China on Film : A Century of Exploration, Confrontation, and Controversy

Leading scholar Paul G. Pickowicz traces the dynamic history of Chinese filmmaking and discusses its course of development from the early days to the present. Moving decade by decade, he explores such key themes as the ever-shifting definitions of modern marriage in 1920s silent features, East-West cultural conflict in the movies of the 1930s, the strong appeal of the powerful melodramatic mode of the 1930s and 1940s, the polarizing political controversies surrounding Chinese filmmaking under the Japanese occupation of Shanghai in the 1940s, and the critical role of cinema during the bloody civil war of the late 1940s. Pickowicz then considers the challenging Mao years, including chapters on legendary screen personalities who tried but failed to adjust to the new socialist order in the 1950s, celebrities who made the sort of artistic and political accommodations that would keep them in the spotlight in the post-revolutionary era, and insider film professionals of the early 1960s who actively resisted the most extreme forms of Maoist cultural production. The book concludes with explorations of the highly cathartic films of the early post-Mao era, edgy postsocialist movies that appeared on the eve of the Tiananmen demonstrations of 1989, the relevance of the Eastern European “velvet prison” cultural production model, and the rise of underground and independent filmmaking beginning in the 1990s. Throughout its long history of film production, China has been embroiled in a seemingly unending series of wars, revolutions, and jarring social transformations. Despite daunting censorship obstacles, Chinese filmmakers have found ingenious ways of taking political stands and weighing in—for better or worse—on the most explosive social, cultural, and economic issues of the day. Exploring the often gut-wrenching controversies generated by their work, Pickowicz offers a unique and perceptive window on Chinese culture and society. Reading scholar Paul G. Pickowicz traces the dynamic history of Chinese filmmaking and discusses its course of development from the early days to the present. Moving decade by decade, he explores such key themes as the ever-shifting definitions of modern marriage in 1920s silent features, East-West cultural conflict in the movies of the 1930s, the strong appeal of the powerful melodramatic mode of the 1930s and 1940s, the polarizing political controversies surrounding Chinese filmmaking under the Japanese occupation of Shanghai in the 1940s, and the critical role of cinema during the bloody civil war of the late 1940s. Pickowicz then considers the challenging Mao years, including chapters on legendary screen personalities who tried but failed to adjust to the new socialist order in the 1950s, celebrities who made the sort of artistic and political accommodations that would keep them in the spotlight in the post-revolutionary era, and insider film professionals of the early 1960s who actively resisted the most extreme forms of Maoist cultural production. The book concludes with explorations of the highly cathartic films of the early post-Mao era, edgy postsocialist movies that appeared on the eve of the Tiananmen demonstrations of 1989, the relevance of the Eastern European "velvet prison" cultural production model, and the rise of underground and independent filmmaking beginning in the 1990s. Throughout its long history of film production, China has been embroiled in a seemingly unending series of wars, revolutions, and jarring social transformations. Despite daunting censorship obstacles, Chinese filmmakers have found ingenious ways of taking political stands and weighing in--for better or worse--on the most explosive social, cultural, and economic issues of the day. Exploring the often gut-wrenching controversies generated by their work, Pickowicz offers a unique and perceptive window on Chin Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction. The Sorrows and Joys of Chinese Filmmaking: Political and Personal Contexts 12 Chapter 1. Shanghai Twenties: Early Chinese Cinematic Explorations of the Modern Marriage 30 Chapter 2. The Theme of Spiritual Pollution in Chinese Films of the 1930s 54 Chapter 3. Melodramatic Representation and the May Fourth Tradition of Chinese Cinema 84 Chapter 4. Never-Ending Controversies: The Case of Remorse in Shanghai and Occupation-Era Chinese Filmmaking 112 Chapter 5. Victory as Defeat: Postwar Visualizations of China’s War of Resistance 132 Chapter 6. Acting Like Revolutionaries: Shi Hui, the Wenhua Studio, and Private-Sector Filmmaking, 1949–1952 168 Chapter 7. Zheng Junli, Complicity, and the Cultural History of Socialist China, 1949–1976 200 Chapter 8. The Limits of Cultural Thaw: Chinese Cinema in the Early 1960s 224 Chapter 9. Popular Cinema and Political Thought in Early Post-Mao China: Reflections on Official Pronouncements, Film, and the Film Audience 262 Chapter 10. On the Eve of Tiananmen: Huang Jianxin and the Notion of Postsocialism 282 Chapter 11. Velvet Prisons and the Political Economy of Chinese Filmmaking in the Late 1980s and Early 1990s 312 Chapter 12. Social and Political Dynamics of Underground Filmmaking in Early Twenty-First-Century China 336 Additional Work on Chinese Cinema by Paul G. Pickowicz 356 Index 358 About the Author 376 Introduction: The Sorrows And Joys Of Chinese Filmmaking: Political And Personal Contexts -- Shanghai Twenties: Early Chinese Cinematic Explorations Of The Modern Marriage -- The Theme Of Spiritual Pollution In Chinese Films Of The 1930s -- Melodramatic Representation And The May Fourth Tradition Of Chinese Filmmaking -- Never-ending Controversies: The Case Of Remorse In Shanghai And Occupation-era Chinese Filmmaking -- Victory As Defeat: Postwar Visualizations Of China's War Of Resistance -- Acting Like Revolutionaries: Shi Hui, The Wenhua Studio, And Private-sector Filmmaking, 1949-1952 -- Zheng Junli, Complicity, And The Cultural History Of Socialist China, 1949-1976 -- The Limits Of Thaw: Chinese Cinema In The Early 1960s -- Popular Cinema And Political Thought In Early Post-mao China: Reflections On Official Pronouncements, Film, And The Film Audience -- On The Eve Of Tiananmen: Huang Jianxin And The Notion Of Postsocialism -- Velvet Prison And The Political Economy Of Chinese Filmmaking In The Late 1980s And Early 1990s -- Social And Political Dynamics Of Underground Filmmaking In Early Twenty-first Century China. Paul G. Pickowicz. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Leading scholar Paul G. Pickowicz traces the dynamic history of Chinese filmmaking and its stunning development decade-by-decade since the 1920s. During the last one hundred years, China has been embroiled in a seemingly unending series of wars, revolutions, and jarring social transformations. Despite daunting censorship obstacles, Chinese filmmakers have found ingenious ways of taking political stands and weighing in-for better or worse-on the most explosive social, cultural, and economic issues of the day. Exploring the often gut-wrenching controversies generated by their w