Remolding the power of images : a reconstruction of the aesthetics, social structures and spectators of people's films (1949-1966) = 重塑影像權力 : 1949-1966年「人民電影」美學與社會結構及其觀眾的重建

Abstract

Owing to its strong political characteristics, the film history of the “Seventeen Years” (1949-1966) period in mainland China is often understood as an experiment in national ideology and a part of national politics. With an aim to return the “People’s Film” (renmin dianying) to the image itself, this thesis employs Foucault’s notions of “micro-power” and “subject” to discover the ability of images to construct meaning and knowledge from the perspective of the unique aesthetics and signifying functions of images. This thesis considers film a micro-experiment of the image, exploring its possibility of becoming a power technology, as well as how it cooperates and conflicts with the country’s macro will to power, participates in the shaping of the subject, and exerts discipline on the subject. Taking original materials such as documents, speeches, newspapers, and personal memoirs as references, this thesis not only aims to reshape the “context” behind the “People’s Film”, but also strives to offer a new analytical framework that can help transcend the connection between the absolute power and the masses in red China, and gain insights into the tension of image power.