A brief analysis of Chinese and Western cultural differences in animated films featuring Chinese elements

Abstract

Over more than one hundred years of development, film industry has witnessed the transition from silent pictures to sound motion ones, from black-and-white films to color ones and from flat films to dimensional ones. As such, a revolution of post-film or digitization is brewing and being reorganized. Animated film is unique for its style and technique of expression, which unveils a new vision of cultural life and social values in other countries for audience's appreciation. Animated film also provides a new platform for Chinese and western cultural exchange. As a creative industry, film has been the fast-growing and most influential media since the 20th century, which embodies aspects of politics, economy and culture. Nevertheless, animated film performs its recreational function, shaking off fetters in the real world on the basis of its function. Chinese elements are constantly applied in western animated films. This paper sets out to analyze the current conditions in Chinese and western animated films. In this paper, a comparison will be made between Mulan and The Lotus Lantern, Kung Fu Panda and Monkey King: Hero Is Back. The paper will discuss cultural differences in Chinese elements in animated films in the aspects of national cultures and aesthetics with analysis and demonstration, thereby offering references to follow-up animated film production.