Investigation of Female Representations in Zhang Yimou’s Films from 1987 to Present Using Laura Mulvey’s “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” Theory Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

This thesis examines the evolution of female representation in Zhang Yimou’s films using Laura Mulvey’s “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” theory. Methodologically, this thesis entails a textual analysis by providing a close reading of six of Zhang’s films in his three career stages and a discourse analysis by examining Zhang’s interviews with various journalists and critics. Central to this study is the exploration of how socio-political factors and personal experiences influence Zhang’s filmmaking choices. This thesis sheds light on the complex interplay between artistic expression, societal impacts, and commercial pressures in the evolution of Zhang’s female representation: the female characters initially appear as unique and rebellious figures that carry the meaning of cultural reflection, then transit into sexually attractive and untraditional females which serves as a negotiating space between artistic connotations and market appeal, and finally, become objectified subjects, aiming to trigger audiences’ sensual pleasure.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Zhang Yimou’s Career Stages and Laura Mulvey’s “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” 

Chapter 2. Castration Anxiety, Oedipal Conflict, and Ideal World: Female Representations in Zhang Yimou’s Red Sorghum (1987) and Ju Dou (1990)

Chapter 3. Active Scopophilia, Gender Dynamics, and Negotiating Space: Female Representations in Zhang Yimou’s House of Flying Daggers (2004) and Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)

Chapter 4. Virginity Complex, Male Gaze, and Prioritization Towards the Traditional Patriarchal Discourse: Female Representations in Zhang Yimou’s Under the Hawthorn Tree (2010) and The Flowers of War (2011)

Chapter 5. Conclusion

Bibliography

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	East Asian Studies
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Cinema Asian Studies
Keyword	Male Gaze Laura Mulvey Zhang Yimou
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Jing Wang, Emory University
Committee Members	Guangchen Chen, Emory University Maria Franca Sibau, Emory University

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