Change Of Chinese Theory Essays - Cinema Of China, Film Theory

Change Of Chinese Theory Essays - Cinema Of China, Film Theory Change Of Chinese Theory Western film theory is generally subdivided into classical theory and contemporary theory. Contemporary theory consists of a theoretical system, which employs psychoanalysis, ideological critique and feminism to interpret cinematic forms. It originated in the mid-sixties and flourished in the 1970s. It was first introduced to China in the early 1980s and brought in as a complete theoretical system a few years later. Peaking in the late 1980s, it should have taken up an important position in the development of China's film theory. Classical film theory had developed very slowly in China, and by the end of the 1970s it had acquired the following features: It was a theory about social politics, not about art or cinema, and frequently used as a tool in political struggle, directly serving the politics of the day. (Ke 66) Mikroulis 2 Its artistic theory was insipid, simple and ossified, consisting merely of theories about production transplanted from philosophical dogmas. China had been closed for a long time, and there had been little international exchange, borrowing or debate. Therefore, widespread assimilation of the scholarly achievements of foreign film theory had been impossible and numerous lacunae and defects existed.(Ke 66) Toward the end of the 1970s China chose reform and opening to the outside world. Major changes in film theory were inevitable in order to adapt to the needs of social reform and cinematic innovation and to enrich and improve theory itself. Importing foreign film theory and changing Chinese cinematic concepts were also inevitable. The adoption of any film theory by society is not random but socially and historically determined. A society invariably adopts theories suitable for social development independent of any individual's will. Mikroulis 3 As contemporary film theory was being given a cold reception, making up for what had been missed in classical theory proceeded on a grand scale and along the following lines: Establishing cinematic concepts by exploring the specificity of the cinema, making cinema an art form independent from others, and distinguishing film theory from general art theory to turn it into an independent field. Beginning to focus on cinematic forms of expression and artistic techniques in an attempt to break away from outdated methods centered on the Soviet montage theory, and beginning to use original forms to express fresh contents and feelings. Almost all these efforts to catch up on classical film theory provoked heated debates within the Chinese film world. There were both conflicts and compromises with the old theoretical system. Both sides attempted to devise an authoritative and socially accepted theory that would direct film production and criticism. In the absence of Mikroulis 4 common ground, struggles both open and covert broke out between the left and right. The gap between traditional Chinese film theory and classical foreign film theory was considerably narrowed as a result of these efforts to catch up. However, different social conditions mean that no Western theory can be brought in unchanged, and because of the speed of their introduction, the essence of many theories was not fully understood. Superficial understandings, out-of-context interpretations, misreading and even misrepresentations were unavoidable. Practice had yet to show whether these theories suited Chinese circumstances, and whether they could become a part of a dominant theory. But as the pace of China's reforms and opening to the world increased, classical Western theory found itself unable to satisfy the intellectual needs of China's film theorists. The film theorists were already casting their gaze toward the outside world again. In the summer of 1984, contemporary Western film theory entered China again, this time through the unusual Mikroulis 5 method of inviting American film scholars to Beijing to run a summer session on film theory. Although unprecedented anywhere in the world, such a method of disseminating contemporary film theory suited the organization of the Chinese cinema studies world. The two Chinese scholars responsible for this event were Cheng Jihua and Chen Mei. Cheng and Chen had been invited to give a course on Chinese films in 1983 by UCLA. It was well-received. In the course of extensive contacts with American scholars, they came to feel deeply that Chinese film theory was so narrow, ossified and monolithic that it precluded academic dialogue with foreign countries. A number of American film scholars also wished to see

Viviparous Definition

Viviparous Definition Viviparous organisms are those that give birth to live young, rather than laying eggs. The young develop within the mothers body. Viviparous Etymology The word viviparous stems from the  Latin word vivus, meaning alive and parere, meaning to bring forth. The Latin word for viviparous is  viviparus, meaning to bring forth alive. Examples of Viviparous Marine Life Examples of marine life that are viviparous include: Marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, pinnipeds, sirenians, and sea ottersSome sharks, including blue sharks, white sharks hammerhead sharks, and bull sharks, andSome other fish species, (e.g., the Pacific ocean perch). Humans are viviparous animals as well. Characteristics of Viviparity Viviparous animals invest lots of time in the development and care of the young. The young often take several months to develop in the mothers uterus, and they may stay with their mothers for months or even years (e.g., in the case of dolphins, who may remain within their mothers pod for their entire lives).   Thus, the mother does not have many young at a time. In the case of whales, although dead whales have been found with multiple fetuses, mothers usually give birth to just one calf. Seals usually have one pup at a time.  This is in contrast to some other marine animals like crabs or fish, which may produce thousands or even millions of young, but the young are usually broadcast out into the ocean where there is relatively little chance of survival. So, while the time and energy investment in viviparous animals is great, their young have a strong chance of survival. Sharks often have more than one pup (hammerheads may have dozens at once), but these sharks grow relatively large in the womb. Although there is no parental care after birth, the young are relatively self-sufficient when they are born.   Viviparous Antonym and Other Reproductive Strategies The opposite (antonym) of viviparous is oviparous, in which the organism lays eggs. A very recognizable example of an oviparous animal is the chicken.  Marine animals that lay eggs include sea turtles, skates, some sharks, many fish, and nudibranchs. This is probably the most common reproductive strategy used by animals in the ocean.   Some animals utilize a reproductive strategy called ovoviviparity; these animals are said to be ovoviviparous. As you could probably guess from the name, this type of reproduction is in between viviparity and oviparity. In ovoviviparous animals, the mother produces eggs, but they develop within her body instead of hatching outside the body. Some sharks and other types of fish use this strategy. Examples include  whale sharks,  basking sharks,  thresher sharks,  sawfish,  shortfin mako  sharks,  tiger sharks, lantern sharks, frilled sharks, and angel sharks. Pronunciation VI-vip-are-us Also Known As Live-bearing, bear live young Viviparous, as Used in a Sentence Viviparous shark species include bull sharks, blue sharks, lemon sharks, and hammerhead sharks. Sources Canadian Shark Research Lab. 2007. Skates and Rays of Atlantic Canada: Reproduction. Accessed November 30, 2015.Denham, J., Stevens, J., Simpfendorfer, C.A., Heupel, M.R., Cliff, G., Morgan, A., Graham, R., Ducrocq, M., Dulvy, N.D, Seisay, M., Asber, M., Valenti, S.V., Litvinov, F., Martins, P., Lemine Ould Sidi, M. Tous, P. and Bucal, D. 2007.  Sphyrna mokarran. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. Accessed November 30, 2015.Dictionary.com.  Viviparous. Accessed November 30, 2015.Harper, D. Viviparous. Online Etymology Dictionary. Accessed November 30, 2015.NOAA.  How Many Babies? Science Activity.  Accessed November 30, 2015.NOAA: Voices of the Bay. Fishery Science - Biology and Ecology: How Fish Reproduce.  Accessed November 30, 2015.