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Hong Kong cinema since 1997: the response of filmmakers following the political handover from Britain to the People’s Republic of China

Hong Kong cinema since 1997: the response of filmmakers following the political handover from Britain to the People’s Republic of China
Hong Kong cinema since 1997: the response of filmmakers following the political handover from Britain to the People’s Republic of China
This thesis was instigated through a consideration of the views held by many film scholars who predicted that the political handover that took place on the July 1 1997, whereby Hong Kong was returned to the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from British colonial rule, would result in the “end” of Hong Kong cinema. From that day onwards, Hong Kong cinema would no longer enjoy its previously unfettered and uninhibited revolutionary creativity and the Hong Kong film industry could thereby be perceived as being “in crisis”.

In considering whether these predictions have actually come to pass, this thesis sets out to focus on exploring representative Hong Kong filmmakers’ activities and performances following Hong Kong becoming a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from 1997 onwards. The exploration of the chosen filmmakers’ activities and performances includes examining the filmmaking practices that they have embraced and analysing the exhibition and distribution patterns adopted by the films that they have produced. The intention is to examine to what extent the political transition has shaped these filmmakers’ filmmaking practices and to observe the characteristics exhibited by the distribution and exhibition aspects of the films since the handover in order to specify any connection they may have with the momentous political handover.

This thesis intends to show how Hong Kong cinema has responded to the challenges of an age of transition and globalisation through in-depth analyses of the activities of these key industry personnel that have elevated Hong Kong cinema’s position of regional and global popularity, and the commercially and critically significant films that they have made, covering the wider spectrum of genre, including those of action, comedy, realistic, horror and romantic drama. It is the aim of this thesis to present a new perspective that contributes to the study of post-colonial Hong Kong cinema.
Xu, S.X.
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Xu, S.X.
4323cb52-cab1-4ebb-be92-f9aa7d546c41
Bergfelder, Tim
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Xu, S.X. (2013) Hong Kong cinema since 1997: the response of filmmakers following the political handover from Britain to the People’s Republic of China. University of Southampton, Faculty of Humanities, Doctoral Thesis, 252pp.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

This thesis was instigated through a consideration of the views held by many film scholars who predicted that the political handover that took place on the July 1 1997, whereby Hong Kong was returned to the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from British colonial rule, would result in the “end” of Hong Kong cinema. From that day onwards, Hong Kong cinema would no longer enjoy its previously unfettered and uninhibited revolutionary creativity and the Hong Kong film industry could thereby be perceived as being “in crisis”.

In considering whether these predictions have actually come to pass, this thesis sets out to focus on exploring representative Hong Kong filmmakers’ activities and performances following Hong Kong becoming a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from 1997 onwards. The exploration of the chosen filmmakers’ activities and performances includes examining the filmmaking practices that they have embraced and analysing the exhibition and distribution patterns adopted by the films that they have produced. The intention is to examine to what extent the political transition has shaped these filmmakers’ filmmaking practices and to observe the characteristics exhibited by the distribution and exhibition aspects of the films since the handover in order to specify any connection they may have with the momentous political handover.

This thesis intends to show how Hong Kong cinema has responded to the challenges of an age of transition and globalisation through in-depth analyses of the activities of these key industry personnel that have elevated Hong Kong cinema’s position of regional and global popularity, and the commercially and critically significant films that they have made, covering the wider spectrum of genre, including those of action, comedy, realistic, horror and romantic drama. It is the aim of this thesis to present a new perspective that contributes to the study of post-colonial Hong Kong cinema.

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X.Xu PhD Thesis 2012.pdf - Other
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More information

Published date: 16 January 2013
Organisations: University of Southampton, Film

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 350770
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/350770
PURE UUID: e8efda7e-f4a1-4e87-8da1-8b28e5ff1dcf
ORCID for Tim Bergfelder: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6585-6123

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 09 Apr 2013 13:32
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:51

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Contributors

Author: S.X. Xu
Thesis advisor: Tim Bergfelder ORCID iD

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