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Discourses: Crazy Stone Dropped in a Postmodern Pond

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Craziness and Carnival in Neo-Noir Chinese Cinema

Part of the book series: Chinese Literature and Culture in the World ((CLCW))

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Abstract

The 2006 cultural carnival induced by the film Crazy Stone has not only prompted many films of similar styles but also showcased a network of ideas that makes the appearance of this film a particularly interesting juncture in the recent history of Chinese cinema as well as ideas. The metaphor is that the film is really like a piece of stone and its ability to cause craziness is attributed to its “postmodern” peculiarities; the contemporary cultural discourses are like a pond, fertile and ready to spread the ripples caused by the casting in of this peculiar stone. In light of this metaphor, this chapter draws a road map of discourses in topics of postmodernism, grassroots, carnival, and egao (mischievous parody).

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Among the early articles are Dong Dingshan (1980) and Yuan Kejia (1982).

  2. 2.

    See, for example, Chen Xiaoming (1993), Zhang Yiwu (1993), and Wang Ning (1993).

  3. 3.

    Books by and on Pierre Bourdieu (1930–2002), the French sociologist, anthropologist, and philosopher, are readily available in Chinese translations.

  4. 4.

    Yizu (Ants tribes, 2009, Guangxi shifan daxue chubanshe) and Gongfeng (Working bees, 2012, Zhongxin chubanshe), both written by Beijing-based author Si Lian, investigate difficulties in life encountered by contemporary university graduates, who in turn use these book titles to identify themselves as “the dislocated youth”.

  5. 5.

    See Lu Daofu (2002) and (2003). Lu’s first article appears in a special issue of Waiguo wenxue yanjiu (Foreign literature research) devoted to the study of Bakhtin, which features seven articles in total.

  6. 6.

    Known as “the pop-king of Asia,” Jay Chou is a Taiwanese musician, singer-songwriter, music and film producer, actor, and director. Noted in Guinness World Records for its length, the number of performers involved, and the large size of its viewership, CCTV Chinese New Year Gala has been one of the most anticipated TV events in China since the mid-1980s.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Asian Studies, Furman University, Greenville, SC, USA

    Harry H. Kuoshu

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  1. Harry H. Kuoshu
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Correspondence to Harry H. Kuoshu .

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Kuoshu, H.H. (2021). Discourses: Crazy Stone Dropped in a Postmodern Pond. In: Craziness and Carnival in Neo-Noir Chinese Cinema. Chinese Literature and Culture in the World. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73081-9_3

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