To Cite This Article: Li, Daoxin. "“Kongqi” Theory and the Aesthetic Spirit of Chinese Film" Journal of Chinese Film Studies, vol. 3, no. 1, 2023, pp. 71-84. https://doi.org/10.1515/jcfs-2023-0015
01
About the Author
李道新 Daoxin Li
Daoxin Li is Professor and Vice Dean of the School of Arts at Peking University. He is Changjiang Distinguished Professor in Film Studies in China and he is the chief expert of the China National Social Science Major Research Project "Research on the Knowledge System of Films with Chinese Characteristics". His main teaching and research interests are Chinese film history, culture, theory, and criticism. He has published hundreds of papers on Chinese film. His major publications include: History of Chinese Film Criticism (1897–2000), History of Chinese Film Culture (1905–2004), History of Chinese Film Communication (1949–1979), Film and Television Criticism. 李道新，北京大学艺术学院副院长，教授，博士生导师，长江学者特聘教授，国家社科基金艺术学重大项目“中国特色电影知识体系研究”首席专家。代表作包括《中国电影批评史（1987-2000）》《中国电影文化史（1905-2004）》《中国电影传播史（1949-1979）》《影与文：李道新影视文化批评集》等。
02
Abstract and Keywords
Abstract: Based on the traditional Chinese "kong view" and "qi view" of classical literature and art, this article aims to further construct localized Chinese film theory, by combining methods and approaches to media archeology, and comparing Chinese and foreign literary aesthetics and film art poetics. The ancient Chinese word "dianying" (electric shadow) basically carries the same connotations as the modern word "cinema", which is internally connected. The "kong view" (empty) and the "qi view" constitute the Chinese aesthetic foundation for the "kongqi" (atmosphere) theory of Chinese film. This theory has been nourished by western aesthetics since the 1920s, absorbing both film spirit theory and film art poetics. With exchanges and dialogues between ancient and modern language, and between China and other countries, this article examines the ways in which the "Kongqi" (atmosphere) theory has nurtured a large number of outstanding Chinese film authors, and highlights the aesthetic spirit of "One World One Qi" that is perceived in Chinese films.
Keywords: Chinese film, aesthetic spirit, "kong view", "qi view", "kongqi" theory
In
a previous article (Li 2020), the author focuses on the practices of early Chinese filmmakers Zheng Zhengqiu, Ouyangang, and FeiMu (FeyMou): "kongqi" (atmosphere) and "tonghua" (assimilation) are regarded as early concepts of Chinese film theory and are based on local cosmological understandings, where life and consciousness are seen to originate from the level of
subjective awakening and holistic
thinking. On this point, the author further explains the ways in which Chinese modern aesthetics originated in
the twentieth century from the perspec-tives
of the Chinese aesthetic spirit and the Chinese artistic spirit, where the
artistic conception of the image is based on the traditional Chinese "kong view" and "qi view" of classical literature and art. Comparing Chinese and foreign literary aesthetics and film
art poetics, and combining the methods and approaches to media archeology, this article aims to further explore concepts
and practices in Chinese film aesthetics, and to
link the "kongqi" (atmosphere) theory with the spirit of Chinese art and aesthetic in Chinese films. The meaning of "dianying" in
modern Chinese language (lightning
shadow) is basically the same as in ancient times, with film practice inheriting this localized understanding. The concepts of "kong"(empty) and "qi" constitute the foundational "kongqi" (atmosphere) theory in Chinese aesthetics. Since the 1920s, the
western aesthetics of Béla Balázs's film spirit
theory and Soviet Cinema's
poetics of film art have nurtured, and been absorbed into, "kongqi" theory. Through constant dialogues over
time, both at home and abroad, "kongqi" (atmosphere) theory has nourished the work of Fei Mu (FeyMou), Hu Jinquan, Hou Xiaoxian, Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou, and other outstanding Chinese film makers, highlighting the aesthetic spirit of "One World One Qi" ,that characterizes Chinese films.
01 "Kong View", "Qi View" and the Foundational Chinese Aesthetics 空观、气论与电影“空气”说的中国美学根基 Ci
Yuan (Source of Words) is an ancient Chinese dictionary based on old character books, rhyme dictionaries, and encyclopedias, which combines documentary evidence and focuses on tracing the origins of words. In Ci
Yuan (Source of Words), no entry is given
for "kongqi" (atmosphere)
beneath the word "kong" (empty), while
an entry for "film"(dianying) is given beneath
the word "electricity" (dian). According
to an edition of Ci Yuan that
was published by the Commercial Press in 1988, "film" (dianying) is interpreted as "electric light"and "arrow name". Beneath the term "electric light", the poem reads, "lighting flashes above the river,
thunder roars far and loud"(1999:645).
This line is from the poem A Rainy Day in Wu Mount (Neiti
Fude Wushan Yu), selected from A
Collection of Song Zhiwen's
Works (SongZhiwenJi), and written in the Tang dynasty (Editorial Department of Zhonghua Book Company
1999). The context for "film" (dianying)
is cited as a metaphor, and describes
that which is illusory, unreal, rapid, and transitory. The following verse is then quoted: "The moment
of knowing Dharma is like the electric shadow (dianying)".This is written in a Buddhist Scripture called Aparimitayur sutra,and translated
by Kang Sengkai, to provide further evidence.
In HuTao, a book on
the art of war, beneath the meaning
of "arrow name", the topic of the "military" is discussed:
thirty-six large chariots are equipped with rhubarb crossbows. Warriors take their crossbows, spears, and halberds, and arm themselves with Feifu and film (dianying).
Feifu, the red flagstaff, is decorated with white feathers, and is
made of copper. Film (dianying), the
white flagstaff, is ornamented with red feathers, and is made of iron.
Inspired by the entry for "film" (dianying)
in Ci Yuan (Source of Words),
and following deep reflection, film historian Huang Dequan (Huang 2009) examined both the ancient and modern meanings of the
word "film" (dianying): the treatise clearly states that in Hu Tao—volume four of LiuTao (also known as the Six Arts of
War)—the word "film" (dianying)
may be traced back approximately 2500 years.
In this ancient context, "film" (dianying)
is explained as "lighting
scene" or "electric light image". In addition, Huang noticed that in Song Zhiwen's verse, "film" (dianying) and "thunder" signify
opposite meanings: this creates a link between the image (scene) of lighting with the sound of thunder, leading to "audio-visual
unity". Furthermore, in the context of the quoted verse written in Aparimitayur sutra — "The moment
of knowing Dharma is like the electric shadow (dianying)"— the
paper argues that since "film" (dianying) may be understood as "lighting
scene" or "electric light image", then it may be inferred that its
metaphoric meaning embodies the word "speed". Additionally, it is reasonable to further extend its meaning to
include such concepts as "illusory
and unreal","rapid and transitory". Therefore, metaphorically, this
phrase—"The moment of knowing Dharma is like the electric shadow (dianying)"— infers that the moment of understanding
Dharma is as rapid and transitory as
light. After examining and screening the concepts of "shadow play"(yingxi), "electric
light shadow play" (dianguangyingxi), "western
drama" (xiyangyingxi), and "foreign shadow" (yangxi), the paper draws a conclusion:
the word "film" (dianying) has existed since ancient times, and refers to a kind of arrow, with its
original meaning being lighting, electric light scene and image. In modern
times,"film" (dianying) is perceived as a kind of shadow play, with
the form of "acting with shadow", which is derived from the simplicity
of the phrase "electric
light shadow play". It is a coincidence that the word "film" (dianying)
remains the same in form and sound, from ancient to modern Chinese language without any connection.
The ancient Chinese word "film" is often used to describe a specific artificial creation, a special natural scene or image, or a Buddha-nature psychic perception. From the end of the nineteenth century, the Chinese cinematic translation of "electric light shadow play", is understood in an abbreviated form as "film" (dianying), and corresponds to a
modern electro-optical device and media facility. Therefore, though both possess the same name, there are great differences regarding their original connotations and the basic meanings between them. However, even so,the view of "pure
coincidence, no connection" is still somewhat arbitrary and requires reflection.
Here, it is worthwhile to refer to methods of media archeology that emerged in the nineteen-nineties, especially to the relevant research results of Friedrich Kittler, Siegfried Zielinski, and Thomas Elsaesser and their efforts to cross distinct cultural and linguistic boundaries. And it is suggested
to find the source code of
early Chinese media history, thereby challenging established
media history and promoting the academic
goal of thinking about media in a new way (Zielinski 2006). The
single, cognitive level of the
materiality of "film" (dianying),
etymology and technical devices, and the "materialistic" orientation of media archeology, enter the diachronic level of the film'smateriality, technical installations, cultural forms, and aesthetic psychology. And then further in-depth exchanges and dialogues may be carried out,
that is, through the in-depth discussion of the Chinese "source
code" of "film" (dianying). On the basis of the Chinese aesthetic
spirit and the Chinese artistic spirit constructed by the "kong view" (empty) and the "qi view", the aesthetic foundation of the "kongqi" (atmosphere)
theory for early Chinese films is found. In this
regard, the relationship between "induction media" and "vibrating art" discussed by Bao Weihong (2014), the theory of film propaganda in Chongqing during wartime (Bao 2016), and the "dominance"of"fictionalaesthetics" in early Chinese film reception proposed by Tang Hongfeng (2016), are particularly noteworthy. 参照20世纪90年代兴起的媒介考古学方法和路径，特别是借助弗里德里希·基特勒、西格弗里德·齐林斯基与托马斯·埃尔塞瑟等人的相关研究成果，及其跨越学科、文化和语言界限的努力，试图寻找“中国早期媒体历史的源代码”，进而挑战“已成建制的媒介历史”，促进人们“以全新的方式来思考媒介”的学术目标，"可以从对“电影”词源的物质性和技术装置的单一认知以及媒介考古学的“物质主义”取向，进入对其物质性、技术装置与文化形式、审美心理的历时性层面并展开更加深入的交流对话，亦即通过对“电影”之中国“源代码”的深入探讨，在由“空观”与“气论”等构筑的中华美学精神、中国艺术精神基础上，寻找中国早期电影“空气”论的美学根基。在这方面，包卫红(2014)讨论的“感应媒介”“空中波动的艺术”跟战时重庆电影宣传理论的关系问题，以及唐宏峰(2016)提出的“虚奇美学”在中国早期电影接受中的“主导地位”等观点，尤其值得引起注意。 To some extent, the ancient Chinese word "film" (dianying) is deeply connected with the words "kong" (empty) and "qi" which
signify the spirit of Chinese aesthetics: this
is shown in the context of the name of the instrument (arrow), the
technological imagination (rapid, transitory), the physical and mental experience
(emptiness, nothingness), and especially, the invention of discourse ("film"). In the construction of this non-realistic, virtual medium, this connection leads to the understanding of the concept of "cinema" as a modern technological installation and media facility. This also means that ancient and modern versions of the word "film" are
not only consistent in shape
and sound, but are also internally connected.
在某种程度上，古汉语词汇“电影”就是在器具名称(箭)、技术想象(迅疾、即逝)、身心体验(虚奇、空无)，尤其话语发明(“电影”)的语境中，深刻地联系着中华美学与艺术精神里的“空”与“气”并在这种并非现实的虚拟媒介的建构中，导向作为现代技术装置与媒体设施的“电影”(Cinema)。这也就意味着，古今“电影”，不仅形声一致，而且内在承继。 The term "kong" (empty)
corresponds to the terms "illusory and unreal", and the term "empty" relates to the physical and mental experience of the ancient and modern concept of "film" (dianying). According to Master Sheng Yan's Wuliang shoujing jiangji (Understandings of Sutra of Infinite Life) (Sheng 1999), "The moment of knowing Dharma is like the electric shadow (dianying)", "like electricity" (dian): the electric
light cannot be stopped. With the convergence of causes and conditions, light suddenly appears, and then disappears
immediately, neither before nor after it, and
this is just a false phase of karmic synthesis without any substance at all.
Light is like "shadow" (ying).
The shadow is visible but not graspable, and the same is true of the laws of the universe. The light and
the object are combined, causing the image to appear: although one perceives an appearance, this is only its virtual
aspect, and when one goes to catch
it, nothing is found. In this sense, "the moment of knowing laws of the universe" is just like knowing electricity, light, and image, which appearto be forms of nothing, and must be understood according to the illusion
of the condition; that is, "the moment of knowing" requires the wisdom of emptiness. Connected
to the concept of "film" (dianying), the entities of "electric
light" and "image" are
dreamlike and fleeting symbols of "selflessness" and "emptiness",
and are not only cultural forms of
Buddhism and meditation, but also a part of a universal aesthetic psychology; in terms of production mechanism and
reception experience, they may also
form a meaningful isomorphism with the notion of "cinema" as
a modern technological installation and media facility. 仅就“空”而言，便对应于古今“电影”身心体验中的“虚幻不实”和“空无”。根据圣严法师《无量寿经讲记》对康僧铠译《无量寿经》中“知法如电影，究竟菩萨道，具诸功德本，受决当作佛”所讲，“如电”，电光刹不住，因缘聚合时忽而一现，过后立即消失。先前没有，之后也没它，这只是因缘合成的假相，根本没有自性;“如影”，影但可见而不可捉，诸法亦如是，光明和物体的因缘一和合，就会现出影像，虽然可以见到一种相，但这只是虚相，去捉取的时候什么也得不到;像这样了知诸法就像电光、影像那样，本来无有，就要依如幻的缘起来实现，也就是要有通达空性的智慧。“电光”“影像”亦即“电影”如梦如幻、倏忽即逝的“无自性”和“空性”，既是一种佛禅的文化形式，又是一种普遍的审美心理，还能在生产机制与接受体验等方面，跟作为现代技术装置与媒体设施的“电影”(Cinema)形成颇有意味的同构。 As is commonly known, Chinese traditional thought,
classical literature, and art enjoy an extensive and profound history: interacting with people's lifestyles, theirphilosophical concepts, aesthetic categories,
and art theories have been established for
thousands of years. Among them, "kong" (empty) and "qi" are core concepts and ontological categories in Chinese philosophy, aesthetics, and art
theory, and contain rich and complex connotations. The work of famous
artists in different dynasties, developed through Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and other parties in
China, have benefited modern artists: Wang Guowei, Zong Baihua, and others absorbed the nourishment
of these different schools to
complete the modern transformation of the Chinese aesthetic spirit, highlighting
understandings of cosmology, life, consciousness, and the aesthetic spirit of Chinese culture and art.
众所周知，中国传统思想与古典文艺博大精深、源远流长，并跟几千年以来中国人的生活方式及哲学观念、美学范畴和艺术理论等交相互动、混合杂糅在一起。其中，“空”与“气”作为中国哲学、美学与艺术理论的核心概念或本体范畴，也都各自有其丰富复杂的内涵，并得益于各个朝代的名家生发，中经儒、释、道等各方诠释，直至王国维、宗白华等集其大成并完成中华美学精神的现代转换，彰显中国文化艺术“静故了群动，空故纳万境”“气化流行，生生不息”与“参天地，赞化育”的宇宙意识、生命境界和美丽精神。 According to Zong Baihua's article The Birth of Chinese Artistic Conception(1943),the image of“air flowing in empty silence,kites flying and fish leaping”captures
the magnificent realm of the Chinese artistic
mind and the cosmic imagery of "two mirrors entering and reflecting
each other" (Zong
1943:137–151). He
also states "The high, deep, and wide realms of
Li and Du, and Wang Wei's
quiet and distant ethereal spirit are
all rooted in an active, moving and rhythmic mind (Zong2000)". Inheriting
this mind is our heartfelt joy. With "emptiness" and "life", "ethereality",
and "rhythm", the mind echoes well the
technical characteristics (photography,
movement) and aesthetic experience (light and shadow, illusion) of "film" (dianying)
itself. Based on the "kong view" (empty) of Buddhism and the "qi" theory in literature and art, the "Konqi" (atmosphere) theory is an important
characteristic that cannot be ignored
in Zong Baihua's
aesthetics and art theory: it is evident in the article After Seeing Rodin's Carving (1920), and
gradually enriched and perfected through Xu
Beihong and Chinese Painting (1932), A Brief Discussion on the "Value Structure" of Art (1934), Spatial Consciousness in
Chinese and Western Painting (1936),On the Origin and Basis of
Chinese and Western Painting (1936), and On Shishuo Xinyuand the
Beauty of Jin People (1941). The theory was further
consolidated in such articles as Where Will the
Aesthetic Spirit in Chinese Culture Move Toward? (1946), Onthe Ethereality and Enrichment of Art (1946),
and The Consciousness of Space in Chinese Poetry and Painting (1949) (Zong 1999). Following his extensive and in-depth discussions on the universe and nature
itself, and on the almost "ineffable" glamor ofart forms such as poetry, painting,
calligraphy, music, dance, sculpture, architecture, gardening, theater, and photography, it may be seen that the "kongqi" (atmosphere)
theory realizes Zong Baihua's desire for the medium of film to be perceived as a
new type of art form and aesthetic spirit. However, an examination of the Complete Works of
Zong Baihua (comprising four volumes) does not
reveal much text devoted to the
concepts of "shadow play" and "film". In the classification system
of "art science" in different eras, the term "film" remains unmentioned. However, the "kongqi" (atmosphere) theory of Chinese art, represented by Zong Baihua's publications, is enough to lay the foundation for theorizing the aesthetic spirit of Chinese films.按宗白华在《中国艺术意境之诞生》(1943)一文，“空寂中生气流行，鸢飞鱼跃，是中国人艺术心灵与宇宙意象'两镜相人’互摄互映的华严境界”。又论:“李、杜境界的高、深、大，王维的静远空灵，都根植于一个活跃的、至动而有韵律的心灵。承继这心灵，是我们深衷的喜悦。”有“空寂”也有“生气”，有“空灵”也有“韵律”，竟跟“电影”本身具备的技术特征(摄影、运动)和美学体验(光影、幻象)形成内在的呼应。这种建基于佛禅“空观”与文艺“气论”上的“空气”说，正是宗白华美学和艺术理论不可忽视的重要特征，在《看了罗丹雕刻以后》(1920)一文中已显端倪，通过《徐悲鸿与中国绘画》(1932)、《略谈艺术的“价值结构”》(1934)、《中西画法所表现的空间意识》(1936)、《论中西画法的渊源与基础》(1936)、《论〈世说新语〉和晋人的美》(1941)等逐渐丰富完善，并在《中国文化的美丽精神往哪里去?》(1946)《论文艺的空灵与充实》(1946) 《中国诗画中所表现的空间意识》(1949)等文章中得到进一步夯实。可以表明，“空气”说正是宗白华在广泛而又深人地讨论了宇宙和大自然本身以及诗歌、绘画、书法、音乐、舞蹈、雕塑、建筑、园林、戏剧以至摄影(“现代的照相术”)等艺术形式几乎“不可言说”的幽情壮采、生趣妙境之后，对电影作为一种新型的艺术形式和美学精神的期许，尽管检视《宗白华全集》(四卷)，并未发现太多专门论及“影戏”和“电影”的文字，而在其不同时代的“艺术学”分类体系中，也基本没有出现过“电影”，但以宗白华为代表的中国艺术“空气”说，足以为中国电影的美学精神奠定基础。
02 Film's Spiritual Theory and the Poetics of Film Art: The Western Aesthetic Background of "Kongqi"Theory in Film
电影精神理论与电影艺术诗学：电影“空气”说的西方美学背景
From its inception, the art form of film was designated as an "imported
product": although Chinese
local films contained the
spirit of Chinese culture and art, Chinese theory sought more contrast, understanding, and confirmation from the "other" (especially in
terms of the aesthetics of European and American films). Arguably, it is only in the complex context of the intersection
between Chinese and Western aesthetic
ideas, that China may be able to construct "Chinese-type" films and film theories which capture the spirit of the times and national characteristics.
然而，从一开始，作为一种被指认为“舶来品”的艺术形式，中国本土电影虽然内蕴着中华文化与中国艺术精神，但也需要从“他者”(尤其欧美电影美学)寻求更多的对照、理解和确证。事实上，也只有在中西交汇的复杂语境里，中国电影才有可能建构具有时代精神与民族特色的“中国型”电影及电影理论。 From the early nineteen-twenties, when Chinese national film was in its beginning stage, Chinese films were extensively influenced by the films and film theories of Europe, the United States, Japan, and other regions and countries. Among them, the spiritual theory of film developed by Hungarian film theorist Béla Balázs, and the poetics of Russian and Soviet film art represented by Eisenstein and Pudovkin,
appeared in a timely manner: the different theories exerted substantial and increasingly important influence in the Chinese film industry, to then provide the Western aesthetic background for the emergence of the "kongqi" theory of film. 正是从20世纪20年代初中国民族电影真正开始起步之际，中国电影就受到了欧、美、日等地区及国家电影及电影理论的广泛影响。其中，匈牙利电影理论家巴拉兹·贝拉的电影精神理论以及以爱森斯坦、普多夫金等为代表的俄苏电影艺术诗学适时出现，并在中国电影界产生实质性的、愈益重要的影响力，进而成为电影“空气”说得以出现的西方美学背景。 As early as 1924,
Balázs began to explore the "philosophy of film art" through
his book Visible Man, or the Culture of Film. In the book's opening remarks, Balázs made "three appeals" to learned apologists of aesthetics and art history:the emerging art “film”stands at the doors of the "temple of
noble art", the "aesthetic edifice",
and the "sacred temple of theory", demanding both "a position" and its right to "speak" and to "represent" (Baláz 2000:3–4). It is in
this book, and his subsequent book The Spirit of Film(1930), that Balázs examines the problems and potential of "film theory" for such things as film plays, expressions, close-ups, nature and naturalness, image arrangement, cinematography, color film, music in cinema, and even film absurdity from the perspective of the unique technical, artistic, and media characteristics of film. Balázs also puts forward the cultural value and spiritual significance of film as a creative culture
and a new form of expression of the human mind. Balázs builds a very important bridge between film culture, film spirit, film aesthetics, and film art philosophy, through philosophical propositions of film aesthetics and film art in terms of creative camera,close-up, scene scheduling, montage, color film, sound film, and ideological interpretation. 早在1924年，巴拉兹·贝拉就通过《可见的人——电影文化》一书开始探索“电影艺术哲学”。在该书的“开场白”中，巴拉兹·贝拉便向“博学的美学和艺术史卫道士们”发出“三次呼吁”:电影这门“新兴艺术”已经站在“高贵艺术殿堂”“美学大厦”和“理论的神圣殿堂”门口，既要求占有“一席之地”，又要求自己的“发言权”和“代表权”。°正是在这本书以及其后的《电影精神》(1930)一书里，巴拉兹·贝拉不仅从电影独特的技术、艺术与媒介特性出发，考察了电影剧作、表情、特写镜头、自然和自然性、影像安排以及电影摄影、彩色电影、电影院里的音乐甚至电影荒诞等“电影理论”的问题和潜力，而且从创造性的摄影机、特写、场面调度、蒙太奇、彩色电影、有声电影和意识形态的阐释等电影美学与电影艺术哲学命题，提出了电影作为一种“创造性文化”和“人类心灵全新的表现形式”所呈现的文化价值和精神意义，在电影文化与电影精神跟电影美学与电影艺术哲学之间，搭建了一座非常重要的桥梁。
Visible Man, or the Culture of Film and The Spirit of Film also analyzes the atmosphere, rhythm,
image in space or space in video of film, and
associations, metaphors, and similes related to montage from various angles. Balázs points out that “atmosphere" is the soul of all art, the common core of the various factors of creation, the ultimate essence of all art; the artistic
atmosphere is condensed in certain
images like a mysterious, primordial substance that is wrapped in mist. Balázs associates
the "rhythm" of emotions and their "coordination",
with the melody and notes of music, arguing that the richest feelings may be expressed simultaneously on people's faces, just as the relationship among different string soundsconstitute the rich harmony and transposition in musical harmony.
Regarding "images in space or space in images", Balázs points out, quite insightfully,
that we should
perceive our own position in the image, that is, perceive our relationship with things.
Every scene scheduled and every different
angle of the camera means a change
and adjustment in the viewer's
mind. The subjective gaze of the camera enters
the cinematic space and the action space, and everything in front of the audience is shown from the perspective of the character in the play. Scene scheduling not only determines the
spatial position of the image, but also reflects
the space within the image. Although
the environment is not visible in the close-up, the atmosphere immediately spreads
throughout the image; close-ups are like the focal length of a lens, bringing togetherthe light and shadow of space.
《可见的人——电影文化》与《电影精神》还从各个角度专门分析了电影的“气氛”“节奏”“空间中的影像/影像中的空间”以及跟蒙太奇相关的联想、隐喻和明喻等问题。关于“气氛”，巴拉兹·贝拉指出，气氛是一切艺术的灵魂，是创作的各种因素的共同核心，是一切艺术的最终本质;艺术气氛像被雾气包裹着神秘的原始物质那样，浓缩在一些形象中。关于感情的“节奏”及其“协调”问题，巴拉兹·贝拉则将其与音乐的旋律和音符联系起来，认为最丰富的感情可以在人的脸上同时表现，就如同在音乐和声中，一些不同的弦乐声音相互间的关系构成了丰富的和声和转调。关于“空间中的影像/影像中的空间”，巴拉兹·贝拉更是颇有见地地指出，在影像中同时看到了我们自己的位置，也就是说看到了我们与事物的关系，每一个场面调度，每一个摄影机取景角度都意味着人的内心的一种改变和调整。摄影机的主观目光进入了电影空间和动作空间，观众面前的每件事都是从角色的视角中出现的。场面调度确定了影像的空间位置，但也能反映影像中的空间;特写中虽然看不到环境，但气氛却立即在影像中弥散开来;特写镜头就像透镜的焦距一样，把空间的光和影凝聚在一起。 Balázs's writings and views have attracted the attention of the Chinese film community since the early nineteen-thirties. Names such as "Belabalas", "Biero Baurahi", "Belo Polauc", and"Pero Brauc" appeared in the various newspapers and periodicals of this time and all signify Chinese translations of "Béla Balázs" (Yan 1933). In Balázs's translated essays Modern Cinema: Cinemafor the Bourgeoisie and Bourgeois Cinema, he mainly emphasizes the ideological nature of cinema and its function as a progressive art form which serves the public by criticizing and resisting capitalist ideology (Balázs 1936). In the translation of Japanese scholar Mayoshi Okada's Investigation of the Underlying History of
Film Art Theory (Gang 1937), in
addition to emphasizing the tendency of being critical and revealing the darkness of the society in films, there is also a relatively
comprehensive review of Balázs's book The Spirit of Film. According to the translation, it is believed that Balázs dissected the essence of film in detail using his vocation as a poet
and his theoretical background as a scholar, pointing out that the photographic position of the Kamera (camera), and the Montage
(montage) technique, formed a unique form of film expression:
it is also believed that the Kamera did not seek the materiality of events but "phenomena",
with its form created not from the narrative, but through the "melody" of the picture.
It was also between 1931 and 1934 that Sovietfilm workersengaged in one of the most
iconic debates in the history of cinema regarding the question of "film poetics" . The adherents of "poetry" represented by Eisenstein went
head-to-head with the spokesperson of "prose", Sergei Yutkevich, and expressed many opinions on issues regarding film art's means of expression, language rhetoric, and genres. Later, the Soviet scholar Dobbin (2001) pointed out that this controversy
had a bearing on the choice of path
for the development of Soviet cinema, and held that the "language
of poetry" in cinema
was fundamentally different from the Soviet "poetic film" and
the pure film experiment of the French "avant-garde", and that the excellent "poetic film" created
by Eisenstein, Pudovkin, and Duvzhenko marked the great achievement of Soviet cinema. 也是在1931年至1934年间，苏联电影工作者对“电影诗学”问题展开了电影史上少有的一次最有标志性意义的争论。以爱森斯坦为代表的“诗”的拥护者跟以谢尔盖·尤特凯维奇为代表的“散文”的代言人针锋相对，就电影艺术的表现手段、语言修辞与风格流派等问题发表了许多意见。后来，苏联学者多宾指出，这场争论关系着苏联电影发展的道路选择，并认为电影中的“诗的语言”与苏联“诗的电影”，跟法国“先锋派”的纯电影实验存在着本质差异，爱森斯坦、普多夫金与杜甫仁科等创造的优秀的“诗电影”，标志着“苏联电影的伟大成就”。 In fact, from the mid-1920s to 1937, and on a relatively
large scale, some of the works of Eisenstein, Pudovkin, Kurishov, and others, including important films such as The
Battleship Potemkin (1925),Genghis Khan's Descendants (1929) and The Road to Life (1931), were translated and cautiously introduced by left-wing
intellectuals like Hong Shen and Xia Yan, and produced continuous
repercussions in Chinese film theory criticism and creative practice (Tian 2018). Many of the efforts
made by Chinese
left-wing cinema in terms of play, music, and criticism are linked to this. It
is worth noticing that in 1933, Liu
Naou, an opponent of left-wing cinema and a "soft" film theorist, cooperated
with Huang Tianshi, Huang Jiamu, and others to launch the magazine Modern Film. In this magazine, they published essays such as Russian
and French Film Theory, A Brief Introduction to Film Rhythm, and The Depth of Chinese Film Description, which introduced,
analyzed, and applied the Montage theory of Eisenstein and Pudovkin, explored the aesthetics of Soviet films, and criticized the "content bias" of most domestic films. In these articles, Liu Naou attributed the fundamental element of film style to "rhythm" and
believed that the root of film lay in "movement". "Movement" is the expression of vitality, and the changes in speed and direction; force in "movement" gives
birth to "rhythm", and "rhythm" embodies the
life of the film (Liu 1933:1–2). Liu Naou
also regarded montage as the element of life of the film and believed montage to be the fundamental methodfor the film’s production of rhythm, thus realizing the movement of life (Liu 1932). In addition to believing "action" to be the first element in the establishment of film art, Liu Naou also
mentioned "special techniques" and "mechanical depictions" such as "elevation and descent of angle",
the "bird's eye view", "rotation", and "movement"; these not only provide "a new atmosphere" and "a sense of transparency", but also provide the reason why "film function" surpasses
all other "artistic
functions" of
history (Liu 1933:2–3). 实际上，从20世纪20年代中后期至1937年，爱森斯坦、普多夫金与库里肖夫等人的部分著述及《战舰波将金号》《成吉思汗的后代》《生路》等重要影片，即被洪深、夏衍等左翼知识分子以较大规模或慎重姿态译介引进，并在中国电影理论批评及创作实践中产生持续的回响。中国左翼电影在剧作、音乐和批评等方面的诸多努力，都跟这种影响联系在一起。值得注意的是，1933年，左翼电影的敌手、“软性电影”论者刘呐鸥与黄天始、黄嘉谟等人合作创办《现代电影》杂志，并在此前后发表《俄法的影戏理论》《电影节奏简论》与《中国电影描写的深度问题》等论文，也相对集中地介绍、分析并运用了爱森斯坦、普多夫金的蒙太奇理论，较为深入地探讨了俄苏电影美学，批评了大多数国产片的“内容偏重主义”。在这些文章中，刘呐鸥将电影造型的根本要素归结为“节奏”，认为电影的根源在于“动”。“动”是生命力的表现，“动”中的速度、方向、力量等变化生出了“节奏”，“节奏”就是电影的生命。刘呐鸥还把“织接”(montage)当作“影片的生命的要素”，认为蒙太奇是电影产生节奏进而实现“生命之动态”的根本方法和途径。除了认为“动作”是电影艺术成立的第一要素之外，刘呐鸥还提到“仰俯角”“鸟瞰”“旋转”“移动”等“特殊技巧”和“机械性的描写法”，不仅能给出“新的氛围气”和“透明的感觉”，而且是“电影机能”超乎有史以来其他各种“艺术机能”的理由。 It can be seen that the theory of film's spirituality and the poetics
of film art that emerged in China in the nineteen-twenties
and nineteen-thirties, acted as a kind of avant-garde
discourse with ideological revolution and innovative aesthetic thought, which was born on the basis of paying full attention to the unique media attributes of film. Such theory not only produced dialogue
at the level of faith, and resonated with the
spiritual field of the left-wing film movement in China that emerged in the
early thirties; it also linked to the
passion for innovation in the pursuit of art aesthetics, since Chinese films created during this
period were seen as a means of rejuvenating national film industry, propagating culture, and advocating arts. Furthermore, it responded
to the traditional Chinese "kong view" and "qi view" concepts that also showed
the aesthetic characteristics of "movement","rhythm", and "atmosphere". This paved the way for
the emergence of the "kongqi" (atmosphere) theory in early Chinese films. 可以看出，20世纪二三十年代出现并进入中国的电影精神理论与电影艺术诗学，是在对电影特有的媒介属性予以充分关注的基础上所生发的一种具有意识形态革命性和美学思想创新性的先锋话语，既跟30年代初兴的中国左翼电影运动产生了信仰层面的对话和精神领域的共鸣，又跟这一时期中国电影为“复兴国片”并“宣扬文化”“提倡艺术”而热切寻求艺术美学的创新激情联系在一起，还在精神气质上回应着同样显现“运动”“节奏”“气氛”“氛围”等美学特征的中国传统“空观”思想和“气论”观念。这就为“空气”说在中国早期电影里的出现做好了准备。
03 "One World One Qi":The "Kongqi" Theory in Chinese Aesthetic Spirit
“通天下一气”：中国美学精神里的电影“空气”说
As
is said in Zhuangzi: Zhi Traveling towards North, "It is qi that permeates everything under heaven (Chen 1983:557-590)." According to the interpretation of
aesthetic history, "qi" is the figurative expression of "one". "Qi" may be ventilated, so there is flow; where there is flow, there is life. In addition, in the Book
of Rites and Music, it is said that "the creation of everything" emphasizes the "the
unity of man and world", "everything
as the same", and "man united with everything" (Sun 2014). In
the fourth volume of the Selection
of Ancient Poems, Wang Fuzhi put forward the
idea of "examining
every tiny detail and using your pen to write down all of this to show the fullest of the heaven",
which was once identified as the "highest achievement" of Chinese
art by Zong Baihua (2020). In a film, or through a film, the camera in one's hand should be regarded as a tool that
functions in the same way as the pen used in painting, calligraphy, poetry, etc. It may be used to record grand
sights or unexplored lands, to display the transcendent realm and human feelings, to look down at the vast and
endless universe, and to contemplate all active and rhythmic life and its beautiful mind.
This ideal landscape is similar to that of European and
American films, though with minor differences; coming from the depths of Chinese culture, it attempts to achieve the realm "One World One Qi". Commencing from the point of engaging
with the relationship between film and new drama, and through the consistent exploration of the
cinematization of opera and the intrinsic relationship between film and opera,
along with the nationalization of film art and the formation and inheritance of the Chinese school of fine art film, and then to the
analysis and interpretation of the aesthetic categories of Chinese film (such as artistic conception, imagery, and charm), China has accumulated relatively
rich traditions and lessons worth studying. This is shown in works represented by outstanding
authors such as Fei Mu, Hu Jinquan,
Hou Xiaoxian, Wu Yigong, Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou, and Li An. The aesthetic spirit of Chinese films, which is linked to the "kongqi"(atmosphere) theory, has also become the unique genetic and inalienable identity of Chinese films. 这是一种跟欧美电影同中有异的，来自中国文化深处并试图“通天下一气”的美好格局。从对电影与新剧之间的关系处理开始，经过对戏曲电影化以及电影与戏曲内在关系的一以贯之的探索，伴随电影美术民族化与美术电影中国学派的生成与承继，再到对意境、意象、气韵等中国电影美学范畴的分析和阐发，已经积累了比较丰厚的优良传统和值得研究的经验教训，并在费穆、胡金铨、侯孝贤、吴贻弓、陈凯歌、张艺谋与李安等杰出作者的代表性作品中得到了集中体现。跟“空气”说联系在一起的中国电影美学精神，也成为中国电影面向世界的独特基因与不可移易的身份标识。 In fact, the first person to discuss cinema in terms of "kongqi" (atmosphere)
was Zheng Zhengqiu, one of the pioneers of Chinese cinema.With the creative concept of "assimilating
everyone in one 'kongqi' (atmosphere)", Zheng Zhengqiu integrated the concept of "kong" (empty)
and the theory of "qi" in Chinese ideology, culture, and artistic aesthetics for the first time in the history of Chinese film, and named it "kongqi". The "kongqi"(atmosphere) theory is also an important "technique" used
by Zheng Zhengqiu, Ouyang Yuqian, and
other film makers working on
both film and new dramas in the early nineteen-twenties,
who aimed to seriously engage with the relationship
between films and new dramas, and achieved the
goal of "cinematic new dramas" (rather
than"new dramatized films").
Based on the theory of "kongqi", Ouyang Yuqian is
even more clearly aware that drama and film are two "absolutely different" arts, and film directors must master their "camera
knowledge" and ensure there exists "a
screen in their mind" when experiencing scripts, designing lenses, studying lighting, selecting actors,
setting up sets, and even handling props (Zheng 1926). 事实上，最早以“空气”说探讨电影的正是中国电影开拓者之一郑正秋。郑正秋以“使人人'同化’在我一个'空气’里”的创作观念，第一次在中国电影史上将中国思想文化与艺术美学里的“空”观与“气”论整合在一起并以“空气”名之。“空气”说也是20世纪20年代初郑正秋、欧阳予倩等电影与新剧“两栖”者用来认真处理电影与新剧之关系并自认“电影化新剧”(而非“新剧化电影”)的重要“法宝”;基于“空气”说，欧阳予倩更是清楚地意识到戏剧和电影是两种“绝对相异”的艺术，电影导演在体验剧本、设计镜头、研究光线、选择演员、搭置布景甚或处理道具等各个方面，都要拥有“摄影机的知识”，“心里要有张银幕”。 As the visibility and presence of the "camera"and
the "screen" in the minds of Chinese filmmakers have been
constantly highlighted, the criticism regarding the drawbacks of staged "new dramatized films" are decreasing day by day;
also, the "kongqi" (atmosphere)
theory has gradually enabled a certain consensus for film creation and criticism
when comparing Chinese and foreign films. Since the early nineteen-thirties, film critics have not only evaluated domestic films from the perspective of "kongqi" (atmosphere),
but also linked them with Chinese colors and Chinese styles. The criticism of left-wing filmmakers and their works also seriously points to their lack of "kongqi" (atmosphere). In short, through the intentional attempts of the first generation of Chinese filmmakers and the absorption of Chinese and foreign films and their
theoretical criticism, by the mid–thirties, the "kongqi" (atmosphere) theory had acquired richer
connotations on the basis of traditional Chinese poetics. 由于“摄影机”和“银幕”在中国电影人心目中的能见度和存在感不断被凸显，“新剧化电影”那些为人诟病的舞台化弊端日益减少，“空气”说逐渐成为电影创作以至批评者面对中外影片的某种共识。从20世纪30年代初期开始，影评界不仅以“空气”“气氛”“氛围”“气韵”等概念品评国产电影，而且将其跟所谓的“中国色彩”“中国式”等联系起来。对左翼影人及其作品的批评，也会严肃指出其缺乏“空气”或者“气氛”不够调和的问题。总之，通过第一代中国电影人的有意尝试，以及对中外电影及其理论批评的借鉴吸纳，到30年代中后期，“空气”说已经在“氛围”“气氛”“气韵”等中国传统诗学基础上获得了更加丰富的内涵。 In the article A Brief Discussion of "Kongqi" (1934), Fei Mu emphasized a "law" of the director's approach: in order for the film to capture the audience, it must "assimilate" the
audience with the environment of the people in the play, and in order to achievethis goal, it was necessary to create the "kongqi" (atmosphere) in the play (Tang 1936:4–7). When discussing the four ways of creating"kongqi" (atmosphere), Fei
Mu put "the performance of the camera itself" and "the
angle of the camera" at
the forefront. A few years later, in Creating "Kongqi" (atmosphere) in the Play: For
Film Directors (Zhang 1940), Zhang Aihong also made it clear that film directors must be able to "create the 'kongqi' (atmosphere) in the play" by comparing the directing styles of American
directors Frank Capra with Cecil B. DeMille. The article called Fei Mu the "most
thoughtful" among Chinese film makers, quoted Fei Mu's main point
on "kongqi"(atmosphere), and compared Fei Mu's films such as Night in the City and Life with the
techniques of famous American directors; once again, he decided that "creating 'kongqi' (atmosphere) in the play" was necessary. In addition, after analyzing and explaining some details about the four ways of creating "kongqi"(atmosphere), Zhang Aihong
also showed that the creation of "kongqi"(atmosphere)
in the entire film, and the harmony of
the whole "kongqi"(atmosphere), should not be ignored. 在《略谈“空气”》一文里，费穆便强调了导演方式的一个“法则”，电影要抓住观众，必须使观众与剧中人的环境“同化”，为达到这种目的，创造剧中的“空气”是必要的;而在讨论创造“空气”的四种“方式”时，费穆将“摄影机本身的性能”和“摄影机的眼睛”摆在首要的位置。几年后，在《创造剧中的空气:给电影导演们》一文中，张哀鸿通过比较美国导演佛兰克拔氏(Frank Capra)与西席·地密尔(Cecil B.DeMille)的导演风格，也明确指出电影导演必须会“创造剧中的空气”。文章将费穆称作中国电影导演界中“最有思想的一员”，并引述了费穆谈“空气”的主要观点，还将费穆导演的《城市之夜》《人生》等影片跟美国著名导演的手法相对照，再一次认定“创造剧中的空气”是必要的。除此之外，张哀鸿还在比较详细地分析阐释了费穆“空气”说的四种“方式”之后，表明更不能忽视“整部电影的空气创造”以及“全部空气之调和”。 It appears that Fei Mu's important contribution to the "kongqi"(atmosphere) theory of film is also reflected in the "taste" of Chinese painting and classical art, and attempted to carry out the "cinematization" of
Chinese opera ("Beijing Opera") with in-depth thinking and explorative practice, and profoundly influenced the creative concepts, screen
forms, and aesthetic spirit of Chinese films, especially opera films, art films, costume films, and martial arts action films. In the article"The Problem of the Cinematization of Old Chinese Opera" (Fei1940), which attracted widespread attention at the time,Fei Mu did not avoid the contradiction between the "surrealism" of Peking
Opera and the "absolute realism" of film, but discussed the
path of the cinematization of Peking Opera from the level of "artistic creation" (rather than "purely technical problems"). 现在看来，费穆之于电影“空气”说的重要贡献，还体现在主要基于中国画和中国古典艺术的“兴味”，试图“融会贯通”地对中国戏曲(“京戏”)的“电影化”展开深人思考和探索实践，并深刻地影响了此后中国电影尤其戏曲电影、美术电影、古装电影与武侠动作电影等的创作观念、银幕形态和美学精神。在当时即广受关注的《中国旧剧的电影化问题》一文中，费穆并没有回避京戏“超现实”与电影“绝对的写实”之间的矛盾，而是从“艺术上的创作大业”(而非“单纯的技术问题”)层面探讨了京戏电影化的道路。 By 1950, Fei Mu had raised the issue of "kongqi" (atmosphere)
in film, which he had always shown concern for, to the level
of grasping the "national style of Chinese films".In his
view, the number of "How many national styles Chinese films have grasped under the
use of modern creative techniques" is indeed a question worth discussing (Fei 1950). Throughout his life, Fei Mu used his "kongqi"(atmosphere) theory in his practices of film creation. As represented by Night
in the City (1933), A Sea of
Fragrant Snow (1934), Confucius (1940), Happiness
Neither in Life Nor in Death (1948), and Spring in a Small Town (1948), Fei Mu strove to build a bridge of communication between Chinese cinema, classical aesthetic spirit, and Western modern film. 到1950年，费穆已将自己始终关注的电影“空气”问题上升到如何把握“中国电影的民族风格”的高度。在他看来，“中国电影在使用现代创作技巧之下，究竟把握了多少民族风格，确是值得讨论的问题”。终其一生，费穆都在通过自己的“空气”说及以《城市之夜》(1933)、《香雪海》(1934)、《孔夫子》(1940)、《生死恨》(1948)与《小城之春》(1948)为代表的电影创作实践，努力建造中国电影与古典美学精神和西方现代电影之间互相沟通的桥梁。 From the nineteen-fifties until now, due to various factors,the "kongqi" (atmosphere) theory of film has gradually declined; however, Fei Mu's
influence and the aesthetic spirit of Chinese films that is embodied in the "kongqi" (atmosphere) theory have not lost their vitality. On the contrary, with the joint
efforts of several generations of Chinese film workers, the "kongqi" (atmosphere)
theory and issues related to Chinese film theory, film aesthetics, and film national style, have
become more diversified and more deeply explained. 20世纪50年代至今，由于各种原因，电影“空气”说日渐式微，但费穆的影响以及“空气”说内蕴的中国电影美学精神，并没有失去其应有的动力与活力。相反，在中国几代电影工作者的共同努力下，“空气”说以及有关中国电影理论、电影美学和电影民族风格等问题，得到了更加多元的观照与较为深入的阐发。 In his book Jing You (Lin 1987), Hong Kong scholar Lin Niantong
mainly took up the works of important
directors on both sides of the strait as examples, and spoke highly of the works and writings of Zheng
Junli, Han Shangyi, Jiang Jin, Nie Jing, Xu Changlin,
Yu Min, Zhao Dan, and other film art masters: Lin
discussed "the art form and aesthetic
thought of Chinese films", "classical aesthetic issues in the study of Chinese film theory", "the characteristics of Chinese films", "several problems in the
study of Cantonese films in the fifties"and "several
clues to the development of Hong Kong films after the war".On the basis of summarizing the tradition of "montage-single-lens aesthetics" formed in the nineteen-thirties and nineteen- forties, he continued to develop and put
forward the aesthetics of "You" in Chinese films in the fifties and sixties. It must be said that although Lin Niantong's
aesthetic theory of Jing You is different from the "kongqi" (atmosphere) theory of film, it may also produce quite meaningful dialogues and exchanges with the "kongqi"(atmosphere) theory. 在《镜游》一书中，香港学者林年同即主要以海峡两岸重要导演的作品为例，并高度评价郑君里、韩尚义、姜今、聂晶、徐昌霖、于敏和赵丹等电影“艺术大师”的作品和著述，就“中国电影的艺术形式与美学思想”“中国电影理论研究中有关古典美学问题”“中国电影的特点”以及“五十年代粤语电影研究中的几个问题”和“战后香港电影发展的几条线索”等展开研讨，在总结出20世纪三四十年代形成的“蒙太奇一单镜头美学”传统基础上“继续发展”，提出了五六十年代中国电影的“游”的美学。不得不说，林年同的“镜游”理论，虽然不同于电影“空气”说，但也可以跟“空气”说产生颇有意味的对话和交流。 Similarly, Hu Jinquan's film concept and creative practicelink closely to "tradition of Chinese art" and "wisdom of ancient drama art", as well as the long and profound national roots revealed by sophisticated symbolic skills (Hu 2013b). In A Touch of Zen (1970), Spirit Rain in the Mountains (1979), Legend of the Mountain(1979), and other films, Hu Jinquan combines the "kong view"(emptiness) of Buddhism with the "qi" theory,
so that the flow of heaven
and earth, the replacement of the sun and the moon, the distance of mountains and rivers, the swaying of grass and trees, and even the web, spiders, dragon flies, and green lotuses are all filled with ethereal rhyme, pervasive vitality, and deep metaphors (Hu 2013a). It is precisely in this "kongqi"(atmosphere) that Hu Jinquan is able to profoundly reflect on human desires, appeal to the salvation of the soul and the forgiveness of faith, and then break the obsession with power and evil, enlightening the great compassion of the world, and reaching a poignant, tragic,and magnificent realm. 同样，在胡金铨的电影观念和创作实践中，更离不开“中国艺术的无限传统”与“古老剧艺的沉潜高明”，及其“高度的象征技巧”所昭示的“悠久深厚的民族根底”，可谓“运用之妙，存乎一心”;尤其通过《侠女》(1970)、《空山灵雨》(1979)、《山中传奇》(1979)等影片，胡金铨将佛禅空观思想与古代气论观念结合起来，使得镜头里的天地流转、日月更替、山川横远、草木摇曳以至缀网劳蛛、蜻蜓绿荷等等，均充满着空灵的韵致、贯注的生气与深切的隐喻;也正是在这样的“空气”中，胡金铨电影得以深刻地反思人的欲望，诉诸灵魂的救赎与信仰的宽忍，进而证佛法、悟禅机，破除权力与恶的执念，开示世间的大悲悯，达至一种清冷凄美的悲壮境界，所谓“孤灯听雨心多感，一剑横空气尚存”，“平生家国萦怀抱，湿尽青山总泪痕”。 Even in the special historical period of the Cold War between the East and the West, Hu Jinquan's "costume action films" still spread the "kongqi"(atmosphere) theory and the aesthetic spirit of
Chinese films into the world, to
the greatest extent. Thanks to the aesthetic demonstration and spiritual guidance of Fei Mu, Hu Jinquan, and other outstanding Chinese filmmakers in the nineteen-fifties and nineteen-sixties, film directors, including Hou Xiaoxian,Wu Yigong, Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou, and Li An, have finally given themselves to the practice of film creation to deliver wonderful Chinese films to the world with their unique richness andcharm. 即便在东西方冷战的特殊历史时期，胡金铨的“古装动作片”仍将“空气”说与中国电影的美学精神，最大限度地传播到了全世界。由于费穆、胡金铨以及20世纪五六十年代中国杰出电影人的美学示范和精神引领，包括侯孝贤、吴贻弓、陈凯歌、张艺谋与李安等在内的电影作者们，终于以其独特的丰姿与魅力汇入世界电影的滚滚洪流。 In Chinese films, or through Chinese films, a cosmic conception of heaven and fortune, and an endless experience of life is perceived. Containing far-reaching, extraordinary poetry and a deep sense of distress,such films, attempting to guide the minds
of all people, assimilate the emotions of the largest number of audiences into the harmonious realm, to include the unity
of heaven and man, the unity of object and self, and the unity of subject and object. Toward the future of Chinese film theory, "One World
One Qi" is the ideal state of the "kongqi"(atmosphere)
theory, and the spiritual purpose of
Chinese film aesthetics, which
radiates the beautiful light of oriental humanismfrom beginning to end. 在中国电影里，或者通过中国电影，一种天道世运的宇宙观念和生生不息的生命体验，蕴蓄着旷远的超凡诗意和深深的忧患意识，在天人合一、物我同一、主客归一的浑融境域中，同化最大多数受众的情感，试图导向所有人的心灵。“通天下一气”，这便是“空气”说的理想境界，也是中国电影美学面向未来的精神旨归，自始至终都会散发出东方人文主义的美丽光芒。
想要了解更多关于 “空气”说与中国电影的美学精神相关内容，请点击文末的“阅读原文”！
Journal of Chinese Film Studies
《中国电影研究》
主编：王海洲、金海娜
Journal of Chinese Film Studies立足中国，面向国际，旨在搭建一流国际学术平台，发表国内外高水平的中国电影研究成果，加强不同文化背景的研究者之间的对话和沟通，促进国内外电影研究界开展交流与合作，推动中国电影研究的全球发展。想与国内外知名学者一起探讨中国电影吗？赶快行动投稿吧！
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https://www.degruyter.com/journal/key/jcfs/html
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编辑部
jcfs@degruyter.com
⚪ ⚪
编辑：舒岚
点击“阅读原文”，直达
"Kongqi" Theory and the Aesthetic Spirit of Chinese Film