Lifting the Masks in The King of Masks

By Alexandra Fernando 42243097 ASIA 355 Rui Wang October 18, 2011

Introduction Currently with 19 awards and 1 nomination, The King of Masks continues to capture both the hearts and minds of its viewers. It is directed by Wu Tianming 1, head of Xian Studio and widely known as the father of the Fifth Generation filmmakers, who won the 1996 Golden Rooster award for Best Director. This well-renowned film tells of the simple yet moving tale between an old man and a young orphaned girl. It is set in the old Sichuan province and reverts its audience back to the 1930sa period in history wherein traditional principles and values ruled predominantly the mindset of Chinese society. The old man, Wang Bianlian, played by veteran Zhu Xu, is a street performer who practices bian lian or literally face-changing. This is an ancient Chinese dramatic art that requires the skill of changing facemasks within a fraction of a second. Unfortunately, Wang is the last of his line and without an heir the secret of his art will die along with him. With the persuasion of the famed opera female impersonator Master Liang, Wang buys off a young boy at a black market to serve as his heir since tradition dictates that only men are worth of such valuable family secrets. Little did he know that he got more than what he bargained forthat his supposed grandson and future apprentice Doggie, played by the captivating Zhou Renying, is truly a girl in disguise.

Unmasking The King of Masks Beyond its title and plot, The King of Masks is certainly filled with various scenes and characters worth unmasking. Similar to the art of bian lian, people naturally change faces and have their own set of masks towards certain situation. This is most evident on Wang Bianlian
1

This paper follows the Chinese sequence with the family name first and then the given name.

himself. He puts on an invisible mask throughout the story to save his pride and dignity with regards to his social status. One specific scene is when Doggie was performing her acrobatics on the street. He steps aside the differences he has with her, clapping, smiling and praising her skills to draw interest from the audience. This kind of masking takes place even without a crowd gathering around him. In the scene at the wine shop, the shopkeeper sees Wangs adopted grandson and notes that he is actually a girl. Wang defends himself from ridicule and says, Son, daughter, who cares. Its an extra set of hands, and its better than being on my own. More fittingly, this scene is emphasized with the symbolism of the diluted winea split between appearance and true essence. Another notable scene is when Master Liang hands over Wangs photograph with Doggie. Wang lies to Master Liang about Doggies whereabouts and says, Hes gone off to play. Wang clearly doesnt want to bring himself further down by revealing the truth to others. He puts on a faade not because of Doggies secret but one of his own: the fact that he was careless enough to be fooled by a young girl. These scenes underlie a bigger picture. The shopkeeper explains the diluted water saying, I would do that to others but not to you. Just like the modern distribution of media and propaganda materials, there is a selection and withdrawal of information that exists.2 This propaganda system, a central operation of the Chinese Communist Part, wages a debate over what is fit and appropriate for the public to know. Facts [and the truth] can be limited, controlled, and manipulated by those who hold itbecause sometimes people are better off not knowing.

David Shambaugh, China's Propaganda System: Institutions, Processes and Efficacy, The China Journal 57 (2007): 25.

Film Analysis In The King of Masks, Wu Tianming weaves together a modern art film, embedded with socialist influences, against a traditional Chinese setting. Each frame is composed with a certain mystical quality and is accompanied by sceneries that radiate a color that is light for the eyes. This is evident with the foggy opening scene, which sets up the stage of the entire production. The incorporation of natural elements and phenomenon foreshadows a Taoist way of thinkinga recurring philosophy throughout the film. Additionally, the films cinematography showcases the richness of traditional Chinese culture and art with its festivals, performances, and architecturefrom its vividly colored costumes to its intricate set designs, to its inclusion of the art of Sichuan opera. With a few modern intrusions, the film exerts a feeling of timelessness and enables viewers to easily transport themselves back into the intended period and especially into the shoes of each character. Its musical score uses traditional instruments like gongs, bells, wooden percussions, pipes and most importantly the sweet melody of the flute that provides a method of transition to another scene. Zhao Jiping complements each scene perfectly, adding up to the mood of the specific scene and emphasizing on a characters emotion in the right way and at the right time. The viewers are able to interpret the actors emotions and empathize with them better.3 For example, when Wang learns about Doggies secret and tries to abandon her, the frame focuses on Doggie who throws herself on the ground, holds on to the bamboo stick, and with tears streaming down from her face. This performance along with the background music conveys the weight of
3

Matthew Bezdeck et al., Viewers' Interpretations of Film Characters' Emotions: Effects of Presenting Film Music Before or After a Character is Shown, Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal 25 (2007): 135.

the scene to the audiencethey are drawn in to relate to the intense loss and abandonment Doggie must have been experiencing at that precise moment. This process of transferring emotions from one person to another, or in this case, that from an on-screen character to a viewer is common in film studies. Most theorists understand this as emotional contagion.4 It is an involuntary response, relatively automatic and usually happens so quickly that we are rarely fully aware of the process as it happens. Accordingly, the composition and execution of The King of Masks as a whole stimulates a wide range of emotions from its audience: joy, sorrow, regret, anger, betrayal, appreciation; it evokes an internal reflection of the self in accordance to his or her role in family, culture and society. Moreover, the film eventually invites its viewers to explore their individual purposes in life. As mentioned earlier, there is an abundant use of metaphorical phrases and Chinese maxims countlessly reiterated by the actors. For example, Wang constantly reminds Doggie the importance of skills in attaining a successful life. He says, If you work hard, the world can be yours. This dialogue technique solidly, yet subtly, implants such [Chinese] virtues and values on the minds of its viewers. They become powerful and memorable through repetition, achieving a dramatic resonance that is central to the meaning of the film.5

Reflecting on the Theme: Girls Are Just As Valuable As Boys Gender bending is not something new in Asian history and literature. Ancient Chinese societies have long been introduced to the poem and epic tale of Hua Mulan who disguises herself as a boy to take her fathers place in the army. She exemplifies filial piety, bravery and modesty. As seen in the film, Doggie takes similar characteristics; her evident devotion and
4 5

Amy Coplan, Catching Characters Emotions: Emotional Contagion Responses to Narrative Fiction Film. Film Studies: An International Review 8 (2006): 27. John Fawell, The Musicality of the Filmscript, Literature/Film Quarterly 17.1 (1989): 45.

selfless love towards her elder, and her courageous act of saving Tianci from the kidnappers. But unlike Hua Mulan, Doggie herself openly challenges the gender roles set by traditional society. Her witty dialogues show her understanding and maturity of the subject. On the boat, when she was preparing food for Boss he says to her, If only you were a boy. Doggie snaps at him, What do boys have that I dont? She then grabs the Bodhisattva statue and angrily states her confusion towards the fact that the goddess has bosoms yet men, especially Wang, worship her. This scene in particular raises an argument for girls [and for women in general] that they are as worthy as boys/men. As a boy, Doggie is seen cooking, cleaning, and scratching Wangs back. Whats interesting is that she continues to do the same chores even after she has revealed her secret. Clearly the only thing that changed once Grandpa knew the truth was how he treated her. Wang changes his face and from then on sees Doggie as just another mouth to feed, another dowry to pay, and a temporary family member who would eventually leave to serve her husbands kin.6 Doggie is now of little valuable because she cant pass on his art, and in old China the survival of the family line was of utmost importance.7 This preference on boys was ingrained on traditional Chinese culture, and despite the reforms of the Cultural Revolution, it still prevails today in some rural areas. The King of Masks illustrates the tragedy and horror at the black market. Children, mostly girls, are sold, given away, even killed, because to these [traditional] families there is no price for being a girl. Confucian philosophy dictates that males are the priority and are the ones that cultivate society. Doggies characternot her lies and cross-dressing but more of her words and actions challenges this patriarchal society. Women may not be the superior gender but they are not

Sharon Beijing, Condolences, it's a girl, Time, November 8, 1990, accessed October 18, 2011, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,971583,00.html#ixzz1bFhLWYtk. 7 Alicia Leung, Feminism in transition: Chinese culture, ideology and the development of the women's movement in China, Asia Pacific Journal of Management 20 (2003): 359-374.

inferior either. They can be just as good as men and Doggie proves this. She is admirable in that she does everything she can and works hard even without the reassurance of getting anything in return. She raises the idea that instead of focusing on what a person lacks, why not focus on what one can do and achieve?

Conclusion With its political implications aside and hidden deeply beneath the surface, a western viewer might ponder on the films take on gender identity more than its local audience. But neither politics nor social inequality is the point of the film; Wu Tianmings direction intends for a simple and personal response that transcend cultural boundaries. It goes beyond society, cultural differences and traditions, and even gender roles, by emphasizing on the universal theme of benevolence and unconditional love. The King of Masks is an art film masterpiece that will tug on the heartstrings of everyone. It is a movie that I can guarantee will hit a spot close to home.

Bibliography

Beijing, Sharon. Condolences, it's a girl. Time, November 8, 1990. Accessed October 18, 2011. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,971583,00.html#ixzz1bFhLWYtk. Bezdeck, Matthew, Siu-Lan Tan and Matthew Spackman. Viewers' Interpretations of Film Characters' Emotions: Effects of Presenting Film Music Before or After a Character is Shown. Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal 25 (2007): 135-152. Coplan, Amy. Catching Characters Emotions: Emotional Contagion Responses to Narrative Fiction Film. Film Studies: An International Review 8 (2006): 26-38. Fawell, John. The Musicality of the Filmscript. Literature/Film Quarterly 17.1 (1989): 44-49. Kozloff, Sarah. Overhearing Film Dialogue (Los Angeles: Univ. of California Press, 2000). Leung, Alicia. Feminism in transition: Chinese culture, ideology and the development of the women's movement in China, Asia Pacific Journal of Management 20 (2003): 359-374. Nichols, Bill. Ideology and the Image: Social Representations in the Cinema. (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1981). Sabini, Meredith. At the Movies. The San Francisco Jung Institute Library Journal 18 (1999): 81-83. Shambaugh, David. China's Propaganda System: Institutions, Processes and Efficacy. The China Journal 57 (2007): 25-58. Stone, Alan. The Artist as Survivor. Boston Review, February/March 2000. Accessed October 18, 2011. http://bostonreview.net/BR24.6/stone.html. The King of Masks. Film. Directed by Wu Tianming. China: 1996.