The Transformation Of The Image Of Women In Chinese Film In The New Era

The female characters in Chinese films have changed obviously and showed some characteristics and inclination in general since 1979. This paper analyzes the female consciousness in new era and probes into the contemporary social and cultural context of the change of female characters in Chinese movies from the angle of the diversity of the female characters in movies.The prologue explains the concept of the time of "the new era" and defines the problem of "generation" of the main directors in this period. The research object and methods are put forward in this part too.The first chapter first summarizes the characteristic of "oneness" of the female characters before the new era, and then it expounds three main types of new female characters: the image of mothers and wives as the Virgin Mary, the image of lover as desire and the image of independent female. This part analyzes some typical female images separately and outlines the trend of diversity for the female characters in Chinese movies in a macro way in this period.The second chapter analyzes the new building of the female images of Chinese movies in new era. It first analyzes the historical absence of the female characters' "non-gender" characteristic and female consciousness which was formed in the campaign of " liberation of women" and " equality of women and men" in former movies, then it analyzes the four new forms of female consciousness in new era: the combination of the thought of salvation and female identical consciousness, the presentation of the exiled male and the consciousness of free choice, the synchronization of the double struggling and the pursuit of career, the exploration of the breaking ethics and the worriment of sex.The third chapter analyzes the multiple contexts which influenced the change of the female characters and the expression of female consciousness. Chinese politicalsystem, economic system and cultural thought have changed a lot. The periodic changes of the political ideology, the historic development of the commercial economy and the stylistic change of the female directors caused the change of female images. At the same time, the reflection on traditional thoughts, the expectation for the change of the audience taste and the introduction and acceptation of the western theories are important factors for the change of the female images in new era.The conclusion sums up the whole paper and analyzes the changes and development of Chinese movies from the changes of female images. It believes that this kind of development is creative, fruitful and hopeful. It is just one of the stages in the long history of Chinese movies.