Cinematic Metaphors of Autumn Cicadas and Chilling Cicadas: The Way out of Legal Bottlenecks in Sex Appeal

Abstract

Wang Weiming enriches his film, Sex Appeal, with cinematic metaphors of cicadas and romantic relations. Cicadas sing courting songs for mates, just like Muhong's love song for Baibai. The clarinet music replaces Baibai's taciturnity, which results from the PTSD and Stockholm syndrome, and represents Baibai's vagina monologue in the vagina-like auditorium and the “chilling effect” in court. Li Renfang points out Baibai's clarinet music lacks true love and emotions because Baibai is a father-less daughter, suffers from Electra Complex, adores the image of a powerful father-like middle-age man, and thus has no true love for him. Li Renfang's purple flowers in Baibai's glass vase at the hospital, his authoritative existence in the vagina-like auditorium, and Baibai's first-time bleeding at the dorm stand for the rape victim's defloration and the insertion of Li Renfang's penis into Baibai's vagina. The rape, adultery, and cyber bullies to blame the rape victim take place after the metronome, which represents ethical norms and legal rules, stops working because they are out of legal or moral control. Li Renfang kneels down and kowtows to the purple flowers before his death symbolizes his antemortem apology. Li Renfang's death releases Baibai from the legal bottleneck in court and allows her to reconsider and accept Muhong's love; therefore, cicadas' courtship songs restart, Baibai reunites with Muhong after the hymen-like curtain between them is removed in the hospital, and Baibai's second-time bleeding