A Study on the Evolution of Chinese Film Titles from 1984 to 2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70088/ybxdn434Keywords:
film titles, social change, historical periods, cultural studies, chinese cinemaAbstract
Films serve as a profound mirror of their times, and film titles act as the essential labels of this mirror. This paper comprehensively examines the titles of films that won China's three major film awards, namely the Golden Rooster Awards, the Hundred Flowers Awards, and the Huabiao Awards, spanning a forty-year period from 1984 to 2024. By systematically analyzing the intricate relationship between film titles and various cinematic elements—including protagonists, settings, literary works, plotlines, historical events, and iconic symbols—this study explores the intrinsic connections between the evolution of film titles and the social development of the era. The research is divided into four distinct historical periods: 1984–1990, 1991–2000, 2001–2010, and 2011–2024. The findings reveal that the connection between film titles and plotlines has become increasingly close over time. Furthermore, the number of titles adapted from literary works first decreased and then increased, reflecting a significant trend toward literary intellectual property adaptation. Titles from different periods respectively reflected sociocultural themes such as reflection on historical transitions, economic modernization, the prominence of mainstream propaganda films, and the rise of mainstream commercial cinema. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that film titles are not merely linguistic phenomena but also serve as vital barometers of sociocultural change, offering valuable insights into the dynamic evolution of Chinese cinema and its broader societal context.References
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Copyright (c) 2026 Jiayi Lin (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
