The “Core Actions” and “Uniquely Colorful Lyricism” of New Mainstream Films

Anhua Zhou

doi:10.1515/jcfs-2022-0017

Article

The “Core Actions” and “Uniquely Colorful Lyricism” of New Mainstream Films

An erratum for this article can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1515/jcfs-2025-2001

Anhua Zhou
Anhua Zhou is Distinguished Professor and doctoral supervisor of Shandong University and director of the Asian Film, Television, and Media Research Center of Nanjing University. He is also vice chairman of the Film and Television Education Committee of the China Higher Education Society, editorial board of Film Art, first-class researcher of the Future Image High Precision Innovation Center of Beijing Film Academy, and chief expert of a major project of the National Social Science Fund of China. He has published more than 100 papers as well as 16 monographs, including A Study of Modernity of New Asian Cinema. He has been awarded the Humanistic Contribution Award of Nanjing University and the First Prize of Outstanding Achievement in Philosophy and Social Science of Jiangsu Province.

Published/Copyright: July 7, 2022

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From the journal Journal of Chinese Film Studies Volume 2 Issue 1

Abstract

In 2020, new domestic mainstream films continued to challenge audience expectations and achieve breakthroughs. These films not only are characterized by representations that are universally appealing to contemporary tastes, but also integrate the desires and interests of the public. They have become mainstream films because they are full of realistic content and true sentiments. Regarding the narrative esthetics and ideological strategies of these films, the three new “core actions” make the powerful trend of “uniquely colorful lyricism” appear brilliantly on the screen. These core actions are: (1) revealing the true nature of life and struggle by strengthening the sense of opposing forces; (2) emphasizing comedic elements to highlight low-level esthetic charms; and (3) creating open spaces and thematic implications through the use of different phases. Obviously, it has been the inevitable choice of new mainstream films to restore sincerity and truth of the screen, to sense the changes in people and society, and to interpret the new modern and contemporary histories in ways that originated from, but rise above, reality.

Keywords: core actions; new mainstream films; uniquely colorful lyricism

Corresponding author: Anhua Zhou, Nanjing University, Jiangsu, China, E-mail: ggfzxd100@126.com

Translated by: Zhiyan Li, Communication University of China, Beijing, China.

Funding source: China National Social Science Major Research Project

Award Identifier / Grant number: 18ZDA262

About the author

Anhua Zhou

Anhua Zhou is Distinguished Professor and doctoral supervisor of Shandong University and director of the Asian Film, Television, and Media Research Center of Nanjing University. He is also vice chairman of the Film and Television Education Committee of the China Higher Education Society, editorial board of Film Art, first-class researcher of the Future Image High Precision Innovation Center of Beijing Film Academy, and chief expert of a major project of the National Social Science Fund of China. He has published more than 100 papers as well as 16 monographs, including A Study of Modernity of New Asian Cinema. He has been awarded the Humanistic Contribution Award of Nanjing University and the First Prize of Outstanding Achievement in Philosophy and Social Science of Jiangsu Province.

Research funding: The research of this article is supported by the China National Social Science Major Research Project “The Excavation, Collation and Construction of a Resource Base for Modern Chinese Film Literature” (Grant number: 18ZDA262).

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Published Online: 2022-07-07

Published in Print: 2022-05-25

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/jcfs-2022-0017

Keywords for this article

core actions; new mainstream films; uniquely colorful lyricism