Ideology, National And Civil Society,

'The 17 Years" is a special and significant period of time in contemporary Chinese literary history. The films on the ethnic minority subjects are great achievements during this time. The actual requirement of the foundation of a united and steadfast country contributes to the prominence of the films of the ethnic minority subjects. However, the ethnic policy is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, together with the mainstream political ideology, it functions as the restriction of the art and literature; while on the other hand, it is the protection of the films on the ethnic minority subjects since it allows the artists to develop some artistic elements which could not be permitted in the mainstream films. Many classics of the films on the ethnic minority subjects have thus been produced.This dissertation will focus on several metaphors adopted frequently in the films on the ethnic minority subjects in the "The 17 Years". Through the analysis of the illness metaphor, brightness metaphor, identity metaphor and love metaphor, the author aims to find out some common features shared by the films and illustrate how the elements of political ideology, ethnic policy, the ethnical and the folk mixing together in the films on the ethnic minority subjects in the "The 17 Years".Chapter one begins with the discussion on the film Spring in Inner Mongol, which is the first film on the ethnic minority subjects in the "The 17 Years". Through the introduction of the production process of this film and The Victory of People in Inner Mongol, this dissertation attempts to analyze the exemplary role that The Victory of People in Inner Mongol has played and significant influence it has casted on later films in this field from the aspects of themes, the functions of political ideology and ethnic policy, characters, love stories and ethnical elements etc.Chapter two probes into the types, characters and functions of the metaphors of illness, which occur in the films of the ethnic minority subjects in the "The 17 Years", with Susan Sontag's comments in Illness As Metaphor as a theoretical guidance.Chapter three focuses on the connotation, the artistic techniques and the polysemous references of the brightness metaphor. It will illustrate how the political ideology functions in the films and how a series of ocular words are adopted to signify the warmth and liberation that have been brought to the ethnic minority area by The Party, Chairman Mao and The Liberation Army.Chapter four is a study of the different characters basing on the combination of different ethnical and political identities. Through the analysis on several special groups of characters, such as the PLA soldiers, ex-servicemen, foster children etc., the manifestation of political ideology, ethnical policies and the elements of the ethnical and the folk will be further explained.Chapter five is the discussion on the features and metaphorical modes of love in the films on the ethnic minority subjects in "The 17 Years". The female images of the minor nationalities and the promotion of their social and political status will be evaluated.This dissertation takes the above-mentioned four metaphors as the focal points to discuss and analyze the features of the films on the ethnic minority subjects in "The 17 Years", which is owning to the following considerations:firstly, the metaphors of illness, the metaphors of brightness etc. are frequently adopted in the films on the ethnic minority subjects and to some degree they even become archetypes, which reflect the interference and influence of political ideology and ethnical policies on films in this period of time. Comparing with other films, the films on the ethnic minority subjects have portrayed some special characters. These characters reveal exactly the imprint of the times when the country tries to advocate its ethnical policies and calls for a united and peaceful nation where people of different ethnic groups could live harmoniously; Secondly, in the films on the ethnic minority subjects in "The 17 Years", the theme of love have been more frequently and open-mindedly touched upon. This feature weakens the rigidity of the transference of political ideology, helps to create many vivid characters of the different ethnic groups, raise the artistic glamour of the art and strengthens the value of the artistic creation. Therefore, it is of great significance and necessity to study from the perspective of metaphors to refine some important points shared by the films on the ethnic minority subjects in "The 17 Years". Basing on the specific historical documents and the analysis of social background, this dissertation aims to illustrate the embodiment and hybridity of political ideology, the ethnical policies, and the ethnical and folk features of the films on the ethnic minority subjects in "The 17 Years" and to evaluate the historical status and artistic value of these films.