Date of Award
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Humanities
First Advisor
Li, Fang yu
Area of Concentration
International and Area Studies and Chinese Language and Culture
Abstract
This thesis will provide an in-depth exploration of Hu Bo’s An Elephant Sitting Still (2018) and Edward Yang’s A Brighter Summer Day (1991) as two identified examples of effective depictions of disillusioned young people and attempts to encapsulate a portrait of a time through filmmaking. Through the examination of these two works, I will discuss what about them establishes a life-like portrayal of both disillusioned young people and a given period in ways that transcend the confines of a region and identity. I will also examine what qualities, techniques, intentions and youth characters of these two works allow them to engage with an international audience using motion pictures as the chosen art form. I will also expand on the socio-historical relevance of these works in both the past and in the contemporary. Lastly, I will use this exploration of these projects to argue the power of film as a medium in its attempt to capture moments of reality and facilitate portrayals of universal human experiences across socio-cultural boundaries.
Recommended Citation
Cortijo, Laylah, "MOTION PICTURES, POSSIBILITY AND PERSPECTIVE: CINEMATIC REALISM AND THE PORTRAYAL OF DISILLUSIONED YOUTH IN AN ELEPHANT SITTING STILL AND A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY" (2023). Theses & ETDs. 6343.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/6343