Blending Tropes and Othering Portrayals

Ethnic Minority Representation in China’s Mainstream, Post-socialist Cinema

Abstract

Scholars have identified a dichotomy in the cinematic representation of China’s ethnic minorities, which can be divided into “hard” and “soft” categories. “Hard” minorities, primarily but not uniquely from the northern regions, are generally portrayed in films set in harsh environments, which emphasize masculinity, physical strength, and brutality. In contrast, soft minorities, from the southern regions, tend to be depicted in films showcasing tropical landscapes, singing, dancing, and displaying more liberal attitudes towards sexuality. While the distinction between “hard” and “soft” minorities stems from the analysis of Mao-era films, the same analytical categories have also been applied to cinematic representations from later historical times. By analyzing the post-socialist era films Red River Valley (1997) and Mount Awa (2012), which feature the Tibetan and Wa minorities, respectively, this essay reveals an unprecedented blending of “hard” and “soft” themes within individual films, suggesting a departure from earlier filmic representations of minorities. Notwithstanding this shift, it argues that the films analyzed tend to homogenize ethnic minorities. In a manner reminiscent of Mao-era films, the Tibetan and the Wa are depicted as inferior to the majority. While cinematic representation has evolved, the underlying treatment of ethnic minorities remains largely unchanged in mainstream films.