Research On Image Of The Monkey King In Domestic Films And Television Show Products After The 1980s

“Journey to the West” is very well known throughout the eastern and western countries, and academic research of it have never stopped while overwhelming films and television shows about it attract public attention to the multiple perspectives of the characteristics of the Monkey King. In different ages, the interpretation and representation of the characteristics of the Monkey King are dramatically diversified. Especially in the current era, the modern and postmodern age, the presentations of the characteristics of the Monkey King are totally different from its classic image showing their potential of exploring different aesthetic values of the character and being the representation of culture and social information of current age.This study focuses on images of the Monkey King in films and TV shows after 80 s while dividing the timeline into 3 phases: the 80 s, the 90 s and the 21 th century and then declaring aesthetic images of the Monkey King in films and comic shows from different ages. The research background, literature references, research methods and objectives were introduced in the first chapter.The introduction expands the research background, significance of topic selection, current situation of the research, research method, and main frame etc. of the topic. In Chapter One, the formation and development process of the image of the Monkey King; the image features in the original work of Journey to the West, and the interactive principles between literary works and film and television programs are introduced in the angle of literary aesthetics, to provide the aesthetic reference and character foundation for the cultivation of the image of the Monkey King in film and television plays. In Chapter Two, the image cultivation and classic character representative of the Monkey King in different stages are researched, among which, the image of the Monkey King cultivated by Liuxiao Lingtong in the 1980 s is classic; the image of the Monkey King cultivated by Stephen Chow realizes the deconstruction of the Journey to the West by postmodernism; and since entering the 21 st century, with the change of the technology and main outlook of value in society, the image of the Monkey King in film and television plays presents new aesthetic features. In Chapter Three, the prospect is made towards the cultivation of the image of the Monkey King in the film and television plays in the future. It focuses on expanding the continuity of the aesthetic change of the image of the Monkey King in three aspects, i.e. textual factor, social factor and audience psychological factor. Besides, the principles for the remodeling of the image of the Monkey King in the film and television plays in the future are analyzed.