As I read, I learned about the obstacles Chinese film has overcome to reach its current status. In the beginning, 90% of films were imported. As films thrive in teahouses, by twisting with shadow play，referring to and influenced by fiction, it becomes a media for entertainment, escape from reality, immersing in the exotic world of fantasy while enriching reading habits. Going through resembling foreign films, learning from failures, reflecting the masses’ problems; being helped by literati, aware of enlarging the market and making audiences interested in, the industry grows swiftly. What surprises me is that the film gives women the courage to express themselves in the public and pursue “rich knowledge, lofty thinking, and strong will”.
However, I see the dilemma when the tradition of China helps develop films (like shallow play: the origin which inspires directors) while preventing progress within the industry (like folk dance, folk song, Peking opera…: usually the most glaring part in the film but at the same time form stereotype and restrict directors’ creativity). Additionally, the research in the past on Chinese film is usually conducted with the bias about ideology, leftist and May Fourth discourses which I wish could be fair in the future.
OUYANG YUNING 3036100870
It is enjoyable to read your insightful analysis of the development of the Chinese cinematic industry from the early age. I would suggest you reflect more on 2 questions: 1) Facing the dual obstacles brought by native performance and the imported digital filmic technology/culture, how did Chinese film dispose the “stay” and “gone”? 2) How Chinese film distinguishes itself from Hollywood film in terms of film sets? Elaborating your arguments through film cases might strengthen your debate. Furthermore, I highly appreciate your wish that Chinese films liberate themselves from the governance of socio-political discourse. While the current filmic representations shown in Chinese movies, in turn, can provide a valuable reference for interpreting society, culture, politics, and history.