Fifth-generation Study With Male Image In The Works Of The New Generation Directors

Up till now, the study of male images has been playing an important role in the study of the history of world cinema. World renowned directors, including those in China since its establishment will invariably take male characters as an important aspect of their work. Thus it can be said that the interpretation of male images, to some extent, is the key to the problem of how to interpret the national image reflected by the filmTaking historical materialism and dialectical materialism as its guiding principle, this paper adopts a multi-disciplinary research method, including the case study of directors of different generations, gender studies, and the comparative study of different generations of directors, to give a diachronic study of the male images in the works of Chinese directors since the establishment of P.R.C., The paper finds that the second and the third generation of film directors mainly focus their creation of male images on a political basis. They also emphasize the reflection of the historical facts which shaped the male images. The male images in their film include perfect heroes, conspicuous villains, as well as common figures, which are characterized by its stereotyped images and simplified features. However, these heroic and masculine male images reflect the mainstream values and discourse of the society. They also showcased the efforts of these directors in creating new male image in the early stages of development of Chinese films. The third generation and the fourth generation directors began to abandon the political tendencies since the end of the Cultural Revolution. They began to explore people's true feelings and their fate, which is marked by their poetic expression of people's sentimentality. But due to the fact that they were caught in the dilemma of whether they should adhere to the historical truth or should they be contended with merely poetic sentimentality, the male images in their films are lack of heroes and warriors compared with their previous directors, and the images also appear to be relatively bleak, depressed and wavering. But the effort they have made in new male image-building deserve certain attention and cannot be ignored.This paper then focuses on the analysis of the male images in the films made by the fifth generation film directors like Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Huang Jianxin, etc.. The images vary from the feudal lords, peasants, actors to the military men. intellectuals and some marginal figures, which are marked by its historical reflection. They also indicate that people are more explicit to express their personal feelings and different point of view. These male images represent the subversion of the traditional patriarchal society, reflecting the trend that people are tired of stereotyped and simplified characters. It also marked the regeneration of people's aesthetic taste. However, on the other hand, the male images in their films are tended to be misunderstood by western audience as the ways to present "the Exotic side of the East", which also left the domestic audience the impression of "twisted images of Chinese People".The new generation film directors take the creation of male images as a way to present the life of the migrant workers, the urban poor, young artists, and other types of marginalized male characters from a humanistic and realistic perspective. They no longer bear a historical consciousness; instead they choose to face the realities of all kinds of men. However, these male images are more of negative side, and also implied pessimism and despair. It reflects the efforts made by the new generation of directors in depicting human's alienated existence in the process of social transformation in the context of globalization and industrialization.Based on these comparisons, we may find that the changes of male images in "The Fifth Generation" and "The New Generation" films reflect the society is experiencing the evolution from the elite culture to grass-roots culture realized that the shape, which means that China is also undergoing a transition in the popular cultural forms. This is the embodiment of modernity of Chinese society, but we are still faced with how to create the elite images in the mass culture because films also undertake the important task of enhancing the taste of popular culture. Second, through the appreciation of male images, we may find that "The Fifth Generation" and "The New Generation" of Chinese film directors are faced with the difficulty of getting the correct recognition and acceptance by different cultural backgrounds. "The Fifth Generation" tried to present "typical eastern customs" to the western audience, only find it misunderstood by them, while "The New Generation" directors are faced with the same situation when they appear as "independent producers" before western film critics. Therefore the two generations of directors need to re-examine their own creation from a cross-cultural perspective and reconsider the strategies of communications in terms of films. Finally, the commercialization of the creation of male images reveals that contemporary films will inevitably meet the destiny of being commercialized and therefore the two generation of directors are also facing how to adhere to the film's artistic pursuits in the context of commercialization. It is undeniable that the industry-oriented development of Chinese films is gradually maturing, however, how to prevent the films from becoming one-time consumable products has become a serious problem facing the two generations of directors.Through a diachronic analysis as well as a comparison of the male images in the works by different generations of film directors, especially by the fifth and the new generation directors, this paper endeavors to shed some light to the criticism of the contemporary film production as well as how to better present Chinese film creations in the world .