Popular Cinema and Political Thought in Post-Mao China

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52 Paul G. Pickowiczstate, but had little in common with the views advanced by daring antiMarxist dissident intellectuals who fundamentally opposed the party (andwho, before June 1989, enjoyed relatively little support among ordinaryurbanites). Films like The legend of Tianyun Mountain were depressing,but they usually included depictions of honest and loyal cadres who werededicated to the reform of the system.This tentative conclusion supports the notion that while the official andthe unofficial arc not identical, they should not be thought of as beingopposite. On the one hand, elements of popular political thought, filteredthrough films and many other media, helped fuel the political reformmovement at the elite level by exerting a measure of political pressure. Onthe other hand, it seems clear that the contours of mainstream popularpolitical discourse in the years immediately following the death of Mao werestill being shaped to a significant degree by the political categories and eventhe language set forward by the party in the early 1950s. Ordinary urbanites(who had very few options in the realm of politics) in all likelihood didnot think much about alternatives to the socialist system when they demandedjustice and accountability in the early 1980s. The enormously popular seriousfilms of this period reveal the glaring gap between official political thoughtand the political thought of educated young urbanites, but they also suggestthat the bitter complaints of many such urbanites had little in commonwith outright dissidence or the barely audible calls for organized oppositionto the single-party state.NOTES1. For a solid study of cinema and elite politics after 1949 see Paul Clark, ChineseCinema (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988).2. Margaret Pearson, "Film in China: The Domestic System and Foreign Imports,"U.S. Department of State Cultural Background Series, U.S. Embassy, Beijing, January21, 1982, pp. 1-2.3. In a 1983 survey of young Shanghaincsc, "serious films that reflect socialissues" were preferred by more respondents than any other type of film, includingforeign films. Among those surveyed, it was university students (93 percent), YouthLeague cadres (94.3 percent), and young industrial workers (83.2 percent) who showedthe greatest degree of interest in serious films.Tvpe of filmSeriousForeignAdventureLight comedyRevolutionary historyAdaptations of great fictionHong Kong filmsAncient history costume dramasPercentage whoacknowledged liking thistype of film7775.841.533.832.630.427.713.1Popular Cinema and PolitMilitary storiesOperasSec Xu Miaoting, "Shangh;nn 1,1983, pp. 40-46.1interest in political melod1gongren de xianzlwang [Bthank Stanley Rosen for t4. Shao Mujun, "Chi1journal, val. 1, no. 1 (De5. Ding Qiao, "Chine:62.6. Tianyun shan chua,Bei aiqing yiwang de jaicStudio, 1981; Ren dao zChangchun Film Studio,7. Lu Yanzhou's TianJQingming, no. 1 (July 198. "Tan yingpian TianChuan and Lin Guang, "IMay 1981, pp. 49-51, f019. Dazhong dianying,10. Sec Dazhong dianj11. Pearson, "Film in12. Yuan Kang and XTian vun shan chuanqi," 113. Zhang Xian, "Bei14. Paul Fonoroff, "PcEconomic Review, May 3.15. See Lin Nan, "Yinyu zhengming, June 198=16. Zhongguo dianyin1984), pp. 159-166.17. Chen Rong, "Ren18. Qi Ming, "lntellcMarch 9, 1983.19. Dazhong dianying20. Asia Week, Januar21. "Resolution on CFounding of the People's22. Zhou Yongping, '1984, pp. 22-32.23. Commenting on temotions of sorrow and JShanghai in 1983 said, ":I too opened the gates
Paul G. PickowiczPopular Cinema and Political Thought53anced by daring antipposedthe party (andpport among ordinaryntain were depressing,loyal cadres who weret while the official and~ thought of as beinglitical thought, filteredI the political reformpolitical pressure. Onf mainstream popularthe death of Mao werecal categories and evenOs. Ordinary urbanitesin all likelihood did1 when they demandedously popular seriousficial political thought, but they also suggesthad little in commonorganized opposition9 see Paul Clark, Chinesem and Foreign Imports,"mbassy, Beijing, Januaryfilms that reflect socialr type of film, includingents (93 percent), Youth3.2 percent) who showedl'erccntage wholcdged liking thistvpe of film7775.841.533.832.630.427.713.1Military storiesOperasSee Xu Miaoting, "Shanghai shiqu qingnian dianying quwei qianxi," Qingnian yanjiu,no. 1, 1983, pp. 40-46. There is also evidence that working-class youth had a stronginterest in political melodramas in the early 1980s (sec Dangdai Zhongguo qingniangongrm de xianzhuang [Beijing: Gongrcn chuban she, 1984], pp. 37-39). I want tothank Stanley Rosen for bringing these publications to my attention.4. Shao Mujun, "Chinese Film Amidst the Tide of Reform," East-West FilmJournal, vol. 1, no. 1 (December 1986 ), p. 63.5. Ding Qiao, "Chinese Cinema Today," China Reconstructs, August 1982, p.62.6. Tianyun shan chuanqi, Xic Jin, dir., Shanghai: Shanghai Film Studio, 1980;Bei aiqing yiwang de jaioluo, Li Yalin and Zhang Ji, dirs., Chengdu: Emci FilmStudio, 1981; Ren dao zhang nian, Wang Qimin and Sun Yu, dirs., Changchun:Changchun Film Studio, 1982.7. Lu Yanzhou's Tianyun shan chuanqi was published in the inaugural issue ofQingming, no. 1 (July 1979).8. "Tan yingpian Tianyun shan chuanqi," Wenyi baa, no. 2, 1981. Also see CaiChuan and Lin Guang, "Dui yi bu hao yingpian de piping," Zuopin vu zhengming,May 1981, pp. 49-51, for a friendly view.9. Dazhong dianying, June 1981, pp. 2-5.10. Sec Dazhong dianying, September 1980, for an example of prerelease publicity.11. Pearson, "Film in China," pp. 1, 4.12. Yuan Kang and Xiao Chuanwcn, "Yi bu weifan zhenshi de yingpian: pingTianyun shan chuanqi," Wenyi baa, no. 4, 1982.13. Zhang Xian, "Bei aiqing yiwang de jiaoluo," Shanghai wenxue, January 1980.14. Paul Fonoroff, "Perhaps the Beginning of a Vital Film Culture," Far EasternEconomic Review, May 3, 1984, p. 54.15. See Liu Nan, "Yingpian Bei aiqing yiwang de jiaoluo de zheng lun," Zuopinyu zhengming, June 1982, pp. 60-61, for a summary of the March 1982 debate.16. Zhongguo dianying nianjian, 1983 (Beijing: Zhongguo dianying chuban she,1984), pp. 159-166.17. Chen Rong, "Ren dao zhong nian," Shouhou, no. 1, 1980.18. Qi Ming, "Intellectuals' Problems Spotlighted by New Film," China Dailv,March 9, 1983.19. Dazhong dianying, June 1983, pp. 2, 8.20. Asia Week, January 16, 1981, p. 32.21. "Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party Since theFounding of the People's Republic of China," Beijing Review, no. 27 (July 6, 1981).22. Zhou Yongping, "Da xucsheng yu dianying," Dangdai wenyi sichao, no. 3,1984, pp. 22-32.23. Commenting on the ability of films like A corner forgotten by love to "arouseemotions of sorrow and joy" (bei xi qinggan ciji), a young respondent surveyed inShanghai in 1983 said, "I felt as though my heart had been dealt a heavy blow andI too opened the gates and let my tears flow freely, feeling grief and indignationabout the way feudalism, backwardness and poverty doomed these characters to atragic fate." See Xu, "Shanghai shiqu qingnian dianying quwei qianxi," p. 44.24. See Shao, "The Tide of Reform," pp. 65, 67.25. Furong zhen, Xie Jin, dir., Shanghai: Shanghai Film Studio, 1987. Hibiscustown was voted best picture of 1987 in both the Hundred Flowers and Jinji FilmAward competitions.8.15.9
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