Film Discourse Of Western Modernity In China

The New Historicism considered that history has been under the influence of subject consciousness just as Literature and Art, we must do research on literature and art by historical dimension so that we could find out their historical connotation. The film which has been viewed as a unique category of art, also could be interpreted by historical dimension, to look for their intertextuality relationship between film and historical reality. Western film pays attention to the west of China which has been called Barbarian land, we re-think how the western film represent their changes of society and tradition in western China by horizon of the new historicism, to study the modernity of western China and reflection all problems which could be came true in the process.Reflection and critic are the main character of modernity, but works of literature and art always embody those characters of modernity with a tortuous way. There are two ways which embody pursuit of modernity in Chinese western film; one is humanistic critic and reflection on traditional culture, the other is those critic and reflection also change with The West's development.According to the difference of content in Chinese western film, the history of Chinese western film can be divided into three stages. In 1980s Chinese western film appeared and established the style. During this period, the reflection of Chinese western film was that the northwest had been shaped as a symbol of ancient China, and showed its poverty and backwardness by through the nature and culture, to reveal how it limit the life of those young people. This contained the reflection of tradition, the reflection paid attention to traditional culture, the ignorance after China's reform and opening up, was image express of china which developed from a closed agricultural civilization to advanced industrial civilization. During this stage, the modernity of western film also showed the fight between the new and tradition.In 1990s, it was a brilliant and low period Chinese western film. The reflection of this period lied in two things, on the one hand, it continued to reflect the modernity of western film showed by fight between the new and tradition, on the other hand also had some reflection about modern spirit, because the fight between modern spirit and Chinese tradition must not absolute win by modern spirit, sometimes it maybe not the best choice of this ancient country. During 1990s, Chinese society's attitude on the new ideas and new things is not simple exclusion and repression, but rather selectively accept the idea of development consistent with the times. And this period the modern Western film showed a flat& tolerance after the retreat of passion.21 century is the stage which Chinese western film had a new development, and a New Western Film has appeared. During this period, the reflection of modernity mainly was to reflect modern life, critic the result of business and the blind pursuit of immediate interests of social reality. The New Western Film focuses on the malady of modern Western civilization, the disadvantages of fine Chinese traditions to express praise and longing. The object of this period's reflection completely was the ills of modern. Because 21 century with the rapid development of globalization and urbanization, the influence of modern civilization accelerated its penetration to Chinese society, and its malady has showed. So the New Western Film expressed a attitude of modern civilization, not only simple longing and completely accepting, but also making people reflect.In short, the Chinese western film as a culture specimen, its expression of western china's society and history not only show all problems which occurred in the process of western modernity of china, but also reflect and critic by means of image.