Product Description

What does it mean to be "Chinese?" This controversial question has sparked off a never-ending process of image-making in Chinese and Chinese-speaking communities throughout the twentieth century. This introduction to Chinese national cinema, written by a leading scholar, covers three "Chinas": mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. It traces the formation, negotiation and problematization of the national on the Chinese screen over ninety years. Historical and comparative perspectives bring out the parallel developments in the three Chinas, while critical analysis explores thematic and stylistic changes over time.

As well as exploring artistic achievements and ideological debates, Chinese National Cinema also emphasizes industry research and market analysis. The author concludes that despite the rigid censorship systems and the pressures on film makers, Chinese national cinema has never succeeded in projecting a single unified picture, but rather portrays many Chinas.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #495149 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 344 pages

Review

A remarkable scholarly achievement, evidenced by the authors extensive research, encyclopedic knowledge of his subject and refreshing interpretations of the major trends and developments in Chinese film history ... this book establishes Zhang as the undisputed authority on Chinese cinema in the West. - Zhiwei Xiao, California State University

A model of forward-looking scholarship, and a superb addition to the National Cinemas series ... eminently suited to adoption on courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. - Julian Stringer, University of Nottingham, UK

All in all, Chinese National Cinema is a masterly synthesis of a vast subject. - The China Journal

A model of forward-looking scholarship, and a superb addition to the National Cinemas series ... eminently suited to adoption on courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
–Julian Stringer, University of Nottingham

A remarkable scholarly achievement, evidenced by the author's extensive research, encyclopedic knowledge of his subject and refreshing interpretations of the major trends and developments in Chinese film history ... this book establishes Zhang as the undisputed authority on Chinese cinema in the West.
–Zhiwei Xiao, California State University

Review

'A remarkable scholarly achievement, evidenced by the author's extensive research, encyclopedic knowledge of his subject and refreshing interpretations of the major trends and developments in Chinese film history ... this book establishes Zhang as the undisputed authority on Chinese cinema in the West.' - Zhiwei Xiao, California State University

'A model of forward-looking scholarship, and a superb addition to the National Cinemas series ... eminently suited to adoption on courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.' - Julian Stringer, University of Nottingham, UK

'All in all, Chinese National Cinema is a masterly synthesis of a vast subject.' - The China Journal

About the Author
Yingjin Zhang is Professor of Chinese Literature and Film, Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies at University of California San Diego. He is the co-author and editor of Routledge's Encyclopedia of Chinese Film (1998).

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Customer Reviews

Chinese film history: nationalism not cultural or artistic traits
Read the review by Sabrina Q. Yu, University of Nottingham, UK in
http://www.scope.nottingham.ac.uk/bookreview.php?issue=6&id=162

Three excerpts:

"The book is divided into eight chapters according to historical periodization. Fully aware of the influence of an ideological viewpoint on Chinese film historiography, Zhang tries to give Chinese cinema a less politicized, but broader periodization. Starting with early cinema (1896-1929) in Chapter Two and the 'golden age' of Chinese cinema (1930-1949) in Chapter Three, the author moves to separately address the cinema of Taiwan, Hong Kong and the PRC before 1978 in Chapters Four, Five, Six, and then investigates new waves in the three Chinas (1979-1989), and concludes with a discussion of transnational imaginary in the three Chinas from 1990 to 2002. This scheme clearly shows Zhang's aim to balance complicated Chinese film history in different temporal and geopolitical locales. On the one hand, the films of the three Chinas are given similar attention, avoiding any priority. On the other hand, a roughly identical periodization is applied to the films in the PRC, Taiwan and Hong Kong."

"As a mainland Chinese critic, it is heartening to see that Zhang, a film scholar from mainland China, pursues an ideological neutrality in his writing of Chinese film history."

and

"The significance of Zhang's Chinese National Cinema results from its groundbreaking endeavour to establish a less biased history of Chinese cinema, and to "conduct primary research and complete the constructive phase of film historiography before we can proceed with deconstruction and reconstruction in any confident, meaningful way" (12)."

A good overview
This book covers Chinese cinema in terms of genre, history and genres influenced by political situations. It mostly compares the progressions of Chinese cinema alongside most of the more modern history of China (KMT being overthrown, rise of the ugly CCP, chairman Mao, Post cultural revolution, etc.). The author also touches on certain terminology and various controversies surrounding it. For example, he talks about Chinese cinema can mean anything from movies made in the Peoples' Republic, Hong Kong or Taiwan. Some downsides I supposed I should mention is that for some genres, they don't give you many examples, and they do that bit you always see art/film students doing where they try and bunch everything into a category, when it might overlap with something else, or just shouldn't be categorized. Anyway, I felt this was a very detailed overview of Chinese cinema. However, I will say that this is a very intimidating choice for a textbook. On two or three pages alone, you will have enough information and facts to make an entire exam.