Abstract
The cinematic landscapes of both China and Hong Kong were significantly changed after CEPA, the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnerships Arrangement, was formed in 2002, which saw Chinese and Hong Kong co-production films become domestic rather than foreign films. This change calls for a new theoretical framework in reading ‘nationhood’ in co-productions. ‘Nationhood,’ or identity, is usually articulated in masculine terms which are constructed as an ideal Self through an evil Other in both China and Hong Kong. Using Hong Kong director Johnnie To’s co-production Drug War (2012) as an example, this article argues that through his auteurship, To deconstructs this cinematic representation of masculinity in both China and Hong Kong. By doing so, To points out the problems inherent in the nationhood/identity of both China and Hong Kong and further offers a subtle critique of the state narratives of China.
Highlights
The cinematic landscapes of both China and Hong Kong were significantly changed after the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnerships Arrangement or CEPA was formed
Previous studies have shown that, within a certain limit, the state would loosen its grip on cultural productions for commercial benefits (Zhu and Rosen 4)
Taiwanese and Hong Kong cinematic talents are able to influence Chinese cinema aesthetically (Tu 146-155), suggesting that even in co-production, it is still possible for Hong Kong cinema to shape representations of China as a nation
Summary
Self and Other in post-2002 China-Hong Kong co-productions – Johnnie To’s Drug War Bingying Deng FORUM: University of Edinburgh Postgraduate Journal of Culture & the Arts 30 Spring 2020 22/07/2020 Huzan Bharucha. FORUM claims non-exclusive rights to reproduce this article electronically (in full or in part) and to publish this work in any such media current or later developed. Any latter publication shall recognise FORUM as the original publisher. Self and Other in post-2002 China-Hong Kong coproductions – Johnnie To’s Drug War
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