This paper discusses the Qiong Yao films directed by Bai Jing-rui in the 1970s, arguing that these romantic dramas took a proactive part in representing a cultural identity in Taiwan society of the time. The paper investigates how various issues, such as “home”, nationhood and diaspora, are treated in the films. In the process, the paper situates the filmic discussion in the wider context of a highly politicised environment in general and the industrial discourses of “healthy realism” and “healthy variety-show” in particular. The paper proposes that Bai Jing-rui’s Qiong Yao films grew out of a push-and-pull between three elements: (1) the authorities that wanted to promote certain moral and political messages; (2) Bai Jing-rui as an auteur strongly committed to the art of filmmaking; and (3) the audience at large whose support was needed to sustain a film industry. The paper gives close attention to how Bai’s Qiong Yao films tried various ways of reconciling those competing forces. As case studies, the paper examines closely two of Bai Jing-rui’s Girl Friend (1975) and Far Away from Home (1977) to show how they blended modernity with nativism in articulating a sense of cultural identity.
This paper examines the Qiong Yao films directed by Lee Hsing in the 1970s from the perspective of youth culture. Quintessentially youthful romance by genre, the majority of Qiong Yao films feature young men and young women in their early 20s as protagonists. The films focus on representing the attitudes, conducts and lifestyles of young men and young women. The paper argues that the Qiong Yao films directed by Lee Hsing in the 1970s demonstrate more signs of youth autonomy when comparing to those of the previous decade. Why the 1970s? What were the factors that contributed to the shift of perspective? What is the significance of representing an autonomous youth culture to Qiong Yao films? The paper seeks answers to these questions by closely referring to The Young Ones (Caiyun fei, 1973).
Qiong Yao films are known for telling stories of romance. This essay focuses on the female characters in Qiong Yao films produced by the Grand Motion Picture Company (GMP) in the 1960s. Founded by Li Han-xiang in 1963, GMP played a key role in the evolution of Taiwan cinema in general and Qiong Yao films in particular. The 1960s was to Taiwan a time of political and ideological conservatism. Discipline and obedience to authorities were prioritized as an official strategy to celebrate the traditional values and principles of Chinese culture. The Confucian-oriented ideology toward women dominated. The paper proposes that most women portrayed in the Qiong Yao films by GMP remain in the traditional status, emotionally and economically dependent on men. The paper posits that the gender-based/biased authoritarian hierarchy represented in these romantic dramas was closely associated to the patriarchal social structure and the mainstream political ideology. GMP’s 1968 film Love Eternal will be used as a case study to show how “the limits of proprieties” must be followed and what devastating effects were produced in the case when these traditional values were challenged and violated.
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