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A Cultural Study of the Portrayal of Leading Women in Zhang Yimou Films

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A Cultural Study of the Portrayal of Leading Women in Zhang Yimou Films The University of Southern Mississippi The Aquila Digital Community Dissertations Fall 2019 Unveiling Identities: A Cultural Study of the Portrayal of Leading Women in Zhang Yimou Films Patrick McGuire University of Southern Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations Part of the Ethnic Studies Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, and the Other Film and Media Studies Commons Recommended Citation McGuire, Patrick, "Unveiling Identities: A Cultural Study of the Portrayal of Leading Women in Zhang Yimou Films" (2019). Dissertations. 1736. https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/1736 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNVEILING IDENTITIES: A CULTURAL STUDY OF THE PORTRAYAL OF LEADING WOMEN IN ZHANG YIMOU FILMS by Patrick Dean McGuire A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School, the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Communication at The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Approved by: Dr. Christopher Campbell, Committee Chair Dr. Phillip Gentile Dr. Cheryl Jenkins Dr. Vanessa Murphree Dr. Fei Xue ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Dr. Christopher Dr. John Meyer Dr. Karen S. Coats Campbell Director of School Dean of the Graduate School Committee Chair December.2019 COPYRIGHT BY Patrick Dean McGuire 2019 Published by the Graduate School ABSTRACT It is imperative to recognize the ongoing collaborations of filmmakers from different countries. Film director Zhang Yimou, cited in this work, has reached out beyond his Chinese borders in recruiting both cast and crew on many of his latest features. But the field of film studies appears to have limited their investigations of such cross-cultural analyses, in particular the subjective analysis of the female lead character in film. Subjective and culturally wired as such, researchers bring forth conscious observations from their socialized unconscious minds. This textual analysis begins with a comparison of two Chinese films, particularly observing their similar female lead characters. This study illustrates how the ingrained cultural visions of film director Zhang Yimou are at his disposal to construct the appropriate cultural elements of the mise-en-scene in the making of the two films. The next chapter analyzes one film using a mode of gender representation known as “gazing” that strongly suggests a power dynamic in the female lead character’s non-verbal behavior. The last group of films crosses the cross-cultural line. By comparing a Western text to the “other” Eastern version of the same story, the task is to observe the changes involved in the unveiling and subsequent transparency of the female lead character. These observations look for the motives and emotions that define the female lead character, and contribute to the advancement to the plot. All of the films chosen for this study possess the characteristic style and form of the melodramatic. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Christopher Campbell for his tremendous support during the completion of this process. I would also like to thank Dr. Phillip Gentile for his unwavering commitment to the advancement of this study. I must also give thanks to the other members of my committee, Dr. Cheryl Jenkins for her generous assistance, Dr. Vanessa Murphree, and Dr. Fei Xue for their reassuring confidence in the execution and completion of this work. I also would like to acknowledge my family and friends for their encouragement in my diligent commitment in obtaining a PhD degree. Especially Providence Grillot for providing a conducive environment for the writing. But above all, I thank God for all of His blessings bestowed upon me during this arduous task. This work is dedicated to the late Mary Ellen McGuire, my mom. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iii CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 Mise-en-Scene ................................................................................................................. 2 The Male Gaze ................................................................................................................ 4 The Other ........................................................................................................................ 7 Conclusion: Zhang Yimou’s Modus Operandi ............................................................... 9 CHAPTER II – LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODOLOGY .............................. 14 A True Auteur: Zhang Yimou’s Style of Filmmaking.................................................. 15 Mise-en-Scene and Bordwell’s (1989) “Bull’s Eye” Schema ....................................... 22 Critique of Zhang Yimou: A New Ethnography ........................................................... 27 Ju Dou and Laura Mulvey’s Psychoanalytic “Gaze” ................................................... 29 An Exhibition: Visual Display by Ju Dou .................................................................... 33 A Man’s Desire for the “Other” according to Jacques Lacan ....................................... 35 Translations of Ethnicity, Stereotype and the Creation of the “Other” ........................ 36 Melodrama: More than a Genre, Modes of Distinction ................................................ 41 Brief History of Chinese Females (Feudal System to Modern Times) ......................... 46 Dynasties ....................................................................................................................... 46 Confucianism: Weak and Passive Females ................................................................... 48 iv Summary ....................................................................................................................... 56 Research Methodology ................................................................................................. 57 Models Used In Textual Analysis ................................................................................. 58 Initial Research Activity ............................................................................................... 58 Analysis......................................................................................................................... 59 Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 63 CHAPTER III - HITTING THE BULL’S EYE: MISE-EN-SCENE USAGE .................. 64 Red Sorghum (1987) ..................................................................................................... 65 Raise the Red Lantern (1991) ....................................................................................... 65 Testimonies: Introduction to the Female Character ...................................................... 66 Arrival: Introduction to the Main Set............................................................................ 67 Zhang Yimou’s Use of the Camera in the Mise-En-Scene: Bordwell’s Non-Diegetic . 69 The Haunted Fields of Sorghum: Red Sorghum Scenes 2A-4D ................................... 69 Wedding Night Interrupted: Raise the Red Lantern Scenes 4A-4D ............................. 73 Zhang Yimou’s Usage of Space in the Mise-En-Scene: Bordwell’s Diegetic ............. 76 Jiu’er’s Transition to Authority: Red Sorghum Scenes 6A-6D .................................... 77 Manipulate System: Songlian in Control: Raise the Red Lantern Scenes 17A-18E .... 80 Zhang Yimou’s Use of Light in the Mise-En-Scene: Bordwell’s Non-Diegetic .......... 83 Jiu’er Takes Control: Red Sorghum Scenes 13A-15A .................................................. 83 Desperation for Songlian: Raise the Red Lantern Scenes 23A-26A ............................ 88 v Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 91 CHAPTER IV – POWER IN GAZING: DIEGETIC AND NON-DIEGETIC ................ 94 Ju Dou (1990) ............................................................................................................... 95 Introduction to the Female Character ........................................................................... 96 Introduction to the Main Set ......................................................................................... 97 Zhang Yimou’s Direction of Ju Dou: Female Lead Character’s Gaze ......................... 99 Female Lead Character Reveals.................................................................................. 103 Zhang Yimou’s Point-Of-View Through the Lens: Camera Gaze ............................. 106 Relationships Deteriorate: Tianbai Gazes at Couple .................................................. 110 Eight Years Have Passed ............................................................................................ 114 Conclusion .................................................................................................................
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