Identity, Tradition and Globalism

Following the official end of the Cultural

Revolution in 1977, China began reforms from 1978.

Although the initial goal of the reforms was to

improve the nation¿s economy, changes soon occurred

across other fields ranging from politics to

culture, from society to the legal system. These

changes had a significant impact on the development

of Chinese film. Applying contemporary theories and

citing numerous sources in both Chinese and English,

this book examines the works of acclaimed Chinese

third- to sixth-generation directors from 1977 to

1996. Many of these filmmakers are now

internationally famous either for their cinematic

achievements or for the political controversies

arising from their films. The author argues that

Chinese film during this period experienced a shift

of cultural identity from subjection to Chinese

tradition to submission to transnational globalism.

The analysis of how and why Chinese films have

become internationally popular recently should be

especially useful to those interested in Chinese

cinema. Some provocative arguments by the author are

likely to trigger further debate on the preservation

of tradition and globalization.