| China has entered an aging society,and an increasing number of drama films revolve around the lives,emotions,and thoughts of elderly people.Issues associated with aging have been explored as central themes in these films.Among the many drama films with elderly themes,sentimental storytelling has gradually become popular and has been well received by audiences.The use of sentimental storytelling in drama films with elderly themes emphasizes the portrayal of the emotions of the elderly group,conveying warmth and playing a comforting role.This article focuses on drama films with elderly themes,summarizing the strategies of sentimental storytelling used in them according to theories of film and narrative.In recent years,research on warm realism has gradually gained momentum.These works adopt a positive and optimistic attitude towards confronting reality’s contradictions and seek to find active solutions to these conflicts.With this in mind,this article will explore the "sentimental storytelling strategy" through a warm and compassionate approach to telling the stories of the elderly in an aging society.This study of sentimental storytelling in drama films with elderly themes focuses on the meaning of "warmth" in storytelling.It explores the human nature of goodness and beauty in the face of irreparable circumstances,and the aesthetic expression and healing power that can be found therein.Three main themes are identified in drama films with elderly themes: breaking free from familial constraints,exploring the meaning of life,and achieving individual value,and are elaborated upon in this article.When creating elderly characters,the first step is to portray the group’s characteristics by designing the effects of physical function decline,sudden illness,and psychological and emotional deficiencies,setting a tragic tone.Secondly,designing rich individual elderly characters through their optimistic and open-minded personalities and emotional connections with others,warm emotions are conveyed within the tragic tone.In terms of the design of elderly character appearances,the changes in character design,lighting,and color are used to highlight the transformation of elderly character appearances,emphasizing the tragic emotions.The use of scene design to externalize the inner thoughts and feelings of elderly characters is also utilized to effectively express their warm and compassionate qualities.In terms of plot design,conflicts are set up and resolved through the portrayal of intergenerational differences and the elderly’s family situation,laying the foundation for tragic emotions.Conflicts are then resolved through the revelation of true emotions during illness and the filling of emotional gaps,conveying healing emotions.In terms of character actions,warm emotions are conveyed through the elderly characters’ concealment of their own illnesses and their genuine kindness towards others.The warmth of emotions is further reinforced through the enduring companionship of others towards the elderly characters and the latter’s help in times of need.Details play a crucial role in plot design,with visual and auditory details working together to create a narrative environment that resonates with the era of the story.Emphasis is placed on conveying emotions,and creating an environment that evokes warm and compassionate feelings,thus setting the scene for a narrative that exudes warmth and compassion.Based on the principles of film and television narratology and film narratology,this paper analyzes the characteristics of warm narratives and elderly-themed dramas to find interoperability,and summarizes them in elderly-themed dramas through three aspects:narrative theme,narrative character creation and narrative plot.A warm narrative strategy. |
