A Chinese cultural inquiry of Zhang Yimou's films

This study looks at four films of the celebrated Chinese director, Zhang Yimou, to explore the Chinese cultural meaning and the political allegory in the texts.;With historical and critical approach, the study makes contextual research to examine China's recent political and social changes which resulted in the development of the new Chinese cinema and the achievement of the fifth generation directors, including Zhang Yimou. The study also makes Chinese cultural and historical inquiries to review the cultural values and practices of past times, centering on women's family and social status. The patriarchal traditions not only confine Chinese women but also serve as the ruling ideology and manner for the Chinese authorities.;Through thorough interpretations, the study suggests that the heroines' oppressions result from the male-dominant social values. Besides, Zhang's depiction and critique of women's sufferings metaphorically represent all Chinese people's hardships from the present autocracy.