The “self-orientalization” in the construction of Chinese film image and its path forward

With the continuous rise of contemporary China, Chinese-language films, in the process of going global and expanding their influence, have been endeavoring to create artistic symbols corresponding to the national image, as a catalyst for inter-regional cultural comprehension. Throughout the nearly four decades of development, Chinese filmmakers have re-evaluated the old national image symbols, seeking to transcend the national imagination and cultural self-view of intellectuals from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, and construct a dynamic and evolving cultural identity of the Chinese nation. However, in practice, the idea still maintains the old thinking mode of “self-orientalization” and uses it to reorganize the image of China, without constructing a powerful and vivid cultural image. Based on the classical theory of Indian-origin philosopher Homi Bhabha, and use the literature research method and case analysis method, this paper argues that Chinese-language films need to step out of habitual thinking and move from focusing on the distinction between “internal” and “external” to balancing the “internal” and “interstitial”, that is, based on the historical and contemporary practices of the Chinese nation, intelligently using the misreadings in “cultural translation” to create characters with “conflict” characteristics. By doing so, it opens up new spaces beyond the original boundaries of East and West, further engaging with the contemplation of commonalities in human nature and the development of human civilization, effectively moving away from the pattern of “self-orientalization”. This approach tells the story of the Chinese nation while also enhancing the global impact of Chinese cultural discourse.