Chivalrous Women Film:an Interpretation From Sub-genre Perspective

Chivalrous women film, a special existence in the history of Chinese martial arts film, is developing continuously so far. It follows established type patterns of martial arts film, in the meanwhile, it breaks inherent convention due to gender difference, to enrich and rewrite the meaning of the theme. Comparing to the positive image of male protagonists in martial arts films, the shaping of female protagonists are divided into chivalrous women, vamp and a mixture of both according to gender order. It becomes a sub-genre of chivalrous women film due to gender difference and the type elements and the meaning of this type of film are all based on female identity of protagonists. The core question is how to complete the chivalrous presentation for females as intruders in the society which not belonging to female disclosure. On one hand, as a branch of martial arts film, it must complete the presentation of established pattern in order to make sure its position as a martial arts film. On the other hand, it must make changes in accord with gender characteristics of female protagonists. "Gender as weapons", "Chivalry generates love", and "Man is salvation" are the illustrations of chivalrous women film. This special interpretation balances the conflict and contradiction, in the meanwhile, it makes differences between chivalrous women film and martial marts film, and hence, it generates the meaning of this type of film.