. Films made during this era were primarily focused on enlightening audiences by morally educating them through films. Filmmakers, such as Zheng Zhengqiu made such films that emphasized moral education through popular entertainment that was accessible to the masses. (Zhang 2008:1) | ||
| + | |||
| + | =WW II: How the war affected Chinese film makers= | ||
| + | During the 1930’s-1940’s there were several changes occurred as a response to modernization and nationalism.[[File:100_4551px-Chinese_flag.JPG|250px|thumb|right|Chinese_flag. Photo by Melanie Woodbury.]] The KMT government began cracking down on martial arts pictures and films became regulated of ideological content as a means to promote modern images of China. Next, a "national cinema" movement briefly united producers and exhibitors and brought new looks to the screen and new audiences to theaters. (Zhang 2008:3) | ||
| + | |||
| + | Also, the emergent leftists successfully launched ideological film criticism, maneuvered through cracks in the censorship system, and produced leftist films exposing class exploitation, national crisis, and social evils (Zhang 2008:3). When the Japanese invaded China during World War II, filmmakers began to produce several patriotic films and documentaries of the war. Many of these war documentaries were used for the purpose of training Chinese troupes for combat. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Following WWII, the production of postwar films started. Many of these films honored the Communist Party, which gained more and more control over the country and finally founded the PRC in 1949. Even though Hollywood films dominated in films that were shown in China, this period attracted a bigger audience for domestic films compared to before the war. Many of these films specialized in melodramas emphasizing human compassion, as well as many films made by pre-war left wing artists who focused on movies with plots based on social intervention. | ||
| + | |||
| + | =Socialist Media and Artistic Suppression= | ||
| + | [[File:496x332px-Revolutionary_opera.JPG|250px|thumb|left|The_Red_Detachment_of_Women. White House photo by Byron Schumaker, CC license via Wikimedia Commons. Click [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Revolutionary_opera.jpg here] for original source.]] A popular form of Communist propaganda was Revolutionary Model Operas. From 1965-1974, these operas appeared during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. They told stories of working class citizens fighting for a Utopian society. These operas were made with the purpose of making the average laborer the hero and making people of power and status, such as landlords, intellectuals, etc. into villains as a method to further socialist ideals. A few examples of revolutionary model operas include "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy", "The Girl with the White Hair", and "Red Detachment of Women". According to the ideology of the Cultural Revolution, all traditional facets of Chinese culture were unacceptable, which included Peking Opera. This traditional art form was under scrutiny, because it “told stories of emperors, concubines and generals, which were deemed as remnants of a feudal past which had no place in the new Communist China. (Hays 2008:1)” These operas were adapted into film and television to distribute them to the masses to advocate the Socialist agenda. “Stills of the characters and scenes were printed on posters, stamps and craft-works. It was a mass commercial campaign even though people didn't understand it in those terms at the time.(Zhang 1)” | ||
| + | [[File:100_5092px-Beijing_government_building.JPG|250px|thumb|right|Photo by Melanie Woodbury.]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | From the 1950’s-1970’s, with the rise of Mao Zedong, came an increase in socialist media as a propaganda tool. In this period of time, intellectuals became classified as “petty bourgeois” who must reform their ways to contribute to the Communist effort. In 1957 begun the Hundred Flowers Movement, which was a relaxed policy Mao announced to encourage diversity. Studios were allowed to create their own screenplays under the condition that their films pass the censors at the Film Bureau and the Ministry of Culture. Film makers wanted to take this opportunity to express constructive criticism about party bureaucracies and social issues. Such efforts were squandered by the Anti-Rightist Campaign in 1958. | ||
From this time onward, film makers began to create more films that were ideologically safe. | From this time onward, film makers began to create more films that were ideologically safe. | ||
| Line 24: | Line 35: | ||
They had begun to produce genres that were more safe to produce, such as ethnic minority, opera movies, and animations. | They had begun to produce genres that were more safe to produce, such as ethnic minority, opera movies, and animations. | ||
| − | = | + | =Freedom for the Fourth Generation= |
| − | From the 1980’s | + | From the 1980’s and 1990’s, Chinese filmmakers finally begun to enjoy being less artistically restricted by the government. China’s open door policy and economic reforms encouraged artistic freedom and increased production of feature films. This gave freedom for the Fourth Generation to explore cinematic styles. The Fourth Generation produced many films about the average Chinese person’s life, as opposed to the typical socialist film featuring revolutionary heros. In this era, there had been an increase of female directors. With less restrictions, many of these female directors touched on hot topics of love and female sexuality. |
| − | = | + | |
| − | Film makers belonging to the Fifth Generation, such as Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 1982. Most films produced by the Fifth Generation were primarily an abstract reflection on or exhibitionist display of Chinese culture and history. | + | =The Fifth Generation= |
| + | [[File:100_4254px-Chinese_tree.JPG|250px|thumb|left|Buddhist lucky tree. Photo by Melanie Woodbury.]] | ||
| + | Film makers belonging to the Fifth Generation, such as Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou, graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 1982. [[File:100_5018px-Chinese_clothes.JPG|250px|thumb|right|Traditional robes royal family foreigners. Photo by Melanie Woodbury.]]Most films produced by the Fifth Generation were primarily an abstract reflection on or exhibitionist display of Chinese culture and | ||
| + | history. A few Fifth Generation films challenged the myths of the Cultural Revolution, for example, "One in Eight" and "Yellow Earth". Many films made by the Fifth Generation used visuals to decode meaning and narrative. Films such as "Yellow Earth" and "Horse Thief" explore cultural tradition. (Zhang 2008:7) | ||
| − | + | =The Sixth Generation= | |
| − | + | Filmmakers belonging to the Sixth Generation graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in the late 1980’s. This generation of filmmakers increased production of films about youth subculture. Studios could no longer afford to produce experimental films, so they switched to producing entertainment films to make money. This lead to an increase in martial arts, thrillers and comedies being made to attract audiences. (Zhang 2008:7) | |
| − | Filmmakers belonging to the Sixth Generation graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in the late 1980’s. This generation of filmmakers increased production of films about youth subculture. Studios could no longer afford to produce experimental films, so they switched to producing entertainment films to make money. This lead to an increase martial arts, thrillers and comedies being made to attract audiences. | ||
| − | Instead of waiting for censors to approve their films, many film makers, such as He Jianjun, Wang Xiaoshuai, and Zhang Yuan decided to produce underground films that were banned and smuggled out of China to be shown in international film festivals. They produced films they thought of as a more truthful representation of average Chinese life. Many films expressed the director’s personal feelings of alienation, anguish, and anger at the status quo, such as abortion, alcoholism, drug, sex, violence, as well as rock music. | + | Instead of waiting for censors to approve their films, many film makers, such as He Jianjun, Wang Xiaoshuai, and Zhang Yuan decided to produce underground films that were banned and smuggled out of China to be shown in international film festivals. They produced films they thought of as a more truthful representation of average Chinese life. Many films expressed the director’s personal feelings of alienation, anguish, and anger at the status quo, such as abortion, alcoholism, drug, sex, violence, as well as rock music. (Zhang 2008:8) |
=Cited Sources= | =Cited Sources= | ||
| + | *Hays , Jeffery. "Revolutionary Opera and Western Theater in China." Facts and Details. http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=1633&catid=7&subcatid=41 (accessed February 28, 2013). | ||
| + | *Zhang, Yaxin. "China in Pictures: 1949-2009." china.org.cn. http://www.china.org.cn/pictures/chinadocphotos/2009-06/03/content_17881896.htm (accessed February 28, 2013). | ||
*Zhang, Yingjin. "A Centennial Review of Chinese Cinema." University of California, San Diego http://chinesecinema.ucsd.edu/essay_ccwlc.html (accessed February 4, 2013) | *Zhang, Yingjin. "A Centennial Review of Chinese Cinema." University of California, San Diego http://chinesecinema.ucsd.edu/essay_ccwlc.html (accessed February 4, 2013) | ||
=Classroom presentations= | =Classroom presentations= | ||
*[[Media:Ideology.pptx]] | *[[Media:Ideology.pptx]] | ||
Latest revision as of 01:54, 5 March 2013
Introduction
Throughout the history of Chinese cinema, the changing ideologies that were present in films in flux as time passed seemed to rotate
through in a roundabout way. Early Chinese films began with a more humanistic focus and geared toward entertaining audiences. These films became more intellectually inclined as the years progressed.
Throughout and following WWII, Chinese films began to take on a message of patriotism, and many were used for the purpose of documenting war and training troupes.
Throughout the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), creativity in films became highly suppressed, as they became more focused on expressing the ideology of the Communist Party.
Chinese films began to become more free to artistic expression and less focused on political ideologies as China opened up their doors to the West (starting 1978-1982), thus becoming increasingly geared toward a documentary approach toward the human experience of people in China.
Thus we see a rotation in the way that films express certain ideas: First with creative films to intellectually driven documentaries, then from becoming more patriotically driven to becoming nationalistic tools for Communism, back to regaining some artistic freedom while documenting realistic experiences and emotions with the 5th and 6th generation of Chinese filmmakers.
Chinese film had also evolved as an art form as a result of the influence of globalization and from a new generations revolutionized thought process that challenges the status quo compared to previous Chinese generations who would not dare to think of questioning the ways of society and government.
Early 20th Century
In the early 1900’s Chinese cinema started out with more of a documentary style of film making (the earliest films were just documentations of opera plays without camera movement). Within a few years, films, such as "The Difficult Couple and Conquering Jun Mountain" were produced more with the intent to entertain the audience, and to show Chinese culture as a spectacle in a way to draw attention to the film in order to captivate viewers. During this period of time, film making was generally uninfluenced by the government, because at the time, China was divided by regional warlords it wasn't until 1927 when the KMT established its central government in Nanjing. (Zhang 2008:1)
Many Chinese films produced in the early 1920’s were about family dramas. Early filmmakers, such as Mingxing produced such family dramas that emphasized traditional ideologies, such as Confucian virtues, as well as making films that were situated close to “butterfly literature” — highly conservative popular urban fiction, at that time mainstream literature. Such Confucian ideas expressed in these films involve virtues of female chastity and filial piety. Films made during this era were primarily focused on enlightening audiences by morally educating them through films. Filmmakers, such as Zheng Zhengqiu made such films that emphasized moral education through popular entertainment that was accessible to the masses. (Zhang 2008:1)
WW II: How the war affected Chinese film makers
During the 1930’s-1940’s there were several changes occurred as a response to modernization and nationalism.
The KMT government began cracking down on martial arts pictures and films became regulated of ideological content as a means to promote modern images of China. Next, a "national cinema" movement briefly united producers and exhibitors and brought new looks to the screen and new audiences to theaters. (Zhang 2008:3)
Also, the emergent leftists successfully launched ideological film criticism, maneuvered through cracks in the censorship system, and produced leftist films exposing class exploitation, national crisis, and social evils (Zhang 2008:3). When the Japanese invaded China during World War II, filmmakers began to produce several patriotic films and documentaries of the war. Many of these war documentaries were used for the purpose of training Chinese troupes for combat.
Following WWII, the production of postwar films started. Many of these films honored the Communist Party, which gained more and more control over the country and finally founded the PRC in 1949. Even though Hollywood films dominated in films that were shown in China, this period attracted a bigger audience for domestic films compared to before the war. Many of these films specialized in melodramas emphasizing human compassion, as well as many films made by pre-war left wing artists who focused on movies with plots based on social intervention.
Socialist Media and Artistic Suppression
A popular form of Communist propaganda was Revolutionary Model Operas. From 1965-1974, these operas appeared during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. They told stories of working class citizens fighting for a Utopian society. These operas were made with the purpose of making the average laborer the hero and making people of power and status, such as landlords, intellectuals, etc. into villains as a method to further socialist ideals. A few examples of revolutionary model operas include "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy", "The Girl with the White Hair", and "Red Detachment of Women". According to the ideology of the Cultural Revolution, all traditional facets of Chinese culture were unacceptable, which included Peking Opera. This traditional art form was under scrutiny, because it “told stories of emperors, concubines and generals, which were deemed as remnants of a feudal past which had no place in the new Communist China. (Hays 2008:1)” These operas were adapted into film and television to distribute them to the masses to advocate the Socialist agenda. “Stills of the characters and scenes were printed on posters, stamps and craft-works. It was a mass commercial campaign even though people didn't understand it in those terms at the time.(Zhang 1)”
From the 1950’s-1970’s, with the rise of Mao Zedong, came an increase in socialist media as a propaganda tool. In this period of time, intellectuals became classified as “petty bourgeois” who must reform their ways to contribute to the Communist effort. In 1957 begun the Hundred Flowers Movement, which was a relaxed policy Mao announced to encourage diversity. Studios were allowed to create their own screenplays under the condition that their films pass the censors at the Film Bureau and the Ministry of Culture. Film makers wanted to take this opportunity to express constructive criticism about party bureaucracies and social issues. Such efforts were squandered by the Anti-Rightist Campaign in 1958.
From this time onward, film makers began to create more films that were ideologically safe.
They had begun to produce genres that were more safe to produce, such as ethnic minority, opera movies, and animations.
Freedom for the Fourth Generation
From the 1980’s and 1990’s, Chinese filmmakers finally begun to enjoy being less artistically restricted by the government. China’s open door policy and economic reforms encouraged artistic freedom and increased production of feature films. This gave freedom for the Fourth Generation to explore cinematic styles. The Fourth Generation produced many films about the average Chinese person’s life, as opposed to the typical socialist film featuring revolutionary heros. In this era, there had been an increase of female directors. With less restrictions, many of these female directors touched on hot topics of love and female sexuality.
The Fifth Generation
Film makers belonging to the Fifth Generation, such as Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou, graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 1982.
Most films produced by the Fifth Generation were primarily an abstract reflection on or exhibitionist display of Chinese culture and
history. A few Fifth Generation films challenged the myths of the Cultural Revolution, for example, "One in Eight" and "Yellow Earth". Many films made by the Fifth Generation used visuals to decode meaning and narrative. Films such as "Yellow Earth" and "Horse Thief" explore cultural tradition. (Zhang 2008:7)
The Sixth Generation
Filmmakers belonging to the Sixth Generation graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in the late 1980’s. This generation of filmmakers increased production of films about youth subculture. Studios could no longer afford to produce experimental films, so they switched to producing entertainment films to make money. This lead to an increase in martial arts, thrillers and comedies being made to attract audiences. (Zhang 2008:7)
Instead of waiting for censors to approve their films, many film makers, such as He Jianjun, Wang Xiaoshuai, and Zhang Yuan decided to produce underground films that were banned and smuggled out of China to be shown in international film festivals. They produced films they thought of as a more truthful representation of average Chinese life. Many films expressed the director’s personal feelings of alienation, anguish, and anger at the status quo, such as abortion, alcoholism, drug, sex, violence, as well as rock music. (Zhang 2008:8)
Cited Sources
- Hays , Jeffery. "Revolutionary Opera and Western Theater in China." Facts and Details. http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=1633&catid=7&subcatid=41 (accessed February 28, 2013).
- Zhang, Yaxin. "China in Pictures: 1949-2009." china.org.cn. http://www.china.org.cn/pictures/chinadocphotos/2009-06/03/content_17881896.htm (accessed February 28, 2013).
- Zhang, Yingjin. "A Centennial Review of Chinese Cinema." University of California, San Diego http://chinesecinema.ucsd.edu/essay_ccwlc.html (accessed February 4, 2013)