University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2010 Theorizing Ambivalence in Ang Lee's Transnational Cinema: The Discourse of Chinese Identity Between the Local and the Global Chih-Yun Chiang University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Communication Commons Recommended Citation Chiang, Chih-Yun, "Theorizing Ambivalence in Ang Lee's Transnational Cinema: The Discourse of Chinese Identity Between the Local and the Global" (2010). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 781. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/781 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. THEORIZING AMBIVALENCE IN ANG LEE’S TRANSNATIONAL CINEMA: THE DISCOURSE OF CHINES IDENTITY BETWEEN THE LOCAL AND THE GLOBAL __________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Social Sciences University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________ by Chih-Yun Chiang August 2010 Advisor: Darrin Hicks ©Copyright by Chih-Yun Chiang 2010 All Rights Reserved Author: Chih-Yun Chiang Title: THEORIZING AMBIVALENCE IN ANG LEE’S TRANSNATIONAL CINEMA: THE DISCOURSE OF CHINESE IDENTITY BETWEEN THE LOCAL AND THE GLOBAL Advisor: Darrin Hicks Degree Date: August 2010 Abstract Using ambivalence as a theoretical framework, this study examines Ang Lee’s cinematic discourse of Chinese identity, which is co-constructed with the audiences from different cultural communities. I focus on Ang Lee’s transnational films Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Lust, Caution as my two case studies. By analyzing the audience discourse from Taiwan, Mainland China, and overseas Chinese communities, I am able to conceptualize their reactions as communicative moments that co-construct the meaning of the film text. I suggest that ambivalence is a self-representational strategy for the ethnic “Other,” who is historically denied access to representation, to contest and subvert the conventional stereotyping and simplification of one’s subjectivity. Additionally, this research provides a good example of the familiar cycle of ambivalent emotion toward the West, in the aftermath of postcolonialism. China and Taiwan’s long history of engaging in a subordinate relationship with the West enhances the resurgence of ambivalence. Representations become a significant and predominant way to mediate one’s bodily experiences, to connect and collaborate with one another, and to form and inform one’s cultural identity. My research furthers the theorization of the ways in which new media technologies impact and alter the human interactions between peoples from various cultural, social, and political contexts. ii Acknowledgements I am grateful to my dissertation committee members. First, I must thank the director of this dissertation, Dr. Darrin Hicks, who gave his generous ideas, time, and unwavering advice during the process of completing my studies. Dr. Hicks has always been a source of inspiration, a great mentor, and a long-term example of creative and critical scholarship for me. Drs. Bernadette M. Calafell and Kate G. Willink provided positive feedback, encouragement, ideas, and support for me. Dr. Bonnie Clark kindly agreed to be my outside chair during her tight summer schedule. Special thanks to the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange. Without the awarded dissertation fellowship for ROC students abroad, I would not be able to complete this study. I also appreciate that the Department of Human Communication Studies, University of Denver, gave me scholarships that supported my coursework, and provided a wonderful environment for a rich academic experience. I am especially grateful to my mentor Dr. Lily Mendoza from Oakland University, who was the inspiration for this study. I am thankful for her long-term mentoring, friendship, and support, which opened up my interest and a new world of understanding in cultural studies and intercultural scholarship. Thank you all for your impact on my scholarship and life. In addition to my academic support, I am most grateful to my parents and family who provided nothing but support. I thank my parents Jim Chiang and Wei-Chen Shih for their support while I completed the PhD journey. I am grateful to my aunt Dr. Yuan- Yuan Chiu and my uncle Dr. Hung-dah Chiu who helped me numerous times, offered iii unconditional love and believed in me throughout these years while I completed my degree in the United States. I want to especially thank my American friends and family—Donna Goben and Vern Irwin. I thank Donna for her seven years of unending support, help, and personal friendship. I thank Vern and Russia (the cat) for their kind companionship at the stage of dissertation writing. Finally, my gratitude goes to many friends from Taiwan, the Human Communication Studies Department, and Stella’s coffee shop, who have ever given me your hands and words of encouragements. My sincerest appreciation to you all. iv Table of Contents Chapter One—The Disruption of the Global and the Local............................................... 1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 1 Representation and cultural identity in the age of uncertainty ............................. 10 Westernization versus nativism: ........................................................................... 14 The politics of recognition between the “global” and the “local” ........................ 14 Diasporas and its challenge of the nation-state boundary..................................... 17 Communication Research on Postcolonialism, Globalization and Diaspora........ 20 Global visuality in transnational cultural production: On Chineseness as a representational problem....................................................................................... 24 Transnational Cinema and the representation of national identity ........... 31 Chapter Two—Speaking Beyond Postcoloniality: The Historical Construction of Chinese and Taiwanese Identity ..................................................................................................... 41 Identity crisis and the struggle over memory........................................................ 46 Legacies of the cold war: Americanization as desire and internationalization of Taiwan................................................................................................................... 51 Taiwanese nationalism and the struggle for a national identity............................ 54 (Re) constructing a cinematic discourse of Chineseness ...................................... 56 Chapter Three—Theorizing Ambivalence: Ambivalent Formations in Ang Lee’s Transnational Films and the Audiences............................................................................ 61 Ambivalence as coexistence of contradictory tendencies..................................... 62 Ambivalence as equivocation and contradictions in mimicry .............................. 68 Representing the self and the others: .................................................................... 77 Representation as a burden and a becoming......................................................... 77 Cultural memory, nostalgia, and diasporic imagination ....................................... 79 Ambivalence as a site of contestation................................................................... 87 Chapter Four—The Burden of Becoming a Chinese Diasporic Director: The Discourse of Bridging the East and the West in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon............................... 90 Public discourse as construction of film reception ............................................... 93 Methodological note ............................................................................................. 95 Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: A dream of China ........................................... 98 Ambivalent discourse on transnational Chineseness:......................................... 101 Disrupting Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism ............................................. 101 Reconfiguring Gender Politics................................................................ 107 Ang Lee’s culture (con)fusion and mimicry....................................................... 109 Discourse of audiences ....................................................................................... 112 Theme one: Pan-Chinese cultural pride.................................................. 112 Theme two: Bridging the East and the West .......................................... 118 Theme three: (Re) Constructing Wuxia world and a cultural China ...... 120 Theme four: Nostalgia and reflexivity.................................................... 128 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 137 v Chapter Five—The Discourse of Cultural and National Pride: The Ambivalent Discourse on Chinese Identity in Lust, Caution .............................................................................. 139 Only through performing can one reach the ultimate truth of self ..................... 140 Ang Lee: Making authentic Shanghai