Abstract
The paper examines Feng Xiaogang's movie Back to 1942 from the perspective of history and nationalism, claiming that it has remarkable merits in exhibiting history and revealing the nationalism through images. The theories informed the analysis of the film script and audio-visual language of the movie include the new historicist "plebeian history," the cultural memory related to cultural theorists like Aleida Assmann, and Northrop Frye's "archetype theory." The paper concludes that the movie Back to 1942 challenges the traditional concept of historical narrative and enforces a retrospect of national historical memory. The story in the movie is not only a narrative of history but also a showcase of national independence under the absent presence of the Westerners. Cinematic language functions well to reveal the conflict between the grand scene and numb individuals, while the refrained emotions in the images contrast with the pathetic history.
First Page
203
Last Page
208
Recommended Citation
Feng, Guo, and Ao Tian. 2013. "History and Nationalism in Images: A Review of the MovieBack to 1942." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 33, (6): pp.203-208. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol33/iss6/10
