From "Primrose"、"Loach" To "Sunflower"——the Integrative View Of The Migrant Workers Films

Base on migrant workers’ lives, and under the influence of the subjective and objective factors, film directors have formed distinct consciousness of migrant workers. Moreover, migrant workers films have been created.The migrant workers films mainly contain three types of migrant workers consciousness:"primrose" consciousness,"loach" consciousness, and "sunflower" consciousness. Decided by three kinds of migrant workers consciousness, the film directors shape the images of migrant workers into three types:"primrose" image,"loach" image and "sunflower" image. Then, according to the different characteristics of migrant workers consciousness and the image of migrant workers, the development process of migrant workers films can be divided into three periods:"primrose" period," loach" period and "sunflower" period.The films shaping the "primrose" image of migrant workers, the time span was from1984to1994. Film directors began to establish consciousness of migrant workers, and looked on migrant workers as a new phenomenon since reform and opening-door. The farmers going out for work embodied the spirit of times, and it was the specific performance of the thriving motherland since reform and opening-door. Migrant workers reported the information of spring coming for the society. Shaping the "primrose" image of migrant workers, mainly displayed the personality characteristics of diligence, frugality, forging ahead, honesty, sincerity and pragmatism. Migrant workers showed hopeful state of mind and the courage of going out for creating new life. Performing the joy of welcoming spring and the emotion of missing the rural became the theme of the films.The films shaping" loach" image of the migrant workers, mainly concentrated in1995-2003. After2004there were also some videos. Film directors’consciousness of migrant workers, mainly performed the "loach" consciousness, namely the social bottom consciousness, especially for the directors of the sixth generation with outstanding performance. Displaying hardships and calling for justice, became the theme of the movies. These films touched and reflected some problems of social system, achieving to a certain height for thought, and became migrant workers films’ masterpieces. Shaping "loach" image of the migrant workers, mainly exhibited material poverty and spiritual confusion of the migrant workers, and performed the tragic fate of migrant workers. Thinking about the problem of social bottom, and containing deep humanistic concern, the films had an universal value. These films with the creation method of realism and the pursuit of verism aesthetics, exhibited critical spirit of realism, and produced strong artistic charm and profound social influence.The films shaping the "sunflower" image of the migrant workers mainly concentrated after2004.In the time span of1995—2003,there were also some videos. Film directors’consciousness of migrant workers, mainly is the "sunflower" consciousness. Film directors express happy life in sunshine of a few migrant workers, and tell the success story of successful migrant workers, but ignore most migrant workers’ tragedy. Thus, directors’consciousness of migrant workers begins to rise, point of view moving up."Sunflower" image, beautifies the image of migrant workers, sticks sunshine life out, and whitewashes reality. The films look on a few successful migrant workers as lens focus, and show the glory of their achieving upward flowing.The middle migrant workers are dressed as ordinary sunshine angel, calm mind with no sorrow. The bottom of the migrant workers transcend reality by the extreme fantasy, and indulge in self-delusion, or become "petty bourgeoisie". Performing inspiration and integration becomes the theme of these movies. These films, strongly influenced by the mainstream ideology and the film’s business system, try hard to rewrite the image of migrant workers, announcing good news and hiding bad news. Therefore, they lost the spirit of realism, resulting in a serious problem of authenticity.Migrant workers films, have the rich connotation of humanity. The films have eulogized traditional virtues of the migrant workers’,for example, sincerity, charity, benevolence, etc, and perform the sense of morality and responsibility of the migrant workers. They also criticize the phenomenon of humanity lost caused by the modernization process, and call for the returning of human nature. These ideas can be seen in three types of images of migrant workers films, and embody the implication of reconsidering modernity.Migrant workers films, have profound humanistic value, and reflect historical changes since reform and opening-door. They are an important part of Chinese films turning to the social bottom. The creation of migrant workers films, has active and far-reaching social significance and artistic significance.