| dc.description.abstract | As a cultural construct, ganghood (江湖, jiang-hu) is an indispensable element in the knight (武俠, wuxia) world. In the author’s view, “ganghood” in the knight films echoes the development process of the genre. It presents not only the interaction of interpersonal relationships but also forms the unique film languages to become a signature feature of the knight films and create a deep connection with culture. This thesis explores the presentation of ganghood in the knight films, which have had numerous classics since 1920. However, after the millennium, in response to the trend of internationalization, ganghood has also developed in a new way.
Firstly, the author analyzes the evolution of ganghood before the millennium and examines the connotations and meanings of ganghood in different periods. Secondly, the author discusses the new perspectives given to ganghood after the millennium and one of which is represented by Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, which retells and reconstructs a classic ganghood, recreating the well-known ganghood and adding new values of the times. The other is the reminiscence of the past, with Wong Kar Wai′s “The Grandmaster” and Xu Haofeng′s “The Master” as the main objects of discussion, incorporating historical events and a realistic style of portraying the ganghood, expressing nostalgia for the glorious period of martial arts in the past, which is also related to cultural identity.
By discussing the changes of ganghood in knight films from 2000 to 2015, the author learns and gains what meanings have been given by the directors of knight films in the evolution of time and examines the “ganghood” that the creators aspire to in their minds. | en_US |