A Comparative Study of Cultural Differences between China and the West.docx
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AComparativeStudyofCulturalDifferencesbetweenChinaandtheWest
AComparativeStudyofCulturalDifferencesbetweenChinaandtheWest
—DifferentInterpretationsofHeroisminMovieandTVPlay
Contents
Acknowledgements--------------------------------------------------------------------------------ⅰ
Abstract&KeyWords-----------------------------------------------------------------------------ⅱ
1.Introduction------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1
2.HeroIstheOriginalDesireofHumantoSurviveintheNature--------------------------------1
2.1.ConceptandCategorizationofHeroes---------------------------------------------------1
2.2.NatureandOrientationofHeroes-----------------------------------------------------------2
3.HeroismistheBasicmotifofFilmIndustry----------------------------------------------------3
3.1.RelationofMovieandCulture--------------------------------------------------------------3
3.2.AnalysisoftheMotifsofAmericanTypicalCinema----------------------------------------3
3.3.AnalysisoftheMotifsofChineseTypicalCinema----------------------------------------5
4.AmericanHeroism:
HeroesofCommonPeople-------------------------------------------------6
4.1.TraditionalHeroisminAmericanMovie------------------------------------------------------6
4.2.Heroismin“ForrestGump”---------------------------------------------------------------------7
5.ChineseHeroism:
theDeificationofHeroesandtheNewHeroism---------------------------8
5.1.HeroesinTraditionalChineseMovie----------------------------------------------------------8
5.2.NewHeroism-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9
6.ComparisonbetweenAmericanandChineseHeroisms--------------------------------------10
Conclusion---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10
References---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12
Acknowledgements
IwishtothankProfessorforhisvaluablesuggestionsonearlierversionsofthisarticle.MythanksalsogotoforassistanceinaccesstotheInternet.Iespeciallythankmyfamilyandfriendsfortheirmoralesupport.Thankstomyroommatesfortheirhelpfuldiscussionandcommentsonthemanuscript.
Abstract&KeyWords
Abstract:
Heroistheeternaltopicanddreamofhumanbeings.ReflectedinmoviesandTVplays,heroismisaforemostthemeinbothwesternandChinesecultures.Bycomparingdifferentinterpretationsofheroism,thedifferencesbetweenwesternandChineseculturescanbeobserved.Inthisstudy,Americancinema,especiallyHollywoodmovie,ischosenastherepresentativeofthewesterncinema.
Firstofall,thenatureandpersonalityofheroesarestudied.Fromtheangleofanalyticpsychology,heroismisanoriginaldesireinoppositiontothealienforcesinthenature.Secondly,thethemesofbothAmericanandChinesefilmindustryarediscussed.ThirtyfilmswinningOscarsandthefeaturefilmsofBeijingFilmStudioareanalyzedinthetermsofsimilarityofheroismasthemaintheme.Thirdly,theinterpretationofheroisminAmericanmovieisdiscussed.Severalbox-officehitfilmsarechosentoanalyzetheformofheroism.Themovie“ForrestGump”isattachedgreatimportanceto,observingtheheroismthatAmericanmassespursuit.Then,theinterpretationofheroisminChinesemovieisdiscussed.Traditionalviewonheroismisdiscussedwith“DrawnSword”asanexampletoanalyzethenewtrendofChineseheroism.Finally,thetwokindsofheroismsarecompared,andthenanewangleofviewtostudytheculturaldifferencesbetweentheWestandChinaisintroduced.
KeyWords:
heroism,comparison,culturaldistinction,Hollywood,Chinesemovie.
摘要:
英雄是人类永恒的追求和梦想。
无论是在东方文化,还是西方文化中,英雄都是影视文学中最基本的母题。
通过对比英雄主义在不同文化中的诠释,可以透视中西方文化的差异。
在这篇论文中,美国电影,尤其是好莱坞电影,被选作西方文化的代表。
首先,讨论英雄的本质和品性。
从精神分析学的角度来讲,英雄是一种原欲,源于人类的生存悖论所产生的死亡恐惧。
其次,分别撷取15届奥斯卡获奖影片及94年北京电影制片厂制作的电影,依据统计学,得出英雄是电影的基本母题的结论。
然后,分别研究英雄主义在中西影视中的不同诠释,以美国和中国最具代表性的影视作品为例。
最后对比这两种英雄主义,及其隐含在背后的中西方文化差异。
关键词:
英雄主义,比较,文化差异,好莱坞,中国电影
AComparativeStudyofCulturalDifferencesbetweenChinaandtheWest
—DifferentInterpretationsofHeroisminMovieandTVPlay
1.Introduction
Severalyearsago,ZhangYimou’sblockbuster“Hero”,broughtamazingaudiovisualshockandthrilltotheaudiencesallovertheworld,grossingastaggering¥250milliondomesticallyandinternationallytogether.Recently,anotherbox-officehitmovie“ThePromise”harvestedbothapprovalandboos.From“CrouchingTiger,HiddenDragon”to“Hero”to“ThePromise”,peoplearediscussingwhatkindof“heroroad”Chinesemovieistaking.IntheWest,from“TheMatrix”totheseriesof“SpiderMan”and“TheIncredibles”,allgrossedawhoppingbox-officeandalldealtwithheroes.Wecan’thelppondering,whatisaheroorheroism?
HowisheroisminterpretedinmoviesoftheWestandChina?
Inthisstudy,theoriginofheroiccomplexofhumanbeingandpeople’sdreamsofbecomingheroareillustrated.Thefocusisonthedifferentwaysoftellingstoriesanditswhysandwherefores,throughwhich,wewillobservethehiddendifferencesbetweenthewesternandChinesecultures.
2.HeroIstheOriginalDesireofHumantoSurviveintheNature
2.1.ConceptandCategorizationofHeroes
Thefollowingsectiondelineateshowheroesarecategorized.Itisalittledifficulttoclassifytheheroesintoacertaingenrebecauseofthevarietyofclassificationsystemsingenrestudy.IfweregardheroesastheonesdescribinginthemysteriousmythologyoftheOrientandWest,ifwebelieveheroesarethoserecordedhistoryofallthenations,ifwethinkheroesarethoseinthe“modeldrama”duringtheCulturalRevolution,thenwehavenochoicebutrecognizethatheroeshavebeenfarawayfromus.
However,ifwethinkthatheroisabroadconceptwithvariouscategorizations,theconclusionwillbeutterlydifferent.ThomasCarlyleisafamousScottishhistorianandphilosopherin19thC.Inhisbook“OnHeroes,Hero-Worship,andtheHeroicinHistory”,ThomasCarlyleemploysvariousexamplesofgreatmenthroughoutrecordedhistorytoconveyhisnotionofaHero.TheHeroforhimdefinesmasculinity,whateverymanshouldstrivetoemulate.According
toCarlyle,allheroeshaveabasic"material"ofwhichtheyareallmade,somesortofstuffthatineachgreatmanallowshimtobegreat.Theyhave,forexample,"asortofsavagesincerity--notcruel,farfromthat;butwild,wrestlingnakedwiththetruthofthings"(QuotedfromCovert,2004).However,atthesametime,theyalsohave"amostgentleheartwithal,fullofpityandlove,asindeedthetrulyvalianthearteveris"(QuotedfromCovert).Aheroisamanwhowillinglydevoteshislifetothedivineandinnertruthandshareshisvisionwiththerestoftheworld.ForCarlyle,thisisthedefinitionofatrueman:
onewhoisadeepandspiritualbeing,livinghislifebydivinetruths.
Heallowsfordifferencesinhowthematerialoftheherowillmanifestitselfbysayingthateachmanisshapedbyhisowntimes.Thebasicqualitiesmustbethere;whichformitwilltakeoutofthemanyheusesasexamplesdependsonwhatcircumstancesintowhichaheroisborn.Inasense,Carlyle'sviewoftheheroresemblesthewaythatJanesawRochestershapedbycircumstance,butCarlylefeelsthatifamanhasthebasicqualitiesofahero,hewillnotbecomecorrupted,andthereforethereisnoneedofthereformingwoman.
“AHeroistheembodimentofmanhood,theultimatemale,andmasculinityincarnate.AHeroisagreatman,onetowhomeverymanlooksupandfeelsasenseofawe.Hero-worshipisthedeepestrootofall;thetap-root,fromwhichinagreatdegreealltherestwerenourishedandgrown...WorshipofaHeroistranscendentadmirationofaGreatMan.Isaygreatmenarestilladmirable;Isaythereis,atbottom,nothingelseadmirable!
Nonoblerfeelingthanthisofadmirationforonehigherthanhimdwellsinthebreastofmen.”(QuotedfromCovert)
Asamatteroffact,ifwearenotsticklerforacertainkindofabstractviewonheroes,ifweassociateheroeswiththeconcretehistoricalandculturalcontext,deepintothelevelofhumanitytocomprehendthepersonalityofheroesandregardheroesasthesincereeffortstoresolvesomecertainuniversalproblemsanddilemma,wecancometothisconclusionthat“Heroiseternal”.Invariouskindsofhistoricalandculturalcontext,therearealwayspeoplewhomakegreateffortstoresolvesomeuniversalproblems,todefendthecurrentviewofsocialvalues.
2.2.NatureandOrientationofHeroes
Here,“hero”wearediscussingisinthetermofhumanbeings,heroismrootinthefeartowardsdeath,whichisresultedfromlivingparadox.AsfarasAdamandEvaweredrivenoutofEden,theparadoxstandsoutincontrast:
ononehand,humanisprimateintheuniverse,thecreatorofculturalsymbolism;ontheotherhand,human,afterall,isasenioranimalthatisdoomedtorottenness.Itisthisfundamentalconstrainthumansuffersthatresultsintheunawarerevolt,thatis,theheroicimpulse:
inordertoresisttheabsurddestiny,humanemployskindsofregulationsandrelationssuchasreligion,morality,love,authorityandarttotrytoconstructsome“causasuiproject”soastobesuperiorandeveneternal.(李启军,2004)
However,whatweshouldpointoutis,althoughthefeartodeathisthemostinternalmotivationofhumans,inreality,therevolttodeathmayevolvethattoalltheforcessimilartothreatofdeath.Theexternalappearanceofheroismmaybethededicationtosome“causasuiproject”andgreataccomplishment,but