The Influence Of Buddhism's Culture On The Chinese Films

In the history of the development of the Chinese film, Buddhism seems to be a solidification factor to infiltrate into the Chinese film. Buddhist culture of the Chinese film make a continuous, universal and tremendous impact on the Chinese film history, that has become a cultural phenomenon and a worthy topic to further study.In this thesis, we researched on the influence of Buddhism's culture on the Chinese film. This thesis is constituted by the relationship between the creative staff of the Chinese film and Buddhism, the surface contact between the Chinese film and Buddhism, the impact of Buddhism culture on audio-visual aesthetics style of Chinese film, the influence of Buddhism culture on Chinese martial arts film, and the marginalization of Buddhism material film and so on. Through in-depth explanation of these issues, we resolve the inherent correlation between the Buddhism culture and Chinese film.First of all, the influence of Buddhist culture on Chinese film has a clear historical context.From 1905 to 1932, the relationship between Buddhist culture and Chinese film is mainly reflected in the two aspects. First, through coping with adverse impact of European and American film, we reflected the traditional culture, safeguarded national dignity, exposed the right and wrong. Secondly, because of commercial demands, the choices of subjects and values of direction fully cater to the Chinese audience's psychology, the film of Buddhist subject became the mainstream of this period.From 1932 to 1949, Revolution War became the historical background and social context of the development of Chinese film, therefore, Chinese film also have been coerced into the trend of national salvation. During this period, the influence of Buddhism culture on Chinese film wasn't evident as the early period, it mainly reflected on the invisible effect of aesthetic style, and still in the troubled time, a batch of films of Buddhist subject emerge to console the lonely souls.From 1949 to 1979, the political form of Chinese society has changed fundamentally, the political ideology of the film features emphasis unprecedentedly. The film of socialism and realism became the mainstream even the only expression, so that the film of Buddhism theme which contrary to the main ideology disappeared.Since 1979, the films of the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong have entered a period of rapid development of diversification. Unlike before, the control of film has been relaxed, there has been a large number of films to reflect Buddhism theme and the works which are full of religious meaning.Secondly, the relationship between the creative staff of Chinese film and Buddhism can be summarized as the type of religious belief, the type of ideas, the type of artistic accomplishment, and the type of creative utilitarian. The type of religious belief. That the ideology and i-ideology tilting to Buddhism has been converted to Buddhism in spirit, by means of the type of film to promote Buddhism. Tibetan Living Buddha director Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, the Tibetan director Wanma Caidan, Taiwanese director King Hu, Mainland director Feng Xiaogang is the representative.The type of identified ideas. The Buddhist thoughts and feelings are more reflected in certain aspects of Buddhist teachings and philosophy that are more recognized and respected, but not in the emotional and spiritual sustenance expectation. Among these movie people, their thought system isn't Buddhist, but expresses the convergence of Confucianists, Buddhism and Taoism. This type of film is represented by Ang Lee and the mainland director Chen Kaige.The type of artistic accomplishment. This type refers to understand the culture of Buddhism and to have Buddhist psychology, but has not reached the belief. Because of the Buddhist understanding and certain degree of intimacy, Buddhist culture entries into their psychological structure imperceptibly. In their works, Buddhist culture often manifested in aesthetic taste and aesthetic sense. This type of film is represented by Fei Mu, Xie Fei and Wang Jiawei. The type of creative utilitarian. This type refers to whether in faith or personal accomplishment that has no connection with Buddhism. It mainly started from the practical point of view to add mysticism by show the Buddhist scene for the work in order to attract the audience who are interested in "wonders" deeply, or to add a layer of cultural coat, or to make an issue to promote morality of mainstream by Buddhist theme.Thirdly, the surface connection between Chinese film and Buddhism mainly focused on showing the Buddhist natural landscape and cultural landscape, using the Buddhist imagery and prototypes, exercising the Buddhist allusion, the impact Buddhist culture on the film.The Buddhist natural landscape and cultural landscape often become the objective target of China's film, that brings a mysterious and serine prospect. There are some unique images in Buddhist culture, such as lotus, light, gandha-hastin, bell Drum, and world etc. These images were brought into the films to enhancing their artistic expression and visual impact.In the Chinese film, there are a lot of Buddhist allusions to propagate Buddhist doctrine, or to express the film creator's artistic taste, or to form a wondering effect to strengthen the artistic appeal of the work. And use the patterns of quotation and abuse."Quotation"is"borrowed method"of Buddhist allusion, that pursuit a strong religious flavor and reflects the pure religious thought."Borrowing"is according to the fundamental demand of the work itself to make the modest changes."Abuse"is considered from commercial film in order to create a bizarre plot, or to render the mysterious atmosphere, and is full of tampering of moral principles of Buddhism and common sense of the distortion.Fourthly, the impact of Buddhist culture on audio-visual aesthetic style of Chinese film, the image structure of the film, the Buddhist thought of concept of the light, the impact of Buddhist culture on the film music. In the influence of the Buddhist culture especially Zen aesthetics, which form the Zen beauty of dilute, silence and cool in the Chinese film. The beauty of dilute expressed in the Chinese film is"all the words are the love language". It seems tasteless, but it is led up to meaningful afterthoughts. Beauty of silence is presented with a static long shot to show the unique silent style. Therefore, all of static shot and the silent mountain, river, leaves and breeze in the shot create a very quiet universe. Cool beauty refers to the respect of cold image in the Chinese film, cold imagery shots can be found in the Chinese film. Cool scene and uninterested colors constitute the unique quiet cold beauty. In the shots of the Chinese film, there are many unique imagery constructions. They are influenced by Buddhist culture to reflect Zen and Buddhism. One is snow, forest, paths, hill and boat which can create a classic elegant and aesthetic mood; the other is just like bell Drum, oil lamp, lotus, temple, streamer, Mani wheel, Hada and other religious image which belongs to the Buddhist culture. They are full filled a large number of movie screens in China, which filled a large number of not only greatly enriched the language mirrors the performance of power, but also makes a rare Chinese film presentation of a certain religious meaning.The imagery style of the Chinese film is influence by respecting brightness of Buddhism directly or indirectly. Some may use the Buddhist connotation of light to construct the plot and clear teaching; some the style of light and the concept of light reflects the aesthetic characteristics of religion; while others are influenced by Chinese traditional culture, unconsciously makes the characters in the image rendering light, ambient light, and other light scene permeated with light cloth by the impact of Buddhist culture. The music in the Chinese Buddhist film fully exerts the Buddhist music melody of the mystery, ethereal, and pure sense of vulgarity and pursuit of transcendent mood. The unique Buddhist musical music instruments are used in the film. In the music, a unique musical fusion of Buddhist chanting reasonably is explored.Fifthly, the factors of Buddhist idea begin from asceticism in the Chinese film themes, the Buddhist idea of reincarnation, Buddhist understanding of death, good and evil, ethical and other aspects of Buddhism study Buddhist culture of the Chinese theme of the film.In the film of Buddhist theme, asceticism is the mainstream which make humanism oppose to Buddhism. From the topic of"monks and sex"reveals thrilling confrontation of two forces. Buddhist often are considered as the man who refuse passion even the destroyer of passion to be animadverted by the author. The Buddhist idea of reincarnation becomes the major source of the Chinese film, yet it is often the type of movie love to learn. Many authors also use the idea of reincarnation in the story narrative.In some films of Buddhist theme, because of Buddhist perspectives and feelings, they make the death scene with metaphysical significance. Because of despair and redemption, someone suicides to rebirth, the solemn funeral ceremony etc. express the inner sacred sense.The good and evil Buddhist concept became to promote the important theme of the Chinese film. Buddhist concept of good and evil and secular moral practice, which makes Buddhist ethics in the community have a strong belief in the power. Sixthly, there are many scenes of classical Buddhist meaning in the Chinese film. In addition to completing the story of the film narrative, these scenes also help to establish a unique aesthetic system on the basis of traditional Chinese culture. These classic scenes are represented by sudden understanding, the abbot's death, the mogambo, turning back, the death of the wicked men, Brocken bow.In Chinese film, there are three types of scenes that express the character think. One learns martial because of enlightenment; one is the performance of the hero in the vicissitudes who suffered ups and downs of life's joys suddenly realized after a certain philosophy of life; the other that is wicked enlighten suddenly.The abbot's death in the Chinese film reflects, "Giving" and "insults" two spirit of Six Degrees in the Buddhist. The performance of the life in the film scene, one reflects the pain of life, the other reflects reversal of life.Turning back often turns on in the Chinese film scene. This ultimate betrayal comes from a profound impact on the concept of good and evil of the Buddhist culture. Turning back, that is the good of protection, and also the most powerful evil punishment.Villain's death is a "significant form" in the films of Buddhist theme. On the one hand, it reveals Buddhist ethics; on the other hand, villain died of the punishment.Because of the natural requirement of lights in the video art, with bright colors metaphysical philosophy, so Brocken bow scene often appear in the film of Buddhist themes.Seventhly, Buddhist culture and martial arts movies with two-way interaction between the relationship。On the one hand the Buddhism culture become the most important support chivalrous-swordsman films cultural foundation,At the same time,martial arts movies have become the best publicize and promote Buddhist culture medium。The relation between the two shows very obvious on Buddhist ethic, the spirit of "Force", the image of temples and monks, the narrative grammar, precept breaking and so on. The Iii causal in Buddhism, the concept of good and evil tidings reflect the most distinctive in martial arts movies. The opposition of positive and negative characters symbolic tendency is very severe and has become the most basic mode. At the same time, Buddhism promoted martial border, and drunkenness state is the highest state of mental training, Buddhist culture on the chivalrous-swordsman films of the influence of martial arts movement style is also huge. Buddhist architecture—temple plays an important part in martial arts movies. A reason why martial arts movies love to show temple wars is that it is easy to deepen the theme, highlight the good and evil tidings of the moral law. Temples are the Buddhism holy, and the sentence field to the forces of evil. Buddhist people become an important figure in the martial arts works, Chinese martial arts movie also basic cannot leave all the monks. Man monk, old monk, evil monk form the chivalrous-swordsman films of the world singular figure pedigree. Good and evil, true or false, beauty and ugliness of opposites of thought in Buddhist culture, play an important part in the process of movie narrative. Victims -apprentice- revenge- hermitage which contains the narrative mode of Buddhist martial arts has become one of film's main narrative modes.Eighthly, overall, Chinese Buddhism films are still in the marginal situation in Chinese films. This is mainly having the following reasons: from the view of the film creation subject, most Chinese filmmakers lack of religious belief and the thinking and questioning to the ultimate questions. From the view of the audience, China is lack of extensive religious soil. From Creative environment, religious subjects from the overall work are the mainstream Chinese consciousness appearance of rejection. From the era background, troubled reality requires creator take an active part in the world away from the religious speculative.