Wild and Unstructured: Alternative Criticism of Contemporary Chinese Film and Television Culture: Alternative Criticism of Contemporary Chinese Film and Television Culture

Author: Nai Kang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: If experience can become a decisive asset, then the mind becomes a trivial accessory. The issue isn’t what you’ve experienced, but how much you’ve learned from it. The journey of the mind is not the same as objective history, let alone that humans are passive carriers in life but rather beings who feel and live. Yet, it is precisely when one is "on top of the world" that they often forget there is a humanistic secular society beyond the world of art. In this sense, no one can truly understand life when "on top of the world." When we confront or display our primal desires and instincts, we must never forget to stand in human terms, never forget that we still have the concept of "thought." In today’s increasingly diverse, free, and modernized era, film and television culture and internet culture seem to be an extraordinary force, increasingly and profoundly influencing people’s ideas and lifestyles. Especially for the youth, we can even detect some imprints of contemporary Chinese and foreign film and television culture from the changes in their popular aesthetic tastes and value orientations. Therefore, film and television culture is often included by modern people in the category of popular (fashion) culture. But what is popular isn’t always beautiful—even though we often prefer to immerse ourselves in the beautiful dreams of film and television culture. This book is clearly not one that indulges in beautiful dreams, but rather more like a "brick" specifically made to shatter the dreams of contemporary Chinese film and television culture. It could also be called a "jade," as the saying goes, "throwing a brick to attract jade." In fact, many of the "bricks" thrown are already "rough jade." I believe that with this book, we can learn more about the developmental of young, vibrant, and nationally noted contemporary Chinese film and television culture, as well as its various lovable and unlovable aspects, especially its unlovable ones. Additionally, we can share with the author his long-term observations, reflections, and experiences regarding contemporary Chinese film and television culture, both its joys and pains. This is the value of this book.