Wild and Unstructured (Alternative Criticism of Contemporary Chinese Film and Television Culture)

Author: Nai Kang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: If experience can become the 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 the "joy of success" that often makes people forget there is a humanistic secular society beyond the world of art. In this sense, no one can truly understand life when they are "joyful and successful." When we face or display our primal desires and instincts, we must never forget to stand in the position of humanity, 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 their changing aesthetic tastes and value orientations. Therefore, film and television culture is often included by modern people in the category of popular (fashion) culture. However, what is popular is not always good—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 like a "brick" specifically designed to shatter the dreams of contemporary Chinese film and television culture. It could even be called a "jade," as the saying goes, "throwing a brick to attract jade." In fact, many times, the "brick" thrown is already a "raw jade." I believe that with this book, we can learn more about the development of young, vibrant, and nationally acclaimed contemporary Chinese film and television culture, as well as its many lovable and unlovable aspects, especially the unlovable ones. Additionally, we can share with the author his years of observations, reflections, and experiences regarding contemporary Chinese film and television culture, both its joys and pains. This is the value of this book.