Comrade China on the Big Screen
Author | : Xingyi Tang |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : |
Release | : 2011 |
ISBN-10 | : OCLC:816382728 |
ISBN-13 | : |
Rating | : 4/5 (28 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: ABSTRACT: Homosexuality has always been an ambiguous topic in Chinese culture, and even a taboo one after the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Meanwhile, the film industry has been a particularly censored field by the Chinese government, and all cinematic content relevant to homosexuality is banned in mainland China. Hence, this paper probes into this underground subject, Chinese homosexuality, by qualitatively analyzing three Chinese homosexual films. Especially from an intercultural perspective, the present paper focuses on the production of Chinese homosexual films, the impact of Chinese cultural values on homosexuality, and the cinematic presentation of homosexual identity in mainland China. The three selected films are Lan Yu (gay love), Fish and Elephant (lesbian love), and Queer China, Comrade China (comprehensive queer documentary). According to the comparison and discussion of the three films, homosexual films are still in underground state in mainland China. International film festivals as well as pirated products are the most popular channels to exhibit homosexual films. Familial reproduction and marital obligation in traditional Chinese values place critical obstacles in Chinese homosexual life, and public ignorance of homosexuality results in misunderstanding of homosexual identity. Queer studies and sexual identity models need their local adaptation in China. Homosexual films and LGBT movements are in need of more social concerns and supports to make progress in mainland China.