Chinese History, Opera, and Wuxia Film: Key Concepts and Cultural Evolution

Role types in opera

Male roles (Sheng)

Female roles (dan)

Painted faces (jing)

Bouffons/clowns (chou)

Painted faces

tend to be all male but separate because they're so different role-wise

Face colour symbolism

White - bad guy, ruthless, no blood

Black - impartial justice

Red - bravery

Bouffons

sarcasm, womanizers, bigger the white block on their face, the worse they are

What is Wuxia Pian?

A martial arts film genre.

What themes are commonly found in Wuxia Pian?

Military chivalry and ethical righting of social wrongs.

What does 'jianghu' refer to in Wuxia Pian?

Rivers and lakes, representing the martial arts community.

What does Kungfu represent?

Work performed through skill.

What type of combat is associated with Kungfu?

Unarmed combat.

What is a key focus of Kungfu training?

Personal improvement and learning skills.

Opera elements

song

speech (dialogue, poetry)

acrobatics

dance

mime

Instrument tyoes

Military: percussion, gongs and drums

Civil/literary: wind and string

Gender conventions

single-sex troupes

cross-dressing (both diegetic and non-diegetic)

Come drink with me - woman warrior surprising western audiences

Diegetic

Real world

- Undercover cop dressing up as other gender

- Mulan

- music heard in the world of the film

Non-diegetic

male actor plays female role

- girls playing peter pan in play

- music added onto film later

What is the significance of 'Come Drink With Me' in martial arts film?

It represents a new era of martial arts film.

How does 'Come Drink With Me' differ in style compared to earlier martial arts films?

It is more realistic and less 'stagey'.

What type of shooting was used in 'Come Drink With Me'?

Location shooting.

What kind of sets were used in 'Come Drink With Me'?

Elaborate and expensive realist studio sets.

How does 'Come Drink With Me' relate to live opera?

It shares stylistic elements with live opera.

How does 'Come Drink With Me' relate to opera films?

It incorporates elements similar to those found in opera films.

How does 'Come Drink With Me' compare to other martial arts films?

It offers a more realistic portrayal than many other martial arts films.

who produced come drink with me

shaw brothers

who directed come drink with me

king hu

wuxia film

popular genre, percieved as lower quality

beijing opera

synthesis of dance, song, and drama

cinema

different kind of synthesis of movement, music and drama

What is cinematic synthesis?

Synchronization of non-diegetic music to movements, with music created after filming and editing.

What does acrobatics choreography involve?

Actors and camera editing.

What is operatic lianxiang?

Static poses combined with CLOSE UPS

what dynasty was come drink with me set in

ming dynasty

what was the cultural revolution

what was the civil war in china

who fought in the civil war in china

Nationalists and Communists

spectacle

"eye candy" "visual excess"

- elaborate costumes and makeup

- elaborate sets

- gore

- action scenes

Visual pleasure

beauty: maybe but not necessarily a moment of visual excess

History of Farewell my Concubine

fall of qing dynasty (1912)

- republic then warlord era

Civil war (1927-1949) (Rupiblican and CCP)

Civil war

interrupted by second-sino-japanese war (1931/7-1945)

People's republic of china

1949

proclamation of PRC in Tiananmen square

Mao Zedong

chairman of CCP

top-down revolution

how did Mao Zedong change the actions and ideas of the masses?

art/propoganda

Jiang Qing

actress, communist activist

married mau

headed film agency of the propoganda department

film about working classes to promote radical change

What years did the Cultural Revolution take place?

1966-1976

What problem did the Cultural Revolution address regarding feudalism?

Feudalism's disparities of wealth and education remain

What was a challenge faced by China during the Cultural Revolution?

How to unify a huge diverse and recently fragmented nation

What was the solution proposed during the Cultural Revolution to change minds?

Use art, mass media, and other 'ideological forms'

Who were the red guard

A group of young people who wanted to destroy anyone that threatened communism in china

"counter-revolutionaries" (the wealthy, capitalists, intellectuals, traditional artists, etc)

What were the "Four Olds"

What the red guard wanted to destroy

- old culture, old ideas, old customs, and old habits

When did fifth generation filmmaking emerge?

In the mid 1980s

What cultural event influenced fifth generation filmmaking?

The trauma of the Cultural Revolution

What is a characteristic of fifth generation filmmaking regarding politics?

It features political ambiguity

What type of film studios were still present during fifth generation filmmaking?

State-sponsored film studios

What generation of filmmakers started in the silent era?

First generation

What generation of filmmakers started in the early sound era?

Second generation

Which generation of filmmakers is associated with the communist era?

Third generation

When did the fourth generation of filmmakers start making films?

Between 1976 and mid 1980s

how did the cultural revolution affect film production and culture

very few if any fiction films made, some filmmakers to labour camps

"Model operas"

- actually operas, ballets, and musical pieces

how did the civil war affect film production and culture

film studios nationalised

-publicly funded (funded well)

- centrally planned production, distribution, exhibition

censorship, but also diverse, high-quality films

Who influenced filmmaking during the civil war

influence of United Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR): training, organization, artistic ideas, etc