The cinema of Feng Xiaogang : commercialization and censorship in Chinese cinema after 1989

Beginning first as a case study of Feng Xiaogang, this book explores Chinese film history since the early 1990s in terms of changes of the Communist Party's film policy, industry reforms, the official promotion of Main Melody films and the emergence and growth of popular cinema. The image of Feng that will emerge in this book is of a filmmaker working under political and economic pressures in a post-socialist state while still striving to create works with a personal socio-political agenda. In keeping with this reality, this book approaches Feng as a special kind of film auteur whose works must be interpreted with attention to the specific social and political context of contemporary China. The book will be a useful reference tool for students and scholars in the fields of Chinese studies, Chinese film history and film studies. It could also be used as textbook for classes about Asian cinema, international cinema and Chinese culture/film studies. The extensive use of data about the Chinese film market, and elaborate analysis of the situation of Chinese film industry make this book a valuable volume for classroom and personal use. The Cinema of Feng Xiaogang - Commercialization and Censorship in Chinese Cinema after 1989 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 1. Introduction 10 2. Chinese Cinema on the Eve of the Tian’anmen Incident 30 3. Chinese Cinema from 1989 to the Middle of the 1990s and Feng Xiaogang’s Early Career 42 4. New Year Films and Chinese Cinema at the End of the 1990s 72 5. The “Corporate Era” of Chinese Cinema in the New Millennium and Feng’s Post-New Year Production 112 6. Conclusion 162 Notes 168 Filmography 186 Selected Bibliography 190 Index 202 The chapters in this book cover Chinese cinema on the eve of the Tian'anmen Incident, Chinese cinema from 1989 to the middle of the 1990s and Feng Xiaogang's early career, and the 'corporate era' of Chinese cinema in the new millennium and Feng's post-new year productions Illustrates the commercial struggles & censorship pressures faced by one of China's most successful and prolifi c fi lm directors, whose diverse work features everyday people and problems in post-socialist popular culture.