A Study On The Culture Of Xi'an Film Culture In The Republic Of China (1927-1937)

During the period of the Republic of China, Xi’an, as the gateway to the northwest, was in a specific position of regional cultural exchange. Xi’an was also experiencing the cultural change from tradition to modern. This dissertation selects the period of 1927-1937, when political and military environment of the Republic of China is relatively stable, and the city culture enjoyed a rapid development. The conclusion comes from three aspects--film propagation system, film culture and cinematic intellectuals in Xi’an.Epanggong, Xijing, Minguang and Peidu were the four major theaters, which were significant to the city’s film culture. These four theaters had different features in target audience, film choice and in business strategy. By analyzing film advertisements on local newspapers, this dissertation will illustrate the characteristics of these four theaters and the overall situation of the film market in Xi’an.The whole picture of cinematic culture in Xi’an will be presented, after analyzing the marketing strategy of the main theaters, the public opinion on films and the audience’s attitude to the film propaganda and film reviews. The study on the film consumption will start from analysing the audience and consumption level in Xi’an.Filmmakers who were born in Xi’an, such as Zhou Boxun and Zheng Boqi, contributed greatly to the development of cinematic culture, as well as to film-making. Local critics and filmmakers played positive roles in film review, film propagation and cinema construction, and promoted the development of cinematic culture in Xi’an.In conclusion, during the period of the Republic of China, cinematic culture in Xi’an was an admixture of tradition and modern, metropolis and countryside, conservation and radicalness. This miscellaneous situation, which can be viewed as cultural characteristics of a "rural-city", has a profound influence on the development of cinema in Xi’an.