User:Zhou Xiaoqiao
Graduate student in MTI, Hunan Normal University,interested in multimodal translation and children's literature translation.Having working experience in establishing foreign trade websites and platform cooperation.
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Final exam paper
Chinese-style Horror: The Mysterious Journey of Chinese Horror Films
Introduction
Based on the Chinese people's rich imagination and reverence for nature, ancient China boasts a well-developed culture of ghosts and gods. In classical Chinese literature, there are many depictions of deities, spirits, and supernatural beings, such as The Classic of Mountains and Seas, Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Journey to the West, and The Chu Ci. With the invention of photography and cinema, modern society quickly entered the era of visual civilization, and the tales of gods and ghosts that were once found only in literature began to appear on the big screen. This marks the origin of horror films.
The Dictionary of Film Art defines horror films as “story films specifically designed to attract the audience’s curiosity with bizarre and grotesque plots, eerie and terrifying scenes, or sound effects.” Based on the source of the horror emotion, horror films can be categorized into various types: blood and violence horror films(such as the Saw series), psychological horror films(like The Silence of the Lambs), suspense thrillers (such as Se7en), folk horror films(like A Wicked Ghost), supernatural horror films (such as The Conjuring), and sci-fi horror films (like Parasite), among many other subgenres.
Due to differences in aesthetic, ethnic history, and social-cultural backgrounds, China and Western societies differ significantly in the themes and aesthetic qualities presented in horror films. The unique social, historical, and cultural context of China gives Chinese-style horror films a peculiar ability to resonate deeply with Chinese audiences. However, it also makes the development of horror films in Mainland China particularly difficult, with the genre long being marginalized and relatively subdued in terms of development.
Development
There is a claim that the first horror film in the Chinese-speaking world is Chuang Tzu Tests His Wife (1913), directed by Li Beihai. The film is adapted from a segment of the Cantonese opera Zhuang Zhou's Dream of the Butterfly and is the first feature film produced in Hong Kong as well as the first Chinese-language film to be publicly screened overseas, marking the dawn of Chinese horror cinema.
From the 1920s to the 1940s, China experienced a period of political chaos, coinciding with the golden age of Hollywood horror films. Through licensed screenings, a continuous influx of Hollywood horror films entered the Chinese film market. This period became the starting point for domestic horror films, and many Chinese filmmakers began to make films similar to horror movies, such as Yan Ruisheng and Ten Sisters. These films borrowed heavily from the popular filmmaking techniques of Hollywood horror films at the time.
In 1937, The Phantom Lover, directed by Ma-Xu Weibang, was released, marking the formal arrival of horror films as a genre in Chinese cinema. It can be said that Ma-Xu Weibang and his film The Phantom Lover played a central role in the early history of domestic horror films, proving that horror cinema not only held enormous commercial value but also carried rich cultural meanings and significant social issues, establishing a unique aesthetic of horror.
After the founding of People's Republic of China, the development of Chinese cinema entered a new era. However, the complex and fluctuating social conditions and the unstable political environment during the next seventeen years made the creation of domestic horror films extremely difficult. This period marked a time of arduous and tortuous development. With the establishment of the new national system, the film industry underwent significant changes, and Chinese cinema was incorporated into the state-planned economy, with films being produced according to state plans. During this period, The Bell Rings From An Old Temple (1958) was the only film with horror elements, a revolutionary-themed anti-counterfeit film. Although not a true horror film in genre terms, it incorporated horror elements such as graveyards, coffins, and ancient temples.
In the 1970s and 1980s, influenced by the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee, the influence of reform reached all sectors of Chinese society, and horror films witnessed a period of vigorous development. The genre began to take shape, and iconic horror films such as Two in the morning, The Lonely Spirit In An Old Building, and The Night Robbery were created, each with its own distinct characteristics. This period marked the initial transformation of horror films from traditional to modern, exploring new possibilities in theme expression, audiovisual language, and narrative style. Notably, Hong Kong horror films in the 1980s flourished, combining elements of kung fu films to create a unique type of horror cinema different from Western horror films. Films like Encounters of the Spooky Kind and Mr. Vampire are representative works of this genre, featuring iconic scenes such as holding one's breath, applying talismans to the forehead, and using peach wood swords to drive away ghosts. This traditional style began to decline in 1991, and with the death of Lam Ching-Ying in 1997, the genre was left without successors.
After 2000, mainland Chinese horror films entered a new era. Horror films were produced and released every year, gaining more attention. In 2005, four mainland-produced horror films, Suffocation, The Ghost Inside, Seven Nights, and The Curse, were released, while Hong Kong's Inner Senses also entered the mainland film market. At the same time, with the return of Hong Kong to China, there was an increase in collaborations between the two regions, such as director Qiu Litao, known for films like The Untold Story, directing the mainland-produced The Ghost Inside. In the 21st century, cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong entered the post-co-production era. The geographical divide between Chinese-language cinema industries is gradually blurring, and co-productions are increasingly transforming into chemical reactions. The terms "mainland films" and "Hong Kong films" no longer fully reflect the true identity of the films; Chinese films will become the common foundation for future cooperation.
Differences Between Chinese and Western Horror Films
Mainland China has long been influenced by Confucianism, which maintains a cautious and distant attitude toward supernatural beliefs such as ghosts and spirits. Moreover, after the 20th century, with the introduction of Marxism, atheism became a key component of Marxist ideology and the dominant thought in China. Additionally, horror films, which are highly entertaining and provide sensory stimulation to viewers, have always conflicted with China’s film management policies, resulting in horror films being consistently restricted. In mainland Chinese horror films, the horror elements primarily include divination, witchcraft, taboos and incantations, and rituals.
Divination is an ancient method of prediction aimed at foreseeing the development of events and understanding the future. Horror films with this element include the Bunshinsaba series and Ouija series, in which divination is performed using a pen or a plate, essentially summoning spirits. The process is an interaction between humans and ghosts, allowing the spirit to enter the human body to achieve the divinatory purpose. Witchcraft was an indispensable profession in ancient societies, serving as a mediator between the heavens, earth, and humans. Witches were believed to possess supernatural abilities, such as summoning spirits, interpreting dreams, predicting the future, astrology, and praying for rain. Films with this theme were once popular in Hong Kong, and mainland China also produced films on mystic witchcraft, witchcraft and poison from the Miao ethnic group, and corpse driving in Western Hunan, such as Strange Battle and The House That Never Dies. The mainland horror film The Possessed, which sparked a wave of horror film viewership, also creates a terrifying
atmosphere by exploring folk witchcraft. Taboos and incantations include taboos and incantations. Taboos originated from primitive humans' limited understanding, leading them to instinctively avoid and fear natural threats. However, as human production capabilities and intelligence advanced, taboos not only persisted but were passed down. Mainland Chinese horror films such as the Forbidden Taboos series often revolve around protagonists violating taboos and resulting in disasters. Incantations are curses that consist of spells and symbols. In mainland horror films, curses are often expressed verbally, where characters voice their dissatisfaction with reality and call upon gods or spirits to punish those they hate. These are typically seen
in films that emphasize cause-and-effect retribution. Rituals are ceremonies in which people offer sacrifices to gods and ghosts or worship ancestors. Folk beliefs dictate that each stage of a person’s life has corresponding rituals, such as birth ceremonies, coming-of-age rites, weddings, birthday celebrations, and funerals, all of which hold great significance and are often depicted in films. In horror films, the application of such rituals is often seen in marriage to the dead, as in The House That Never Dies. In Western countries, especially in Europe and the United States, where social and cultural structures are similar, the differences in horror films are less pronounced. Western horror films can generally be divided into four major categories: supernatural, religious, paranormal, and psychological.
Supernatural horror films are a classic type in Western horror cinema. Examples include Frankenstein (USA), Dracula (USA), Körkarlen (Sweden), and Resident Evil (Canada), all of which feature creatures like vampires, witches, werewolves, and zombies, which do not exist in real life. The popularity of this genre is closely tied to the rise of Gothic culture. Religious horror films are a unique category in Western cinema. Unlike Eastern horror films, which often explore concepts like karmic cycles, Western religious horror films focus more on human weaknesses, with ideas like original sin, the seven deadly sins, eschatology, and redemption influencing the creation of many films. Movies like Triangle (Horror Cruise), The Mist, Dark Floors, and The Cabin in the Woods all explore these themes. Paranormal horror films focus on creating a mysterious and eerie atmosphere, guiding the audience's sense of the supernatural through the emotions of the characters. They often incorporate elements like paranormal phenomena, alternate dimensions, and eccentric characters. Films such as The Conjuring series and Insidious use strange events in the characters' daily lives to spark the search for truth or a quest for help. Films like Silent Hill and In the Tall Grass create fear by narrating events that occur in alternate dimensions, and films like Hide and Seek and The Sixth Sense focus on strange characters who are often key to uncovering the truth of the story. Psychological horror films are the longest-standing type in Western cinema, often incorporating elements of suspense, thriller, and illogical phenomena. These films are known for their brilliant creation of a horror atmosphere, exploration of the protagonist's psychological changes, and impressive cinematographic techniques. Classic psychological horror films from the West include The Shining, The Silence of the Lambs, Primal Fear, Identity, Mulholland Drive, Orphan, the Halloween series, and the Scream series.
Terms and expressions
Blood and violence horror films血腥暴力恐怖片
Psychological horror films心理恐怖片
Suspense thrillers 悬疑惊悚片
Folk horror films民俗恐怖片
Supernatural horror films超自然恐怖片
Sci-fi horror films科幻恐怖片
Divination 占卜
Taboos and incantations禁咒
Supernatural Forces 怪力乱神
Folk Taboos 民间禁忌
Marriage to the Dead 冥婚
Ghosts and Spirits 鬼神
Karmic cycles 因果轮回
Supernatural Horror Films 神怪类恐怖片
Religious Horror Films 宗教类恐怖片
Paranormal Horror Films 灵异类恐怖片
Psychological Horror Films 心理类恐怖片
Gothic Culture 哥特文化
Doctrine of Original Sin 原罪论
Cinematic Language 镜头语言
Scene Blocking 场面调度
Horror Aesthetics 恐怖美学
Questions
1.Please name three different genre of horror films.
2.Which movie marks the formal arrival of horror films as a genre in Chinese cinema？
3.Who is the representative figure of Hong Kong zombie horror film?
4.What are the differences between Chinese horror films and western horror films?
5.What are the main horror elements in Chinese horror films?
References
[1]高杨.华语恐怖片中“女鬼”形象的创作研究[C]//世界华文创意写作协会高峰论坛(2016-2017)会议论文合辑.上海大学文学院;,2018:8.
[2]蒋紫薇.国产恐怖电影创作特色研究（1981—1989）[D].中国电影艺术研究中心,2023.DOI:10.27496/d.cnki.gzdyc.2023.000006.
[3]何成宇.亚文化视域下的香港邪典恐怖电影研究[D].山西师范大学,2023.DOI:10.27287/d.cnki.gsxsu.2023.000586.
[4]杨雅婷.从审美距离角度谈中外恐怖片的观影差异[J].声屏世界,2023,(09):120-122.
[5]傅晓红.中国恐怖电影类型融合发展研究[D].上海社会科学院,2022.DOI:10.27310/d.cnki.gshsy.2022.000007.
[6][1]JESSE YOUNG,DOUBAN.中国特色恐怖片（英文）[J].The World of Chinese,2022,(02):86-89+5.
[7]陈宇瀚.中国内地恐怖电影中民俗元素研究[D].广西大学,2018.
[8]耿春晓.多元文化语境下的中国内地恐怖电影[D].中国艺术研究院,2009.
东方惊魂：中国恐怖电影的神秘之旅
一、简介：
依托于人们丰富的想象力以及对大自然的崇拜，古代中国是个鬼神文化十分发达的国度。中国古典文学作品中，也有很多涉及神灵鬼怪的描写，比较有代表性的如《山海经》《聊斋志异》《西游记》《楚辞》等。随着摄影和电影的发明，现代社会迅速进入视觉文明时代，原先只能在文学中找到的神怪传说也出现在电影院里。这便是恐怖电影的缘起。
《电影艺术词典》中对恐怖片的定义为“专门以离奇怪诞的情节、阴森可怖的场景或音响吸引观众好奇心的故事片”。根据恐怖情感的来源，恐怖电影可以分为血腥暴力类，如《电锯惊魂》系列，心理恐怖类，如《沉默的羔羊》，悬疑惊悚类，以悬念和惊悚情节吸引观众，如《七宗罪》，民俗恐怖类，如《山村老尸》，超自然恐怖类，如《招魂》，科幻恐怖类，如《寄生兽》，还有诸多其他分类。
由于审美民族历史渊源和社会历史文化背景差异，中国与西方社会在恐怖片的呈现主题和审美特质有很大差异。独特的社会历史和文化语境一方面使得中式恐怖片在一众恐怖片中拥有奇特的击中中国观众内心的能力，另一方面又使恐怖电影在内地的发展异常艰难，其发展长期处于一种边缘化、较收敛的状态。
二、发展历程
关于华语世界的第一部恐怖电影，有一种说法是是黎北海导演的《庄子试妻》（1913），该片取材自粤剧《庄周蝴蝶梦》中的“扇坟”一段，是中国香港出品的第一部剧情影片和第一部于国外公开播映的华语电影，标志着中国恐怖电影的萌芽。
20世纪20至40年代，正是中国政治时局混沌无序的年代，而此时恰逢好莱坞恐怖电影的黄金时期，通过特许放映的渠道，将其恐怖片源源不断地输入中国电影市场。这一时期也成为了国产恐怖电影的起步时期，此时的中国电影创制者们已开始创作类似于恐怖片的电影，如《阎瑞生》、《红粉骷髅》等，这些影片均模仿借鉴了风靡一时的好莱坞恐怖片的创作手法。
1937年马徐维邦执导的《夜半歌声》上映，标志着恐怖片作为一种类型电影正式登上了中国电影之林。可以说马徐维邦和他的《夜半歌声》贯穿了整个早期国产恐怖电影史，证明了恐怖电影不仅蕴含巨大商业价值，亦能承载丰厚的文化意涵和厚重的社会议题，并形成独有的恐怖美学。
新中国成立后，中国电影发展进入了一个新时期。然而十七年间复杂多变的社会形势和动荡不稳的政治环境，使国产恐怖片的创作异常艰难，可以看作其发展的艰难曲折时期。随着新的国家体制的建立，电影体制发生了重大变化，中国电影产业纳入国有计划经济，按计划生产，统购统销。这一时期，唯一一部具有恐怖色彩的电影作品，是按歌颂革命历史主题创作出来的反特片——《古刹钟声》（1958），这部电影虽不是真正类型意义上的恐怖片，但其中坟地、棺材、古庙等惊悚元素的应用具有一些恐怖电影色彩。
20世纪七八十年代，受到第十一届三中全会的影响，改革的春风吹到了我国的各个行业，恐怖片迎来了蓬勃发展的时期。其作为恐怖电影的类型意识开始逐渐成型，此时期诞生了诸如《午夜两点》、《黑楼孤魂》、《夜盗珍妃墓》等各具特色的恐怖佳作，实现了恐怖电影由传统向现代的初步转型，并探索了恐怖片在主题表达、视听语言和电影叙事上的更多可能性。尤其是八十年代的香港恐怖电影蓬勃发展，结合武打的功夫片类型，使得香港恐怖电影开启了不同于西方恐怖电影的类型。《鬼打鬼》《僵尸先生》系列是香港恐怖片类型化的代表性作品，诸如摒住呼吸、额头上贴符咒、桃木剑驱鬼等。这种传统类型直到1991年式微，随着林正英于1997年去世，便后继无人。
千禧年之后，内地恐怖电影创作进入新时期。恐怖电影每年都有制作上映，并受到了更多的关注，2005 年不仅上映了 《窒息》、《疑神疑鬼》、《七夜》、《诅咒》四部由内地制作的恐怖电影，香港地区的《异度空间》也进入内地电影市场公映。同时，香港回归后两地合作的增加，如曾经执导过 《人肉叉烧包》邱礼涛执导内地投拍的 《疑神疑鬼》。21世纪，内地与香港的合作进入了后合拍时代，未来华语地区电影工业的地理分割即将越来越模糊，合拍的物理结合将越来越变成后合拍的化学反应。国产片、港产片的称呼已经很难表明影片的真正身份，华语片将成为未来合作的共同基础。
三、中西方恐怖片差异
中国大陆地区深受儒家思想的影响，对怪力乱神等思想始终保持敬而远之的态度，再加上二十世纪后，马克思主义传入中国，“无神论”作为马克思主义的重要组成部分以及主导思想。此外，恐怖电影作为带给观众感官刺激的娱乐性较强的影片类型，一直与中国电影的管理政策不符，因此，恐怖电影一直处于被限制的处境。大陆地区的恐怖电影中的恐怖元素主要有占卜、巫蛊、禁咒、祭祀几种类型。
占卜是一种极为古老的预测形式，其最终目的是为了预测事物的发展，了解未来之事。带有这类元素的恐怖电影有《笔仙》系列、《碟仙》系列等，通过笔或碟子来进行占卜，实则招魂。整个过程是人鬼交流，让鬼进入人的身体以达到占卜的目的。巫是古代社会不可缺少的职业，是沟通天、地、人间的中介者，具备降神、解梦、预言、占星、祈雨等神奇能力。这种题材的恐怖片曾在香港风靡一时，在内地也有一些展示神秘巫术、苗家蛊毒、湘西赶尸等题材的影片，如《荒村怨灵》《京城 81号》等，而在内地掀起恐怖片观影热潮的《中邪》也是通过对民间巫术的探讨来制造恐怖效果。禁咒包括禁忌、咒符两类。禁忌的产生是因为原始人认知低下，面对自然威胁本能选择逃避和恐惧，然而随着人类生产能力和智力的提高，禁忌不仅没有消失，反而流传了下来。内地有许多涉及民间禁忌的恐怖电影，如《恐怖禁忌》系列，主角通常是因为违背了某个禁忌而招致灾祸。咒符则是诅咒，分为咒语与画符，内地恐怖电影通常使用咒语，即人们通过语言表达对现实的不满，并祈求鬼神来惩罚自己所恨之人，多在讲求因果报应的影片中有所呈现。祭祀是人们供奉神鬼、祭拜祖先的一种仪式。民俗观念中人的不同生命阶段都有与之相对应的民俗仪式，从出生的诞生礼、成年的成年礼、婚礼、寿礼、葬礼等，都具有重大的意义，在电影作品中也多有呈现。在恐怖片中的应用多为冥婚题材，在《京城 81号》中也有表现。
西方国家，尤指欧美国家，具有相似的社会文化，恐怖片差异较小。欧美地区的恐怖片大致分为神怪、宗教、灵异、心理四大类型。
神怪类恐怖片是欧美地区很经典的恐怖片类型，美国的《科学怪人》《德古拉》、瑞典的《幽灵马车》、加拿大的《生化危机》等，都属于这一类型。这类恐怖电影通常会围绕吸血鬼、女巫、狼人、僵尸等这些在现实生活中并不存在的生物。这种类型恐怖片的盛行与哥特文化的流行有着不可分割的关系。宗教类恐怖片是西方特有的恐怖片类型。与东方恐怖片的因果轮回不同，欧美地区的宗教类恐怖片更注重人性弱点的讨论，原罪论、七宗罪、末世论、救赎说等宗教说法一直影响着欧美恐怖片的创作。影片《恐怖游轮》《迷雾》《黑色楼层》《林中小屋》等影片都是以此为题材展开。灵异类恐怖片，是指通过神秘化的恐怖氛围和电影角色的情绪表达使观众受到“灵异感”的引导，多使用灵异现象、异度空间、古怪角色这三种元素。温子仁执导的《招魂》系列、《潜伏》系列等影片，都是通过主角的日常生活中发生怪异的事情，从而引发探求真相或寻求帮助的故事。《寂静岭》和《高草丛中》等影片通过讲述在异度空间中发生的事情来营造恐惧感，《捉迷藏》《灵异第六感》等影片则是着重表现影片中的一个或多个古怪角色，这些角色往往是揭开事件真相的关键。心理类恐怖片是欧美地区创作历史最长的恐怖片类型，通常包含悬疑的元素、惊悚的犯罪、不合常理的现象等，在恐怖气氛的营造、主人公心理变化的展现以及在镜头语言和场面调度方面都十分精彩，如《闪灵》《沉默的羔羊》《一级恐惧》《致命 ID》《穆赫兰道》《孤儿怨》以及《月光光心慌慌》系列和《惊声尖叫》系列等都是欧美地区的心理类恐怖片佳作。