Proposal on Female Character in Chinese Films 3
Running Head: Proposal On Female Character in Chinese Films 1
Proposal for Female Character in Chinese Films
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Proposal Paper
Proposal on female character in Chinese films
Introduction
Evolution and development of Film work in China have continuously represented different features of the female characters with the domination of two stereotypes, which are the good-girl- conventional, disciplined and always abides by her parents, she is most beautiful but not sexy. On the other hand, there is the rebellious one; she is a freer regardless of her background (Bossoms, 2017). Her appearance depicts more of a boyish and her story got a tragic tail, especially with earlier films. However, in the recent movies, there is an adoption of a new direction whereby there is a room for ambiguity, and the movie is shedding light on the internal struggle and duality of Chinese women (Bossoms, 2017).
Statement of purpose
I propose on analysing four Chinese films which include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon film, and Red Detachment of Women, Still Life and To Live. The purpose will be mainly to analyse how the characters show the political and historical representation of heroines in Chinese Films. This will help in symbolizing the context, audience, setting, structure or any other idea that is in this semester’s readings. After the analysis, one will be able to understand why the depiction of women has continuously changed with Chinese films evolution. Furthermore, one will comprehend the female representation change from the Mao era where women were not perceived as individuals, but rather as embodiments of the corporate party agenda. One will be getting why they participated as fighters in The Red Detachment of Women and taking heroine roles in place they have choices and possess different traits like in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Liu, 2015).
Plan of Action
Readers will have four days from the announcement of the project to finish and familiarise with the analysis of female character in Chinese films. Everyone will read on supporting articles on the topic which is in four films that are to be analysed. The rubric will be used to guide readers on the exact references to be used during understanding of the female character in these four films. I will make a rubric and hand it for approval.
Benefits of the female character in Chinese films proposal
The proposal would allow readers to think and understand how female characters are treated in Chinese films. Thus this would help in understanding why In Chinese culture female characters are always the focus of literary and artistic works. According to Liu (2015) female is characterised with tenderness, prettiness, and kindness and wiser. Also, they are considered to be independent, sexy, straightforward, and considerate to others as seen in the film To Live. Through analyzing the four films, readers will also get why in the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, despite given choices, they take the heroine roles (Liu, 2015).
Moreover, readers will get a comprehensive understanding as to why in the film Red Detachment of Women, female characters are the fighters (Liu 2015). Like in the film To Live, the set up represents a community that is suffering due to poverty and occasional tragedies which appear throughout the movie. In contrast, despite the suffering image, the plot is tied on together with love, wisdom and determination. The theme brought out it that nothing worse you can’t go through. We get two characters, Fugui and his wife Jiazhen who struggle throughout their life by doing daily activities that many cannot. The nature of Jiazhen is shown as a loving, caring and kind wife to her husband, Fugui. She has a significant role and is seen throughout the film trying to keep Fugui straight even on hard times. She is maintaining the happiness which they show throughout the movie despite abstract poverty. Jiazhen is seen going through hardship but keeping hope when her husband goes to war for an extended period. She was forced to raise and cater to Youquing needs on her own till the return of Fugui from war.
The proposal also will help the reader to understand the film Still Life (2006) which depicts how society has been displaced and disrupted because of societal changes. As a reader, you will be able to understand the use of old and mature characters. The film talks about two protagonists, Shen Hong (Zhao Tao) and Sanming (Han Sanming) who shows survival, more tenacity and their fate have no sense of failure. In the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the focus is on the lives of various women of paths that differ from one another but with parallel obstacles. Every female character in the film forges her path. Despite reconciling at the end, Shu Lien does not offer advice to Jen on becoming an obedient and loyal person. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon focuses on the lives of different women on different paths with parallel obstacles. Ultimately, each woman forges her path. When Shu Lien and Jen reconcile at the end, she doesn’t advise Jen to be loyal or obedient. Finally, one will be able to understand the reason why female characters partake the role of heroine in the film, Red Detachment of Women. In the movie, Qiong Hua acts as a slave girl of Nan Batian, who is a renowned landlord in the village of Yelinzhai on Hainan Island. She suffers a lot and has tried to escape from the cruelty of Batian who has jailed her in a water dungeon. Finally, she is saved by Hong Changqing who pretends to buy her as a slave but later instructs her to join the red detachment of women. Qiong Hua is then seen entering the revolutionary rank, and after getting educated, she becomes a conscientious revolutionary fighter.
Conclusion/ desired outcomes
The female character in the films is widely depicted going through abstract sufferings one before the sun shines back again. In the film To Live, we can see the plight of Jianzei when she is left with her son, to cater to his needs despite their known poverty. Also, she is seen as a character that portrays love, wisdom by guiding her husband not to indulge in gambling again and focus on the family. On the other hand, in Red Detachment of Women, Qiong is a female character who has gone through a lot of suffering as a slave girl. She is depicted having been thrown into a water dungeon by Batian. Before she is rescued by Hong, she had suffered a lot, and later she joined the revolutionary army of the red detachment of women. In the film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, two female characters Shen and Jen are seen resolving their disputes at the end. However, Shen does not educate Jen on the need of being loyal and obedient which is characterised by a Chinese lady. Finally, in the film still alive Shen Hong (Zhao Tao) and Sanming (Han Sanming) are seen going to look for their spouses. This is due to societal changes that had displaced them. The female character is first seen as weak and one who cannot liberate herself, but in the end, she defies all those expectations and become one of the strongest people in the family or on social and political issues as in Red Detachment of Women.
References
Bai, D. (1966). Feminism in the Revolutionary Model Ballets The White-Haired Girl and The Red Detachment of Women. Art in Turmoil: The Chinese Cultural Revolution, 76, 188-202.
Chan, K. (2004). The Global Return of the Wu Xia Pian (Chinese Sword-Fighting Movie): Ang Lee’s” Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. Cinema Journal, 3-17.
Hu, J., & Bartneck, C. (2008). Culture matters: A study on the presence in an interactive movie. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(5), 529-535.
Liu, F., Li, J., & Cheng, H. (2006). Sex appeal advertising: gender differences in Chinese consumers’ responses. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 18(1), 19-28.
Roberts, R. (2008). Performing gender in Maoist ballet: Mutual subversions of genre and ideology in The Red Detachment of Women. Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific, 16, 1-17.