Sino-Enchantment

Approaches the recent resurgence of the fantastic in Chinese cinemas

• Offers the framework of ‘Sino-enchantment’ as a new theoretical lens through which readers can engage elements of the fantastic in Chinese cinema
• Addresses the increasing prominence of fantastic narratives, imagery and styles in Chinese films
• Interested not simply in CGI effects, but as much in the ideological, aesthetic and ethical ramifications of the fantastic in contemporary film culture

Although Chinese film audiences have always maintained a foundational cultural interest in the fantastic, this trend has dramatically increased over the last decade. Sino-Enchantment is the first work in English to approach this recent explosion of fantastic film in Chinese cinemas, where each re-envisioning of the form is determined by cultural, economic, political and technological factors to produce fresh inventions and creative reinventions of familiar narratives, characters and tropes. With case studies of films such as The Assassin (2015), Monster Hunt (2015) and The Great Wall (2016), this novel approach uses the framework of ‘Sino-enchantment’ as a new theoretical lens through which readers can engage with elements of the fantastic in Chinese cinema.