Советы и советники в китайских исторических телесериалах

Abstract

In his article, I examine the image of a political strategist, popular in Chinese historical cinema, the origin of which can be traced to historical chronicles and fiction. Analysis of their cinematographic representation allows to single out the characteristic features of this image, distinguishing it from the functionally close, yet not identical image of a noble minister. Further, I suggest that the literary and cinematic image of Zhuge Liang, the famous politician and strategist of the Three Kingdoms, serves as an archetype of a political and military advisor in general, and substantiate this hypothesis. Based on the analysis of sovereign-advisor relations, I make an assumption that the very image of an advisor, with their characteristic appearance, personality, and their relationship with their overlord, takes its origins in the self-presentation of shi— a social class of the Warring States period. The leading values in this class were intelligence, loyalty to the lord, and freedom. I suggest and support a hypothesis that there is a genetic connection between the image of an advisor and the teaching of Legalism. Counterbalancing and complement to this image in a costume series is the role of a noble minister, which has its ideological basis in the Confucian philosophy. Apart from that, I name some of the strategies of seizing and retaining power, as well as domestic and foreign policy strategies, frequently seen in TV shows. The analysis of political and administrative methods in many Chinese historical series indicates that foreign policy, as presented in these shows, allows for more manipulations, but also more variability. The internal political opposition, by contrast, is almost completely delegitimized, its goals are a priori recognized as immoral and self-serving, and, consequently, the only way left for the sovereign and their advisor is to directly suppress their internal opponents. The results of this study lead to a number of conclusions about the political culture of China as manifested in this type of TV products, and about the strategemic thinking underlying this culture.