The Existentialistic Aesthetics Appeared In Films Directed By Wang Jiawei

Existentialist Aesthetics is a genre of irrationalism aesthetics produced in the twentieth century by bourgeois aesthetes, whose birth had turned the human’s eyes to focus on the external environment of human beings, and individuals began to seek the meaning of existence. This ideology in the1950s particularly flourished in The Western World as a native oriental culture and Hong Kong, where the culture of Eastern World and Western World were conflicting and colliding, was affected by Existentialist Aesthetics. In the twentieth century the films directed by Wang Jiawei appearing in Hong Kong, had expressed the aesthetic qualities of existentialism in a way of an artist. As proposed by the existentialists, the process of social modernization had brought not only abundant wealth of material, but also the gradual alienation of the traditional social. The alienation appeared in the style of the alienation between people, which reflected on the losing and hiding of pure individuals. People have lost themselves in materialism, and their spirit has been destruct. But Existentialism is confronting with the alienation of the modern world, and is confronting with the modern people on the alienation state. It wants to seek a way of spiritual salvation by means of a power of self-reflection and criticism. Vanity and impetuous modern life, caused by social alienation, which were presented in those films directed by Wang Jiawei, are things that are negative by the Existentialism; and in those films directed by him seeking meaning of existence to pursue individual after "spiritual helplessness", is which the existential aesthetic is trying to express. Wang Jiawei, who had left Shanghai to Hong Kong, trying to comprehend the life through his own existence, had captured the people’s living conditions in the modern metropolis represented by Hong Kong in his films, and had show the aesthetic implication of such living conditions in his films. Wang Jiawei not only had presented the value of the significance of individual existence in his films, but also had conveid the spirit of the aesthetics of this presence to the whole world through his films. From1988, when Wang Jiawei had directed his first film " As Tears Go By ", to2013when the film "The Great Master" were put on screens, Wang Jiawei had write and directed eleven films, and those films are unique records of era images and historic value of his living environment, and more importantly, those films had reflected the deep understanding of the spiritual connotations of existence of aesthetics of Wang Jiawei. The rich artistic style of films directed by Wang Jiawei and his personality charisma formed a unique landscape in the context of Hong Kong society since the1990s.The introduction of this dissertation has outlined some major research status about films directed by Wang Jiawei, and introducted the significance of the topic and research methods of this dissertation. In the introduction, a clear theoretical framework and the core mission of the paper are described, and the description paves the way for the specific interpretation of the theme behind the groundwork in this dissertation. The first chapter has researched the seeking and presentation of the aesthetic value of individual existence, and the origins of the connotation of the existentialist aesthetic in films which are directed by Wang Jiawei. The existentialist aesthetic produced in the1950s particularly flourished in The Western World as a native oriental culture and Hong Kong, where the culture of Eastern World and Western World were conflicting and colliding, was affected by Existentialist Aesthetics. In the twentieth century the films directed by Wang Jiawei appearing in Hong Kong, had expressed the aesthetic qualities of existentialism in a way of an artist. Wang Jiawei, trying to comprehend the life through his own existence, had captured the people’s living conditions in the modern metropolis represented by Hong Kong in his films, and had show the aesthetic implication of such living conditions in his films. And the second chapter has focused on the analysis of alienation in the eyes of Wang Jiawei, by researching each film directed by Wang Jiawei, and has interpreted that the purpose of existentialist aesthetics is to revolt the alienation in modern society, and seek the meaning of individual existence. Existentialism is confronting with the alienation of the modern world, and is confronting with the modern people on the alienation state. Wang Jiawei wants to seek a way of spiritual salvation by means of a power of self-reflection and criticism. And this chapter has summarized the connotations of "presence" in films directed by Wang Jiawei. Wang Jiawei not only had presented the value of the significance of individual existence in his films, but also had conveid the spirit of the aesthetics of this presence to the whole world through his films. The Chapter Three has summarized the beauty which the films directed by Wang Jiawei brought to people to enjoy the sound of light painting, thereby refining his film on the concrete existential aesthetic presentation in those aspects:the individual creative process and techniques of films of Wang Jiawei, flow and static camera, light and shadow on the screen, the monologues, and so on. And those films are unique records of era images and historic value of his living environment, and more importantly, those films had reflected the deep understanding of the spiritual connotations of existence of aesthetics of Wang Jiawei. The rich artistic style of films directed by Wang Jiawei and his personality charisma formed a unique landscape in the context of Hong Kong society The Conclusion section has concluded the whole dissertation and indicated the secular influence and significance of the presence of the existentialist aesthetics in those films of Wang Jiawei.