Xie Jin: A Distinguished Pioneer of the Mind-Nature Realism Film Paradigm
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Yichuan Wang
Yichuan Wang is a Distinguished Professor at Beijing Language and Culture University. He previously served as Dean and Professor of the School of Arts at Peking University, and as a Researcher and Professor at the Center for Literary and Art Studies at Beijing Normal University. Currently, he is the vice chairperson of the Chinese Society of Literary and Art Critics, the chairperson of the Beijing Society of Literary and Art Critics, the vice president of the Chinese Aesthetic Society, the vice president of the Chinese and Foreign Literary and Art Theory Society, and the vice president of the Chinese Film Critics Society. His main fields of study include literary and artistic aesthetics, art theory, and film and television criticism. His primary research areas include literary and artistic aesthetics, art theory, and film and television criticism. His notable publications include
Rhetorical Aesthetics ,The Public Appreciation Power of Art ,Memories in the Blockbuster Era ,An Outline of Art History , andEssays on Mind-Nature Realism .
Abstract
The paradigm of mind-nature (心性) realism in Xie Jin’s films presents the trend of contemporary Chinese society evolving from chaos to order. While representing the social reality, it demonstrates the role of the wisdom of the Chinese-style mind-nature and reveals the tendency of the integration between the traditional Chinese theory of the mind and the spirit of realism. The debate on “Xie Jin’s Confucianism” has both insightful perspectives and blind spots, missing his efforts in constructing this film paradigm. As a pioneer, Xie Jin explored this paradigm, foreshadowing its later creative path and setting an early example.
About the author
Yichuan Wang is a Distinguished Professor at Beijing Language and Culture University. He previously served as Dean and Professor of the School of Arts at Peking University, and as a Researcher and Professor at the Center for Literary and Art Studies at Beijing Normal University. Currently, he is the vice chairperson of the Chinese Society of Literary and Art Critics, the chairperson of the Beijing Society of Literary and Art Critics, the vice president of the Chinese Aesthetic Society, the vice president of the Chinese and Foreign Literary and Art Theory Society, and the vice president of the Chinese Film Critics Society. His main fields of study include literary and artistic aesthetics, art theory, and film and television criticism. His primary research areas include literary and artistic aesthetics, art theory, and film and television criticism. His notable publications include Rhetorical Aesthetics, The Public Appreciation Power of Art, Memories in the Blockbuster Era, An Outline of Art History, and Essays on Mind-Nature Realism.
Acknowledgments
I would like to express my gratitude to the School of Film, Shanghai University. The first draft of this article was written at the invitation of the School of Film, Shanghai University and was presented at the “Shanghai Tradition, Chinese Style and Global Vision: The Centenary International Symposium on the Birth of Xie Jin” on December 2, 2023. Subsequently, based on this initial draft, revisions and expansions were made, leading to the completion of this final version.
References
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Postscript
The originally article entitled 谢晋:心性现实主义电影范式的杰出先驱 was published in Dangdai Dianying 当代电影 (Contemporary Cinema) 2024(08): 4–9.Search in Google Scholar
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Research Articles
- A Memorandum of the Chinese Film Industry in 2024
- Xie Jin: A Distinguished Pioneer of the Mind-Nature Realism Film Paradigm
- Balanced Harmony: Aesthetic Realms in Chinese Film
- “Aspiration” and “Rhetoric”: Lyric Aesthetics of Chinese Small-Town Films
- The Cinematic Representation of the Factory Zone by Young Directors in the 21st Century
- From Drama to Film, as a Genre Bridge and New Main Melody Narrator – A Discussion on the Creation Path of Up-and-Coming Director Rao Xiaozhi
- Landscape and Memory: Homeland Narratives and Space Production of New Directors
- Interview
- Contemporary Traditional Cultural Philosophy and Re-Creation: Interview with Huo Tingxiao
- Film Reviews
- A Tapestry of a Legendary Land: the Flow and Fluidity of Beauty of Chinese Culture
- Searchlight or Scalpel? The Value and Expectancy of Upstream
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Research Articles
- A Memorandum of the Chinese Film Industry in 2024
- Xie Jin: A Distinguished Pioneer of the Mind-Nature Realism Film Paradigm
- Balanced Harmony: Aesthetic Realms in Chinese Film
- “Aspiration” and “Rhetoric”: Lyric Aesthetics of Chinese Small-Town Films
- The Cinematic Representation of the Factory Zone by Young Directors in the 21st Century
- From Drama to Film, as a Genre Bridge and New Main Melody Narrator – A Discussion on the Creation Path of Up-and-Coming Director Rao Xiaozhi
- Landscape and Memory: Homeland Narratives and Space Production of New Directors
- Interview
- Contemporary Traditional Cultural Philosophy and Re-Creation: Interview with Huo Tingxiao
- Film Reviews
- A Tapestry of a Legendary Land: the Flow and Fluidity of Beauty of Chinese Culture
- Searchlight or Scalpel? The Value and Expectancy of Upstream
