文艺遗产与中国电影的“公民启蒙”

Chinese Films: Artistic Legacy and Civic Enlightenment

李欧梵曾以"社会写实主义"或"批判的写实主义"来归纳现代中国电影传统,这在一定程度上遮蔽着中国电影史的另一条动脉:"通俗文化演义"。社会言情电影是通俗文化演义传统中的主脉,它不时占据着中国影坛的主流。谢晋将文艺遗产融入电影,遵循"改良现实主义"的社会言情电影创作传统,这恰与"批判的写实主义"形成对照。在20世纪下半叶的中国思想文化史中,谢晋电影扮演着"公民启蒙"的桥梁角色。80年代至今,中国影坛能够出现《芙蓉镇》、《霸王别姬》、《活着》、《色|戒》、《一九四二》等比较成熟的佳作,既表明了"情感体验"与"改良现实主义"的生命力,也显示着"文艺遗产"与"公民启蒙"的当代活力。

What exactly constitutes the tradition of Chinese films in the past hundred years？ Leo Ou-fan Lee defines it as“Social Realism” or“Critical Realism”.However, this view leaves aside another main thread in the history of Chinese films, namely, “romance of popular culture”.Indeed, romance films, as a major component of the romance of popular culture, often constitute the mainstream of Chinese films.By drawing on that rich legacy, Xie Jin, an influential film director, has developed a new variety of romance films in the style of “improved realism” rather than of the old“critical realism”.Viewed in the context of China’ s culture and thoughts of the second half of the 20th century, Xie Jin’ s films have been instrumental in educating and en-lightening Chinese citizens for a civil society.From 1980s to the present, the creation of such high quality films as Hibiscus Town, Farewell My Concubine, Lifetimes Living, Lust, Caution, and 1942, shows both the vitality of “emotional experience” and “improved realism” and the vigor of “artistic legacy” and “civic enlighten-ment” in the contemporary world.