A Narrative Study Of Post-apocalyptic Epidemic Films Based On Fiskeism

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19,the post-apocalyptic epidemic films about the doomsday-like world caused by the epidemic have achieved greater popularity in the United States.The films usually focus on the outbreak,spread and settlement of the epidemics,and imply certain religious complexes and values in the western culture such as “final judgment”and freedom.Decoding the text of the post-apocalyptic epidemic films can enable us to better understand the Western epidemic prevention measures and the reasons behind them,enhance mutual trust,and make joint effort in the fight against Covid-19 in light of the community of shared future for mankind.Based on Fiskeism,this thesis studies the narratives of post-apocalyptic epidemic films.John Fiske,a famous American popular culture scholar,puts forward the media culture theory,particularly,he proposes to express ideology in the films through conventional and technical codes,which provides a decoding tool for the study of post-apocalyptic epidemic films,and provides the possibility of a cultural analysis of the implied values of the films.The first chapter reviews the relevant studies of post-apocalyptic films,post-apocalyptic epidemic films,Fiske’s popular culture theory and movie narrative theory at home and abroad,and finds that most of the literature discusses the narrative themes,narrative spaces and narrative functions of a particular film,while few studies feature an overall analysis of post-apocalyptic epidemic films from a cultural perspective.The second chapter studies the religious,historical,cultural and commercial influences on the rise of the post-apocalyptic films according to Fiske’s views of active audiences and two economies.The third chapter studies the narrative themes,narrative spaces and narrative functions of the post-apocalyptic epidemic films with the help of Fiske’s theory of codes.Specifically,the thesis explores how the films construct many camera meanings through codes to present the narrative themes of hero growth,female awakening and epidemic solution.It also discusses two narrative spaces,closed one and flowing one,and their social and cultural implications in the epidemic films.Then it relates the narrative functions of the post-apocalyptic epidemic films: the recreation function,the ecological and technological reflection function and the revelation function,especially the revelation function on the overseas audience to prevent consciously against the ideological hegemony of the American films in the age of globalization.The post-apocalyptic films are taking more market share and gradually developing into a unique genre.The epidemic events that are technically and culturally presented in the films are so realistic and representative that they arouse much human contemplation of the epidemics and the cultural elements behind them.In light of a community of shared future for mankind,an artistic,technical and cultural interpretation of the epidemics film will enhance mutual trust among countries around the world and promote the harmonious and healthy development of the world.