| Feng Xiaogang, with the name of "civilian director", firstly was familiar to audience by shooting new year films. In the 1990s, when box office of domestic films was not that satisfactory, new year films which were about common people and directed by Feng Xiaogang created a humorous comedy style and achieved excellent box office results. Therefore, new year films had become Feng Xiaogang's film brand, and he had been named as "Father of Chinese New Year Films". After that, director Feng Xiaogang didn't satisfy with his achievements, he started on film's transformation and innovation. Although The Banquet had been proved a failure, Feng continued to focus on exploring film's transformation instead of giving up. Finally, after 2007, Feng Xiaogang had launched Assembly, Aftershock and 1942, which achieved success on both box office and art. Furthermore, the three films had gained excellent public praise from ordinary audience and high recognition from professionals, winning numerous awards at the film festivals. Feng Xiaogang's three films have achieved great success on both box office and award, however, there are few systematic researches on the three films, the specific and deep research on themes of the three films is in a blank.Base on Feng Xiaogang's three films, this thesis explores and studies the themes of the three films systematically and deeply, discussing on following three parts:First, an analysis of the thematic implication on attention of individual value, deep analysis of the good and evil of human nature and pondering over philosophy of life. The three films express deep concern on individual value via heeding individual existing value and individual spirit rebuilding. In addition, the deep analysis of the good and evil of humanity in extreme circumstances praises good humanity and reveals humanity weakness thoroughly, in the same time, it concerns redemption of humanity deeply. At last, the films trigger the pondering over philosophy of life, reflecting on the equality principle of life, questioning the value of life and thinking about the nature of life.Second, the conveying of theme. The three disaster films discuss from 4 parts:characters "say" theme, narration "highlights" theme, images "express" theme and montage "deepens" theme. Feng Xiaogang uses films to convey his own life's experience and art pursuit. Among the three films, the shaping of every character is an expression of the theme and the films present the theme more intuitively and vividly via characters' thoughts and emotions, behaviors and fate. Feng Xiaogang transfers the narrative focus from being in war and disaster to being after war and disaster, using the narrative technique which is different from conventional war disaster films and presents really human's life situation after war and disaster via calm and objective narration. Meanwhile, shot is the most direct means for directors to express emotion, people appreciate the profound theme of films in shot language with rich meaning and ponder over director's art pursuit in special treatment of montage.Third, the continuation and deepening of themes:comparison with new year films. Feng Xiaogang's three films are the continuation and deepening of the theme of new year films, containing the same contents with the theme of new year films, that are focusing on existing status of ordinary individuals, exploring the road of spiritual redemption in difficulty situation and adhering to the good human nature. Meanwhile, themes of three films have been extending continuously from individual passions to redemption of humanity, from redemption of humanity to questioning the meaning of life and pondering over philosophy of nature of life. Besides, director's emotional attitude towards themes changes from mild humor of new year films to profound sharp of the three films.Feng Xiaogang's three films has achieved the balance and mergence of mainstream value and civilian feelings, torturing humanity in living dilemma, questioning meaning of life and pondering over nature of life in life and death. |
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