以主旋律電影論當代中國電影市場行為者的公開文本與隱藏文本

Abstract

2017年《戰狼2》為中國主旋律電影票房創下新的里程碑，在那之後，中國主旋律商業片的時代正式來臨，每一年所出產的主旋律電影數量節節攀升。然而電影作為一種兼具娛樂價值與經濟潛力的文化商品，在製作、發行的過程中往往需以市場偏好為主要考量；但另一方面，在中國政府的語境下，電影產業卻又同時受到政權的干預與介入，使其表面上雖具開放市場的象徵，實質上卻難以脫離國家所設定的工具性角色，這種既受市場牽引又受政權規訓的產業型態，使中國電影產業成為一個多重權力交織甚至矛盾作用的場域。而本文的研究目的在於梳理中國電影產業的發展結構與脈絡，並嘗試由上到下的描繪其政府、產業工作者以及觀眾各自所扮演的角色樣態，以釐清當中不同的行為者如何找尋自身的發揮空間而彼此影響。對此，本文將以社會學著名理論家James Scott所提出的「公開文本」（public transcript）與「隱藏文本」（hidden transcript）概念為分析框架，並在方法上採用歷史制度分析、半結構式訪談以及問卷調查等三種主要方式進行。 而研究結果顯示，國家不論是在審查制度或保障制度上，其主要目的都在於確保電影產業得以朝向其所希望的方向發展，更期望產業的蓬勃發展能夠進一步的強化中國電影在國際市場上的競爭力，使得電影產業在某種程度上具有國家形象的代表性象徵。因此，在國家嚴格的管控下，位屬從屬者的電影工作者為求生存，多僅能展現出配合政府的態度與行為。也就是說，該行為背後的行為考量多出自於對自身職涯發展的擔憂，並不必然代表產業工作者與官方意識形態的完全重疊。不僅如此，從觀眾本身的角度出發可知其對於電影的選擇偏好雖往往取決於其選擇多元性，但另一方面，觀眾的觀影選擇行為卻亦高度受政策規範與市場運作模式等外在條件的影響，而使其難以避免的將受限制與左右。也就是說，不論是電影工作者還是電影觀眾，其在從事電影工作與觀影的行為選擇時，皆很大程度的受權力關係中的支配者行事與態度所影響，使其為免自身利益受損而可能展現出「公開文本」與「隱藏文本」的行為框架。

In 2017, Wolf Warrior 2 set a new box office record for Chinese main melody films. Since then, China has entered a new era of commercially successful main melody cinema, with the number of such films produced each year steadily increasing. However, as a cultural product with both entertainment value and economic potential, films are often produced and distributed based on market preferences. At the same time, under the Chinese government’s framework, the film industry is also subject to political control and intervention. As a result, although it appears to operate within an open market, it is still shaped by the state’s instrumental goals. Being shaped by both market forces and government control, China’s film industry has become a space where different powers interact and sometimes conflict. This study aims to examine the structure and development of China’s film industry, and to explore the roles played by the government, industry professionals, and audiences from a top-down perspective. By doing so, it seeks to understand how these different actors navigate their own spaces and influence one another within the industry. To analyze this topic, the study adopts James Scott’s concepts of “public transcript” and “hidden transcript” as its theoretical framework. Methodologically, it uses three main approaches: historical institutional analysis, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaire surveys. The research findings show that whether through censorship or support mechanisms, the state’s main goal is to guide the film industry in the direction it desires. It also hopes that the industry’s growth will strengthen the international competitiveness of Chinese cinema, making the film industry, to some extent, a symbol of national image. As a result, under strict government control, filmmakers in subordinate positions often have no choice but to show compliance in order to survive. In other words, their actions are largely driven by concerns about their own career development, and do not necessarily reflect full alignment with the state’s ideology. Moreover, from the audience’s perspective, film preferences are often shaped by the diversity of available choices. However, their viewing choices are also strongly influenced by external factors such as government policies and market operations, making their preferences inevitably shaped and limited by these conditions. In other words, both filmmakers and audiences are largely influenced by those in power when making decisions related to film production and viewing. To protect their own interests, they often respond through behaviors that reflect the framework of “public transcript” and “hidden transcript”.