The Enlightenment Significance Of Chinese Sixth Generation Directors' Films

Film is a discourse tool, so it becomes an important ways of intellectuals for enlightenment. Chinese film and enlightenment have married for a long time. The "left-wing film" in the 1930s and Chinese Fifth Generation films in the 1980s were two climax of film enlightenment works. Enlightenment in the film contains individual freedom, the equality of man and criticism of reality rationally. It is the-expression of intellectuals about the state of our ages and the spirit of our people's change.China's path to enlightenment has always been bumpy from the beginning of the May 4th Movement. After China went to the post-modern cultural context in the 1990s, the voice of "Enlightenment has died" is frequently been heard. At that time the new concept--"the post-Enlightenment" emerged, and it reactivated the value of China's enlightenment discourse. China's Sixth Generation directors, those came on the stage of Chinese film history in the 1990s-"the post-Enlightenment" period, took over the banner of film enlightenment from the elders and hold on to its own enlightenment identity as film intellectuals. Their films are about individual freedom, equality and the reality of criticism,which are all the themes of enlightenment.In the world of the Sixth Generation directors' films, the individual is no longer confined to the "iron house", they are rebellious and have an independent modern personality. The Sixth Generation directors come to the folk, their movies construct a diverse and equal civil subject including marginalized groups and people at the bottom edge, which is far away from the center and aphasic in the traditional mainstream films. In the process of Chinese modernization construction, people appeared to have the characters of double ruin both in the physical space and the mental state, and the social imbalances have caused extreme physical suffering to the minority people. The Sixth Generation directors maintain a rational attitude to criticize that.In the current context of materialistic and commercial supremacy, the Sixth Generation directors' work of the Enlightenment had not only suffered the embarrassment of intellectuals' identity, as well as multiple difficulties from the official system and the folk audience. But they have not given up their mission and they work hard to make breakthrough in troubles through external support, dialogue with the audience, or getting power out of movie. So, the Sixth Generation directors' stick and effort of the enlightenment is particularly valuable.