Presentation And Reconstruction In Image: Chinese Documentary Film Studies (1949-1976)

From the founding of the Republic of China to the end of the Cultural Revolution,China entered a highly ideological period. So the film production and operationbecame one part of the national system. As one important type of film art,Documentary Film is also showing the distinctive “figurative political commentary”feature.In this paper, the Documentary Film of this period as the research object, fromthe perspective of traditional cultural values, focuses on the Documentary Film andthe relationship between traditional cultural values. The paper argues that, in order toachieve the purpose of documentary films, the presentation and reconstruction of thetraditional concept as rhetorical and discursive strategies to be used. Specifically, inthe documentary films, the " conveying truth " function is the value of its mostprominent features; as the social construction of reality and emotional agitationpropaganda related requirements, which embodied by the " man is an integral part ofnature " transformed from the " man can conquer nature " view of nature; newgovernment and the ruling party in shaping the requirements expressed its legal status,the documentary films with the "home country isomorphic " for it; in order to better arepresent ideology, this period documentary films borrows drama movie "Shadowplay" concept and "Shadow play" means, folk and traditional art forms, through theuse of these means and methods to improve the image of the rhetorical skills.Traditional concept of documentary films in this period served as a means ofideological rhetoric and image display mode of discourse.Secondly, reconstructed original impetus of the traditional concept anddocumentary films comes from the spread of political ideology and propagandaobjectives and requirements, from the changes in the development of socialcivilization, but also from different historical periods of art forms and the positioningof different values. many of the extreme ideas(such as " conveying truth ","homecountry isomorphic " and other concepts in the ideological paranoia and abuse) in documentary films led directly the audience and a number of artists to exclusive andconflict, but also caused these ideas expressed in the political tradition of the end ofthe road; and promote documentary films in the new era to the formulation andpresentation purposes to the symbiosis way.Once again, between the times image and the traditional concept showing acomplicated contradictions and dialectical relationship: they formed a kind ofopposition and borrowing, both resistance and the development,and both exclusionand inclusion. Look back the documentary films in three decades after the founding ofNew China currently, it has been used as a historical Spectacles and historical texts, asmodernity and post-modernity constructed reference object.The article is divided into the following sections:The introduction part is to clarify the background and previous studies at home andabroad, and for the present academic background and research methods and the backstudy.On the first chapter, it is the summarized overview of the documentary films from1949to1976in China, mainly focus on the environment and the works.Chapter two starts from the traditional Chinese view of nature from “man is anintegral part of nature”, the documentary films from1949to1976showcharacterization of “man can conquer nature”, and argue that the characterization ofthe form of “man can conquer nature” in the special historical period is a alienation.As the image text, this part focus on themes from the perspective of the class struggle,modernization, scientific and other aspects to discuss the presentation andreconstruction of the “man can conquer nature”; and also from the character modeling,natural shape, scene modeling, atmosphere modeling, and other body imageperspectives to analyze the presentation and reconstruction the “man can conquernature” in documentary films. And also analyze the underlying causes further.The third chapter on the Chinese traditional political ethics “home countryisomorphic”,discusses the development of the concept in the Chinese films, and fromthe labor scene, character identity, commentary, etc. describes “national interest for all” features; through choice of the subject and from the emotional perspectivediscusses people and the “party” and “national” combine “National is Party”; fromlabor and living space, the article discusses the individual space becomes“nationalization”; gender orientation, especially female identity positioning reflectsthe characteristics of the “national is all”. On this basis, documentary films achieve amulti-level, multi-dimensional manner on the “home country isomorphic”.Chapter IV argues that “writing conveying truth” is the Chinese traditional artvalues, in combination with lighting technology formed a “film conveying truth”concept; in the long process of development,“film conveying truth” also has beenChinese traditional concept of the film. Then through narrative structure, scenerendering, color enhancement and other rhetorical discourse analysis perspective,consider that this period’ documentary films on “film conveying truth” has beenpresented and reconstruction.Chapter V argues that the “shadow drama” concept is the Chinese film traditionalformation. discuss the “shadow drama” presentation and reconstruction in this period’documentary films: stereotyped characters, subtitles and commentary stylized, curtainstyle narrative unit table to figure as the center of narrative strategy, and a focus onperformance rather alienated realism, etc.Chapter VI argues the presentation and reconstruction such as traditional folk artand ethnic art forms. The conclusion is that documentary films have also beenpresented and reconstructed them.Chapter VII, as the extension and summary.I will re-exam and reflect therelationship between the traditional cultural values and documentary films in thisperiod from the culture studies perspective, and argue that the relationship ofpresentation and reconstruction is the historical necessity; but, this presentation andreconstruction contains a clear ideology purposes, reflecting the tangle of the politicalimagination and ideas to guide; while this is also a video presentation andreconstruction of rhetoric and discourse strategies. Today, they have been used associal and historical spectacles and become the understanding of what forms of artand social reality image text.