History as Melodrama:Xie Jin's Film Adaptations in the Early and Mid-1980s

• 作 者: 秦立彦
• 机 构: 北京大学比较文学与比较文化研究所,
• 出 处: 比较文学与世界文学
• 发表日期: 2012年01期
• 关键词: political campaign Revolution literary reflecting party Hibiscus giving career s

Xie Jin(1923-2008)is one of the most important film directors after1949,reaching the peak of his career after the Cultural Revolution.This paper examines three film adaptations by Xie Jin made during the early and mid-1980s reflecting on the anti-rightist campaign and the Cultural Revolution.The paper analyzes these films through the perspective of melodrama,not only as a genre in literature and film,but as a mode of approaching and making sense of history.The paper explores Xie Jin’s melodrama through comparisons of the films with one another and with their literary sources.Since the late 1980s,the melodramatic mode was no longer valid,giving way to other ways of portraying history.

Xie Jin (1923-2008) is one of the most important film directors after1949, reaching the peak of his career after the Cultural Revolution. This paper examines three film adaptations by Xie Jin made during the early and mid-1980s reflecting on the anti- rightist campaign and the Cultural Revolution. The paper analyzes these films through the perspective of melodrama, not only as a genre in literature and film, but as a mode of approaching and making sense of history. The paper explores Xie Jin’s melodrama through comparisons of the films with one another and with their literary sources. Since the late 1980s, the melodramatic mode was no longer valid, giving way to other ways of portraying history.