A Study On The Characterization Of Disaster Films In Chinese Mainland Since The New Century (2000-2021)

The reality of how human beings face disasters and how they can better survive has provided material for the creation of disaster movies,and people are increasingly concerned about the philosophy of life contained in disaster movies.Disaster films in Chinese mainland started slowly,and the first disaster film in Chinese mainland appeared in the late 1950 s.After the new century,thanks to the development of economy and technology,the development of disaster films in Chinese mainland has become more and more prosperous.Disaster movies in Chinese mainland mainly focus on human beings,showing how the characters face the disaster and their psychology when they face the disaster,as well as the relationship between human and nature,human and human,individual and collective,and family and nation.In this study,the characters in Chinese mainland disaster films have become a microcosm of the changes in Chinese culture in the context of cultural diversity and economic globalization.Therefore,this study takes the different characters in the disaster films of Chinese mainland since the new century as a starting point,summarizes and reflects on these characters,and tries to explore the cultural meanings embedded in the characters.This study sorts out the development of disaster films in Chinese mainland and summarizes the characteristics of characters that have become the core of disaster film performance after the formation of disaster films in Chinese mainland.Based on Propp’s method of using the function of character to study stories,the study classifies the composition of characters in Chinese mainland disaster films since the new century,specifically dividing characters into rescuers,hindrances,and sufferers based on the "rescue" function involved in disasters.In the specific cultural context of Chinese mainland,different types of characters play different roles in the narrative of disaster films.First,the rescuer is a rescuer who seeks collective identity.While Hollywood films consistently advocate individual heroism,the rescuer in Chinese mainland disaster films usually presents collective strength,emphasizing the identification of the collective hero in Chinese mainland disaster films through the representation of the quick and efficient Chinese rescue performed by individuals in specific positions and the portrayal of the rescuer’s emotions that can connect with the audience.Secondly,the hindrances are the hindrances with special value,showing that under the increasingly complex desires,the hindrances have a return to humanity due to the disaster,and the film also focuses on forming a positive social judgment on the hindrances.Finally,the sufferers are the ones who create the linkage for the film’s narrative,and those who wait for rescue play a completely secondary role in highlighting the power of "other rescue",which stems from the collective consciousness that exists in the hearts of Chinese people.The self-help sufferers are given the belief and hope to save themselves under the emotional connection within the sufferers.These three types of characters have given a deeper cultural meaning to Chinese mainland disaster films,as the films are based on real-life archetypes,but also begin to present the power of women in the new era,so that rescuers seeking collective identity complete the conventional value orientation.In the context of "joyful culture," the films usually have a reunion ending,and the depiction of individuals and society,family and nation,usually show the family and nation sentiments that can touch the audience,thus forming an idealistic ethical expression;the films also write a Chinese collectivist spirit by intertwining individual heroes and rescue collectives,and presenting self-help suffering groups that can symbolize the collectivism embedded in Chinese mythology.The meaning of character construction not only reflects the meaning and connotation of the construction of disaster films in Chinese mainland,but also the audience’s expectation that disaster films in Chinese mainland can construct new meanings and new values.By analyzing the value and role of characters in disaster narratives,what different characters do in the face of disasters and the fate of different characters after experiencing disasters,this study can make people appreciate the meaning of the construction of characters in films in a specific context of the times,make people examine their own relationship with disasters and think about the meaning of life.It also enables people to appreciate the meaning of the characters in the film in the context of a particular era,to examine their relationship with the disaster,to think about the meaning of life,and to develop a scientific understanding of the characters in the disaster film.