The Collision Of Political Discourse And Entertainment Function

Since the birth of the communist classic Tracks in The Snowy Forest, it has five versions of film and television plays, including a Model Peking Opera movie. Containing with other epic fictions in the seventeen years, Tracks in The Snowy Forest has a small narrative perspective and describes a small-scale war to readers. Comparing with other theme, it is more flexible and beneficial to be adapted to movies or television plays. The writer Qu Bo had joined the war in real life so that he combined real stories and rich imagination when he was writing. Because of using the narrative method of Chinese classical fictions, Tracks in The Snowy Forest is full of legendary and has been widely known up to now. It has been adapted to movies and television plays for several times, and it is also the most representative work of fictions in the seventeen years as well.The thesis focuses on the relationship between political discourse and entertainment function of these two and divides this fiction into three phases:the sixties of the 20th century, the eighties of the 20th century and the new century. This thesis studies the characteristics of TV adaption of this fiction in fore-mentioned phases respectively, and discusses the proportion occupation between the political discourse and entertainment function in the three different periods. Conclusion could be made that, at any of the phases, these two parts both exist and play a role, and the only difference is the proportion between them. And put forward the possible problems of the adoption of Tracks in The Snowy Forest and similar art-works of communist classics.The thesis includes six chapters.The first chapter is the introduction. It introduces the creation background and particularity of communist classics. It lists the adaptation situation of fictions in the seventeen years and analyses the reason why Tracks in The Snowy Forest has been chosen to be the research object, i.e., being adapted for many times and rich modalities. Qu Bo used a fascinating way to tell a flexible small-scale war story and it has correct political direction, so the fiction had been adapted to movies and television plays for many times.The second chapter introduces the two "purification" of the film adaptation in 1960s. The 1960 edition of the film deleted the performance of the novel characters and emotional elements of the composition. It strengthen the political discourse and weaken the entertainment function. The film which was been adapted from the model opera Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy in last sixties is a sublimation of refinement. It changed characters into symbols and made the work a kind of indoctrinating tool. At that time, the entertainment function completely become the dependency of strengthening the position of political discourse.The third chapter studies the adaptation of a TV series in 1980s. In 1980s, the spirit of enlightenment appeared again and it made people pursue the liberation of human nature. The phenomenon influenced literary circle and film and television industry. The adapter hoped to weaken the status of the political discourse and strengthen the radiance of human nature. But, the adapter was too conservative and cautious, and there is not too much of the interpretation of the composition in the TV version, so these two forces have no sparks. This TV version is mediocre and no highlights. But, it is undeniable that this carefully attempt represents the regression of entertainment function-from edge to central, or even it began to become important as political discourse.The fourth chapter focuses on the two version of the new century, respectively for the 2002 version of the TV series and the 2014 movie version of 3D. The adapting aim of 2002 TV series version is defined for the purposes of the classic heroes and deeds breakthrough, which depicts the ordinary heroes. But the work was eager for instant success and quick profits for strengthening entertainment function, which was harm to the political discourse and became frivolous. The 2014 version has no bright spot in reappearing the original work, but the adapter ingeniously set entertainment function on the expression of brilliant war effects and gorgeous cast. It offsets the weak plot with excellent audio-visual effects, which is a relatively successful measure.The fifth chapter analysis the problems Tracks in The Snowy Forest might face when adaptation was under the current commercial operation mechanism, just like film discourse implied authority, which is easily led the audience thinking; audience’s subjective initiative was gradually increasing and choosing film and television drama with personal preferences. In this case, it is difficult to make adaption led to widely accepted and achieve the heritage of spiritual wealth. In addition, work adaptation in the future may also be facing some problems:batch production might weaken the authority of the political discourse, but also shaken its status as a classic; catering to the audience the new century might cause similar communist classics lose their characteristics of "communist" and making them become the general meaning of literary works.The sixth chapter is the conclusion. It summarizes the three phases of the adaptation of the movies and TV series of Tracks in The Snowy Forest-the political indoctrination function occupied dominant position; the balance relationship between political discourse and entertainment function; entertainment function occupied dominant position. What’s more, the way people look at adapted works must be clear in the future:we should regard the adapted work as a new work and be comprehensive to the new work, which is helpful to the inheritance of the communist classics in the new century.