The "Social Memory" Changes In The Images

Li Hongzhang is a key person in Chinese modern history, and at the same times he is also one of the most controversial persons. In 21 century, the broadcasted and banned of "Towards the Republic" is an important pretext which makes Li Hongzhang become a hot topic once again. It is because this TV play creates a image of "tragic national hero" which offenses a political taboo of "Li Hongzhang is a traitor". And "Li Hongzhang is a traitor" is one of the core issues explained by the movie "The Naval Battle of 1894", which impact is profound. It also establishes the clear "intertextuality" with the memory of Li Hongzhang at that time. And in the mass media, it also gradually strengthens the consolidation of this memory, even in each contemporary viewer's heart through the history of the time. Thus, "The Naval Battle of 1894" is not only the "social memory" image constructor of "Li Hongzhang is a traitor", and in the historical narrative which is called "social memory", the social memory becomes the important resources of social narrative, image narrative or continuously flashing in the narrator's mind as an avoidance object. " Wan Fu" and "Huai Army" has also constructed the social memory of "a fierce and ambitious person" and "social reformer".The first chapter, by analyzing the movie " The Naval Battle of 1894", this thesis finds that "Li Hongzhang is a traitor" is the strong explanation by the moive, but this "social memory" is the interactive product of that time's collective memory.The second chapter, which centering on the image of "tragic national hero" by "Towards the Republic", is to explore the reconstruction of inherent memory. This thesis finds that the recontruction of Li Hongzhang' s image leads the confuion of social approval, and challenges the historial authority. The broad social debate and later the banning of this TV play explain that the socila memory of "Li Hongzhang is a traitor" was aroused again and participated in social narrative. And the historical authority which stained political identity is still to maintain the political discourse "Li Hongzhang is a traitor".The third chapter, discuss on Wan Fu, Huai Army, which hides behind the localization of narrative perspective and the cultural imagination of Li Hongzhang in Hefei city. This chapter explores the desire and frustration of the city which attempt to describe Li Hongzhang as a "cultural symbols", and the narratives of the films avoids the political discourse taboo "Li Hongzhang is a traitor".