중국 대륙 2010년대 『서유기』 테마 영화 붐에 나타난 대중 문화 심리

Abstract

In modern China, the film adaptation of 『Journey to the West』 went through approximately three periods of prosperity. This study focused on the social context of the ‘Journey to the West’-themed film boom in mainland China, which began in the early and mid-2010s, as a major phenomenon of the third boom period. Basically, based on the analysis of the social, political, cultural history, economics, and industrial aspects that underlie this phenomenon, we tried to detect the psychological flow of popular culture that exists and operates at the base. As a specific method, analysis was conducted by linking the text, its issue point, popularity, and netizens’ reactions. When the Hong Kong film <A Chinese Odyssey 1, 2> was re-screened on the mainland it took a turn and hit again as it developed into a discourse on the ‘Nonsense phenomenon’ represented by ‘Stephen Chow’ amidst the public’s enthusiasm. Thanks to this, there was a boom in movies based on ‘Journey to the West’ in the 2010s, starting with <Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons>. As this area was considered a bonanza with the support of the continental government and an easy market to gain, a rush of capital ensued, centered around directors and producers who had achieved fame in this area. These films generally achieved high box office results by maximizing the nostalgia of <A Chinese Odyssey 1, 2> and entertainment elements. However, it can be seen that the public sentiment reflected in netizens’ reactions is somewhat different from this commercial success. They show that they hope that films based on ‘Journey to the West’ will play a certain role, and the direction is deconstruction and reinterpretation that communicates with the times, breaking away from power discourse, reflection on the contemporary society, and an opportunity to form a space for public debate. In other words, it can be seen that in addition to the political and commercial background, there is an aspect of collective intelligence that makes this material work. They hope that the spirit of the folk culture which is contained in the ‘Journey to the West’ could live on and continue the journey through their own time.