Research Of The National Images Of Chinese Films In The New Period

National images are made up of many kinds of elements such as policy, economy,military, culture, history, geography and so on, which is a comprehensive evaluationinfluenced by external public and interior public to the material, cultural andideological progress of a country. National images in films is the summery of storiesand characters, which reflects the internal implication from historical period and aresult of different views and angles.This dissertation discusses the topic of national images of China in Chinese filmsafter1978. Narrative films usually narrate stories and create characters to reflect thesocial environments and lives of different periods vividly and thus reflect the nationalimages of those periods. We can get the national images by analyzing informationabout social activities and aspects of nations through a series of films in specific periodssuch as some Chinese films in a certain historical period. Narrative films usually reflector construct national images directly or indirectly through narrating stories and creatingcharacters as visual arts. The research about the national images of films is not atraditionally significant art research issue but a field cross art and sociology. In thefilmology researches in the West, the research about the national images of films is notusually the most important part. The research the national images of films has beenbecoming a hotspot in research of Chinese films in the past few years with the boomingof China’s economy in21st century, the greater international influence step by step, and the increasing emphasis on soft power. This dissertation is a response to this issue,unscrambling the transition in the national images of Chinese films since1978bystudying the texts: stories and characters of films.This focuses on the representative films in the course of the new period of China,paying close attention to the historical level that crosses fields of theory of art andsociology, by applying critical methods such as social evaluation, ideology, narrativetheory, text analysis and so on. The key point of the thesis is to try to explore, andsummarize the figurative meaning and value in the subject matters, artistic images,and molds of stories in Chinese films which have been produced during the newperiod.When China came into the new period of socialism, the emphasis and types oftopics about the national images in films change in different stages. The nationalImages of Chinese films in the New Period could be taken as a manifestation ofnational Images that arises from trauma, going to be powerful and prosperous. Withthe change of the cinematic narrative way, the narration of trauma turns into themulti-element style. The trauma films manifested the wounds in China andunfortunate people. Now, Chinese films are transiting to show more about Chinesesociety in developing economy and the enhancing comprehensive national strength.The structure of this dissertation is based on the process of development ofChinese films during the New Period. It can be divided into three phases:1. Chinesefilms from1978to1989;2. Chinese films in1990s;3. Chinese films since21st century.The first chapter gives an interpretation on national images, analyzing the internalrelations between the artistic images in Chinese films and national images,summarizing the national images in the development of Chinese films.The second chapter describes the creative works in films, listing representativeworks, showing the typical figures and molds in1978-1989, trying to make aninterpretation about how the art of films put wrongs to rights, changing left-leaningsituation, calling the return of humanity, rethinking the traditional culture, changingthe structure of films, improving the film language and so on. This chapter mainlyexpounds how the national images of Chinese films were reflected and constructed.The third chapter attempts to describe and elucidate the flourishing condition in1990s, giving an explanation of the relationship between "Main Melody" films andnational images. New art films depicted in art films national images demonstrated,narrative features in entertainment films, diverse needs of aesthetic culture frompublic, then reflect the high-spirited and vigorous Chinese national images. Nationalimages demonstrated in New Art films, narrative features in entertainment films, andpublic’s diverse needs of aesthetic culture reflected the new national image of Chinaas high-spirited and vigorous.The forth chapter:while fourth chapter by describing the mature and morediversified themes and creations of Chinese national images in films since2000,discusses that Chinese films in this period are portraying the reform and opening-up situation. This chapter elucidates why the film types and images are more and morediversified and how Chinese films move towards international film market.Thanks tothe reform on state system, ideological line and policies and guidelines, Chinesefilms present the dynamic role with ideology to social progress.The main body of this thesis makes a summary of representative works in thethree phases of Chinese films in the New Period. From these films, we cansummarize the image features and significances on how to present the nationalimages. There is a brief summary at the end of each chapter.In the conclusion of the dissertation, a theoretical summary is made about theinterdependence of Chinese films development and the improving national image inthe reform and opening-up policy in the New Period.In conclusion, the research in this d issertation starts with the inner linkagebetween Chinese films’ develpment and the reform and opening-up policy in theNew Period, discusses and elucidates the style and features of Chinese films in theNew Period.As a vivid visual presentation of nationa l image, films in the NewPeriod display the transformation of China from an enclosed country to a morediversified and vigorous one.