The cinema has been a space of hybridity since its arrival in China. Zhang describes the history of cinema in China, where shows were first projected by some Frenchmen in a Shanghai teahouse. Right from the start, it was a mix of the west into the east. By operating its showings in the teahouse, a place of entertainment, it made way for itself into the everyday urban space, paving its way for Western film to become localised within the Chinese context. According to Lee, the rise of the cinema saw the decline of the amusement hall. The new visual medium of the cinema attracted the Chinese, which was in line with the popular May Fourth Movement at that time, welcoming the assimilation of foreign culture into China. Chinese films were quickly made to entertain the population, not only as a form of entertainment, but also as political propaganda, exerting political influence through this rising medium of culture. It is interesting to take note that not only the idea of the cinema and films being projected came from the west, but the spatial characters of the cinema were universal, making the act of going to the cinema a very modern experience.
Chan Hei Man Hayley Victoria 2010522587
A well-written overview of both essays. You have analyzed the dynamics of Western influences in early Chinese cinema and hybridity inherent in the medium. You also explained the different functions of cinema to the audience under that context and explained concisely why cinema-going is a modern experience.