Identity and cultural allegory amidst the Chinese new era: Analyzing narrative strategies of the Chinese science fiction film

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of two Chinese science fiction films, The Wandering Earth and Crazy Alien, shedding light on their profound connection to identity and cultural allegory within the context of the Chinese New Era. We employ the Greimas’s actantial model and semantic square to examine the narrative strategies, visual symbols, and cultural representations in these films. The Wandering Earth unfolds a grand narrative anchored in the principles of hard science fiction, the film leverages science and technology as narrative drivers. In contrast, Crazy Alien adopts a more whimsical approach by infusing humor and light science fiction elements into its narrative. From a postmodern standpoint, both films boldly engage with and subvert traditional narratives and cultural depiction shifting the spotlight from an individualistic hero to collective action, employs humor, parody, and absurdity to dismantle established Western science fiction tropes, resisting categorization and fixed binary oppositions while promoting shared aspirations of a community, thus challenging the modernist notion of the solitary hero’s agency. However, it is imperative to critically examine the potential limitations of these films, including their alignment with nationalist narratives and their appropriation of Western cultural elements. This study provides valuable insights into the evolving realm of Chinese science fiction film, where the fusion of traditional Chinese elements with global influences fuels thought-provoking discussions within the global cinematic discourse.

Keywords:

• Chinese science fiction film
• focalization
• actantial model
• semiotic square
• post-colonialism

REVIEWING EDITOR:

• Lincoln Geraghty, School of Media and Performing Arts, University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom

SUBJECTS:

• Art & Visual Culture
• Visual Arts
• Cultural Studies
• Media & Film Studies

Introduction

Chinese science fiction has emerged as a prominent and widely discussed genre, particularly following the international recognition of Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem in 2015. Some consider Liu Cixin to be a standard-bearer for a new era of Chinese science fiction, often associated with promoting the “Chinese dream” on the global stage. This perspective reflects a viewpoint within the discussion of Chinese soft power and its role in international narratives (Gaffric & Peyton, 2019).

This increased attention coincides with the release of two commercially successful Chinese science fiction films, The Wandering Earth and Crazy Alien. This development has encouraged researchers to delve deeper into the genre and explore the narrative strategies employed in these films. As both the production and study of films continue to expand, it becomes increasingly vital to analyze film narratives to gain insights and answers.

In a Western context, the analysis of film narratives has evolved under the influence of structuralist narratology. This shift involves moving away from merely understanding “what the story tells” and delving into a more systematic examination of “how the story is conveyed”. It entails a focus on elements such as point of view, power dynamics, rhetorical techniques, and narrative manipulation (Allen & Gomery, 1985).

The significance of film narratology, championed by scholars like Gérard Genette and Mieke Bal, has been widely acknowledged in academic circles and has had a tangible impact on modern film production. In China, the translation of Western film narratology has paved the way for the study of modern narratology in domestic films. Nevertheless, research on modern narratology in Chinese science fiction films is still limited. A Study on Narrative Strategies and Values of Chinese Genre Films (Lu, 2018) pointed out that science fiction as a genre has been relatively underrepresented in mainland China.

Narrative studies of Chinese science fiction films often lean toward a classical approach, focusing primarily on storylines, character development, and emotional aspects. However, these studies often give less attention to the structural and formal aspects of narratives. This classical approach primarily addresses the surface-level elements of the storyline and may not thoroughly examine the internal narrative structure, character relationships, and the underlying meaning structure in a modern narrative framework.

Recognizing the advantages of structuralist film narratology, which can unveil deeper meanings and understanding of film texts through the analysis of narrative structure, symbols, and meanings, this paper adopts a perspective that utilizes film narratology, actantial models, and semiotic squares to analyze two groundbreaking Chinese science fiction films. The objective is to examine the narrative strategies employed in these films and how they contribute to the characterization of cultural connotations and values associated with Chinese subjectivity. Moreover, this analysis aims to explore the evolution of the science fiction genre in Chinese film.

The contextual backdrop for this study pertains to the period following China’s embrace of a new era characterized by socialism with Chinese characteristics. This transition was emphasized during the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, marking a significant historical juncture. In this contemporary context, mainstream films like Wolf Warriors, Operation Red Sea, and My People, My Country have been responsive to the demands of a great national narrative in the new era.

As a genre that demonstrates a country’s comprehensive strength and technological prowess, science fiction films are inherently linked to this contemporary context. These films’ narratives and themes frequently mirror and respond to the larger sociopolitical and cultural landscape, creating a dynamic relationship between the genre and its societal context. However, it is essential to acknowledge that this relationship is multifaceted. While science fiction films can serve as tools for nationalistic propaganda, they also provide a space for critical examination and dissent, allowing for diverse interpretations and viewpoints. By accommodating a wide range of perspectives, the analysis of science fiction’s relationship with contemporary context becomes more comprehensive, offering a deeper understanding of the genre’s role in society.

Evolving research paradigms in Chinese science fiction film studies

Up until 2019, Chinese science fiction film studies had predominantly fixated on Hollywood science fiction films as their primary subjects for analysis. This focus primarily emerged from the nascent state of the Chinese domestic science fiction film industry during that period. These studies had been guided by two distinctive research paradigms.

The first paradigm employed Hollywood science fiction films as reference points to discern the disparities between Chinese science fiction films and mainstream global science fiction blockbusters. For instance, Zheng Jun’s book, Twenty Thousand Miles of Light and Shadow: A Brief History of World Science Fiction Film and Television, delved into the history and production dynamics of science fiction films with the aim of providing guidance for Chinese science fiction film production (Zheng, 2012). More recently, the concept of “imaginative consumption” was introduced in Chinese film studies, focusing on how Chinese fantasy films responded to the cultural needs of a generation influenced by the internet within the context of traditional Confucian values (Chen, 2022). Under this concept, many researchers incorporated Chinese science fiction films into their studies, as seen in works like On Cinematic Imagination and Imagination Consumption in the Post-Cinema Era (Li & Chen, 2022), Imagination, Scientificity and Humanistic Care—Reflection on Domestic Sci-fi Film Creation (Li, 2020) and Imagination Consumption: Realistic Basis, Aesthetic Feature and Future Approach (Li, 2020). These studies mainly scrutinized the technological disparities between Chinese and Western science fiction films, reflecting weaknesses within the Chinese film industry chain. However, with increased capital investment and improvements in the film industry, technological issues have become less critical.

The second paradigm focused on the thematic analysis of science fiction films. Researchers like Jiang (2015) categorized science fiction film themes into seven major categories, including interstellar civilization, time travel, robotics, bioengineering, anti-utopia, survival environment, and supernatural abilities. These studies primarily scrutinized storyline, characterization, and thematic elements, often delving into the cultural identity and aesthetic value of these science fiction films (Ge, 2019; Yang & Liu, 2019; Zeng & Zhang, 2019; Zhang, 2019). Some studies also explored the ethical considerations posed by post-humanism in science fiction films, reflecting on issues related to science, technology, and ethics. However, these studies were largely concentrated on thematic content, often overlooking the internal structural aspects of film text generation (Huang, 2021).

Despite the influence of structuralist narratology, which emphasizes the analysis of how stories are conveyed, narrative studies in Chinese genre films, especially in the science fiction genre, have remained limited. While narratology has deepened the understanding of narrative techniques and structural laws within narrative texts, a significant distinction between “story” and “narrative” has arisen from the introduction of the narrator’s point of view. Furthermore, Algirdas Julien Greimas’ structuralist narratology has been widely adopted for analyzing narrative-oriented film texts due to its emphasis on overall structures and relationships. The release of The Wandering Earth and Crazy Alien in 2019 marked a turning point for the Chinese science fiction film genre, achieving significant box office success and sparking debates within academia about the definition of Chinese science fiction film. This study selects these two influential films as subjects and employs modern film narratology and film semiotics to analyze the texts. It seeks to explore genre narrative strategies and cultural representations within the context of the Chinese New Era, thus addressing the central issue in the ongoing debate about Chinese science fiction films: the national and localized construction of Chinese science fiction as distinct from Western science fiction discourse.

Based on our review of existing literature and research paradigms in Chinese science fiction film studies, further exploration in this field is necessary. The development of Chinese science fiction films has witnessed significant growth and attention, particularly with the release of box office successes like The Wandering Earth and Crazy Alien in 2019. Nevertheless, there is a pressing need to surpass existing research paradigms, which have predominantly relied on comparisons with Hollywood science fiction films and thematic analyses. The current challenge for the Chinese science fiction film lies in crafting narratives deeply rooted in Chinese cultural traditions and reflective of real-world contexts. While some studies have explored thematic content and technological disparities, a significant gap exists in research that focuses on the internal structural aspects of film text generation within the science fiction genre. This gap impedes our understanding of how Chinese science fiction films construct narratives distinct from their Western counterparts. Additionally, the influence of post-humanism and post-modern perspectives on narrative studies has been underrepresented in the context of the Chinese science fiction film. This study aims to address these research gaps by employing modern film narratology and film semiotics to analyze the texts of The Wandering Earth and Crazy Alien with a particular emphasis on genre narrative strategies. Secondly, we will analyse how the genre of Chinese science fiction films plays a vital role in shaping and reflecting upon the socio-political and cultural environment. It acts as a mirror, reflecting some aspects of the current state of Chinese society, while also serving as a dynamic arena where diverse voices and interpretations can engage with the nation’s narrative. By considering this complexity, we gain a deeper understanding of the genre’s multifaceted role in society and its profound impact on the discourse surrounding China’s evolving cultural and political landscape.

Methodology

Theoretical framework: Focalization theory and Greimas actantial model

In this study, we adopt a focused and systematic methodology to analyze two Chinese science fiction films released in 2019, namely The Wandering Earth and Crazy Alien. Our analysis centers on key aspects of these films, including main characters, plotlines, and visual symbols. We employ two prominent theoretical frameworks, Gérard Genette’s focalization theory from narratology and Algirdas Julien Greimas’ actantial model and semiotic square theory, to provide a comprehensive understanding of these films’ narrative structures and underlying meanings.

According to Gérard (1983), focalization theory delineates three distinct narrative perspectives. Zero focalization refers to a storytelling technique in which the knowledge and perspective of the narrator in a film surpass the visual scope of the characters. The film’s story seems to be self-narrated, with the narrator concealed within it. This type of storytelling, often referred to as “God’s-eye view,” involves multi-layered and multi-dimensional narrative presentations without a fixed observational perspective. It allows for the freedom to traverse different spaces and times, including the past and future. Internal focalization is a narrative technique that is based on the perspective and sensations of a specific character. The narrator describes things from the viewpoint of a particular character, allowing the reader to gain a deeper understanding of the character’s feelings and thoughts, offering viewers a first-hand experience of the character’s inner world. Finally, the external focalization maintains an objective standpoint, narrating events objectively without aligning with any character’s specific perspective or emotions. It adopts a third-person narrative perspective, emphasizing external actions and settings. By applying point of view theory, we investigate how these different narrative perspectives affect the storytelling, plot structures, and character development in the selected films.

Furthermore, we employ Algirdas Julien Greimas’ actantial model and semiotic square theory to delve deeper into the narrative structures and symbolic meanings within these science fiction films. The actantial model identifies six key actants in a narrative: subject, object, helper, opponent, sender, and receiver. These actants engage in relationships that are structured around opposing binary categories, revealing the film’s underlying meaning structure. According to Greimas, the narrative can be comprehended by examining the structure of the relationship obtained between the actants, which form an ideographic unity. The actantial model provides significant assistance in analyzing the narrative of films. The relationship structure can be visualized as follows (Figure 1).

Figure 1. The relationship structure of the actantial model.

As the film is an art form that emphasizes storytelling, the narrative structure and character relationships can be analyzed and explained using the actantial model. The relationships between these actants are formed through the interaction of opposing binary categories. They not only constitute narrative oppositions or correspondences but also reveal the underlying meaning structure of the narrative text. In a sense, when we accurately interpret the actantial model of a narrative text, we have initially grasped the textual structure of the narrative work, particularly its temporal characteristics and cultural significance. Greimas pointed out that every narrative text, and indeed all texts, contain a deep structure of meaning. This deep structure is constructed from a core binary opposition (designated as S1/S2) and another set of related and relative binary oppositions $\overline{S}1/\overline{S}2$ derived from it. By arranging these two sets of binary oppositions as the four endpoints of a quadrilateral, we obtain a semiotic square of meaning. Greimas illustrated this as follows (Figure 2).

Figure 2. The relationship structure of the semiotic square (Greimas 1983).

Greimas argues that every narrative text contains a deep structure of meaning, constructed from a core binary opposition (S1/S2) and related binary oppositions $\overline{S}1/\overline{S}2$ derived from it. These relationships are organized into a semiotic square of meaning, featuring antithetical, contradictory, and complementary connections. The film’s meaning is expressed through the variations and combinations of these relationships.

Narratological theories, such as Gérard Genette’s theory of focalization and Algirdas Julien Greimas’s theory of actantial model and semiotic square, have been developed based on in-depth studies of the structural characteristics of literature and other narrative forms. These theories revolve around the universal structure and mechanisms of storytelling, aiming to reveal how texts construct meaning and engage in narrative. Their universality allows these theories to transcend cultural and linguistic boundaries and be applied to literary works and film texts in different countries and cultures. China’s science fiction films have been greatly influenced by Western science fiction films in their development, whether in terms of story themes, visual styles, or narrative techniques. Science fiction, as a film genre, shares similar narrative patterns and themes globally, such as imagining the future, the impact of technology, and human exploration. Western narratological theories can help us understand how these commonalities are expressed and appropriated in different cultures. Narratological theories focus on the underlying structure of storytelling, including elements such as time, mode, perspective, and character relationships. These basic narrative elements are universally present in narratives across different cultures and historical backgrounds, making them applicable to the analysis of Chinese films. Narrative theory particularly emphasizes how texts construct meaning. While Chinese films incorporate localized narrative techniques and cultural imagery, their fundamental process of meaning construction is universally shared with Western films at a theoretical level.

By applying these theoretical frameworks, we aim to provide a detailed and insightful analysis of the narrative structures and symbolic meanings in The Wandering Earth and Crazy Alien. This structured approach enables us to uncover the films’ intricate narrative dynamics and their significance within the broader context of the Chinese science fiction film.

Results and discussion

Navigating the hard and soft science fiction narratives

The analysis of The Wandering Earth and Crazy Alien reveals notable disparities in their narrative approaches. These differences align them with distinct sub-genres of science fiction: Hard Science Fiction and Soft Science Fiction. These designations hold significance as they elucidate the nuanced impact of narrative choices on the broader genre.

Adapted from the novel of the same name by science fiction writer Liu Cixin, The Wandering Earth presents a grand worldview narrative for the first time in Chinese science fiction film, with a romanticized narrative setting of taking the Earth in search of a new galaxy. The film tells the story of the Sun entering its aging phase, facing the crisis of helium flash destruction, and mankind’s plan to build tens of thousands of planetary engines along the equator to drive the Earth gradually out of the solar system in search of a new home. The narrative core adheres to the creative principles of hard science fiction, with the storyline relying on science and technology to drive and resolve. The narrative text draws on the ecological disasters and apocalyptic themes of classic Hollywood science fiction films, while at the same time implanting the Chinese concept of family and nation into the narrative convention, establishing a grand visual space and narrative structure.

The macro-narrative sets up an extremely broad range of time and space, and the point of view and spatial arrangement of the ecological disaster genre of science fiction films are extremely frequent, which requires constant switching of the point of view to show the whole scope of the disaster narrative in multiple dimensions. The selection of narrative point of view in The Wandering Earth is different from the zero-focalization or omniscient point of view commonly used in the early development of Chinese science fiction films in the 1980s and 1990s, and it adopts zero focalization on the external environmental narrative, while non-fixed internal focalization on the development of the key plots. The point of view of the film switches between space station astronaut Liu Peiqiang, surface space vehicle driver Liu Qi, rescue captain Wang Lei and other main rescue members, which achieves a vertical shift in a wide range of narrative space and advances the development of the narrative rhythm.

In the film, Liu Peiqiang is on a mission as an astronaut on a space station in space. In order to save his family and the Earth from the gravitational threat of Jupiter, he refuses the dormant command of the artificial intelligence MOSS and eventually drives the space station into Jupiter (Figure 3). With the astronaut Liu Peiqiang as the internal focalization, the camera, the audience and the characters’ viewpoints coincide, and the narrative space presents a visual spectacle like a space opera.

Figure 3. Scene from The Wandering Earth showing Liu Peiqiang preparing to drive the space station into Jupiter, presented from his internal focalization. (© China Film Co., Ltd.).

The coincidence of viewpoints makes the audience identify strongly with Liu Peiqiang’s self-sacrificing spirit to save the Earth, as the line in the film says, “A civilization without people is meaningless”. In the climactic narrative sequence where the father, Liu Peiqiang, drives the space station into Jupiter, the point of view switches to the subjective point of view of the son, Liu Qi, and the mise-en-scene is arranged in a extremely long shot from an elevated perspective, In the climactic narrative segment where the father, Liu Peiqiang, drives the space station into Jupiter, the point of view switches to the subjective point of view of the son, Liu Qi, and the scene is scheduled as a large telephoto image from an elevated perspective, highlighting the tragedy and nobility of the father’s self-sacrifice. The point of view overlaps with that of Liu Qi, visualizing the father and the son as a kind of cultural connotation in the film, “link Chinese patriarchy to the triumph and trials of modern science and progress” (Berry, 2020).

The apocalyptic rescue in The Wandering Earth is not an individual heroism, the film’s own position is also told with the help of other rescuers’ non-fixed internal focalization, presenting a wide range of narrative space transformation from different roles’ perspectives, and conveying the expression of human destiny community in front of the global apocalyptic crisis. In the film, out of curiosity, the young generation of the main character Liu Qi and his sister Han Duoduo take the elevator from the underground city to the surface space with a vertical distance of 5KM, and the camera follows the subjective point of view of the two of them to gradually present the post-apocalyptic spectacle of -84° (Figure 4 and 5).

Figure 4. Scene from The Wandering Earth adopting Han Duoduo’s subjective point of view. (© China Film Co., Ltd.).

Figure 5. The frozen city of Beijing depicted through the internal focalization of Liu Qi and Han Doduo in The Wandering Earth. (© China Film Co., Ltd.).

The transformation of the narrative space guides the story narrative successfully transition to the Jupiter crisis stage, which leads to another narrative clue of the main character’s growth unit, where Liu Qi’s family joins the rescue team. The limited point of view using internal focalization gives a more realistic and convincing appearance. This restriction creates subjectivity in the narrative, arouses the audience’s curiosity and concern for the fate of the characters. The film’s internal focalization scattered among all characters represent different narrative perceptions, but they can coalesce into a common mission. Compared with the omnipotent superhero protagonists in Hollywood disaster science fiction films, it is more likely to put the power of discourse down to every ordinary human being, referring to the aspirations of the times for a community of human destiny.

In terms of narrative information configuration, the external environment narrative with zero focalization enables the audience to better understand the narrative framework of the story, highlighting the ecological disaster crisis faced by all mankind. In the polyphonic narrative of saving the Earth, the internal focalization puts the audience in a limited perspective, and in the development and suspense of the key plot of the film, such as the Jupiter gravitational crisis, the audience aligns with the information held by the rescuers in the film, and reaches a psychological identification with the situation and motivation of the main character. At the end of the film, the crisis is lifted and the information held by the narrator, the audience and the characters in the film tends to be balanced.

In the subsequent film, Crazy Alien, which draws its source material from Liu Cixin’s 2001 short science fiction novel The Village Teacher, the narrative foundation of an alien invasion from the novel is preserved. However, this adaptation introduces a distinctive blend of comedic elements and adopts a softer approach to science fiction within its narrative framework. It’s worth noting that this approach harks back to the early days of Chinese science fiction cinema, evident in films like Dislocation and Synthetic Man. During that era, these films often amalgamated dystopian and comedic elements. This creative fusion of genres was partially driven by the limitations of China’s film industry system at the time. The industry lacked the resources to support the production of high-concept science fiction films that demanded significant investments and advanced technologies while incorporating comedy, suspense, romance, and other elements to align with audience expectations. In traditional Chinese comedy films, the settings were typically grounded in real-world spaces, imbuing the comedic aspects of the film with undertones of Chinese social reality. This historical context sheds light on the evolution of the Chinese science fiction film and its creative strategies in response to both industry constraints and audience preferences.

Although Crazy Alien presents a virtual space of alien and space spectacle supported by digital technology, it focuses more on the horizontal, realistic social space under the dominant of zero focalization of the whole film. In the narrative of zero focalization, the alien spacecraft crashes into a world park with historical relics due to a satellite impact (Figure 6). A collection of buildings like the Statue of Liberty of the United States, the Eiffel Tower of France, the Christ Statue of Brazil, and the Pyramids of Egypt in a miniature landscape in the World Park. In the sequence where the main character Geng Hao and Dafei chase the alien trying to escape in the street, a typical civilian life scene is shown consisting of grocery stores, cabs, and open-air bazaars (Figure 7). Through the arrangement of zero focalization such as overhead shots and long shots, the audience can easily pay attention to these well-coded narrative spaces, thus decoding the creator’s real intention of depicting the living space of the underclass characters.

Figure 6. The World Park portrayed from an omniscient Perspective in Crazy Alien. (© Huanxi Media Group Co., Ltd.).

Figure 7. Street scenes in Crazy Alien. (© Huanxi Media Group Co., Ltd.).

In terms of the film’s information configuration, the film sets up a number of coincidental sequences: the alien falls into the World Park and is accidentally domesticated as a monkey in a monkey show, the secret agents representing the United States are misled and confused by the cottage architecture filmed by the alien, and the monkey Huanhuan poses as an alien in a space suit and establishes diplomatic relations with country C. Due to the narrative strategy of zero-focus point of view, the audience knows more than the characters know, and the behavior of the characters, especially the alien and the agents who traditionally symbolize super power and high intelligence, seems absurd to the audience. The audience, who originally followed the viewpoint of superheroes or elite characters in classic science fiction films to explore and save the world, is here transformed into God’s viewpoint, achieving a comic contrast effect through the imbalance of information configuration between the characters and the audience. This choice of narrative point of view reflects an ironic discursive position and deconstructs the elitist ideological orientation of science fiction films.

In examining the narrative mechanisms and production techniques employed in these two films, it is evident that they adopt distinct narrative strategies, falling into the categories of hard science fiction and soft science fiction. The Wandering Earth aligns itself with the conventions of Hollywood science fiction blockbusters, following a grand narrative trajectory associated with hard science fiction. In contrast, Crazy Alien takes a different approach, embedding discussions of the prevailing international political order and social reality within the narrative framework of an alien invasion, placing it firmly within the realm of soft science fiction storytelling.

The differentiation between hard and soft science fiction narrative approaches originates from the broader classification of science fiction literature and has subsequently found its way into the realm of science fiction filmmaking due to the intertextual nature of these genres. Hard science fiction draws from the principles established by the renowned science fiction editor John Campbell. Its core tenets include an emphasis on real science, the use of realistic techniques to portray surreal subjects, the use of past tense to depict future events, maintaining an optimistic outlook on technology and progress, and rendering surreal plots in a rational and scientifically grounded manner. At its core, hard science fiction works are characterized by their respect for and celebration of the scientific spirit. Notably, hard science fiction often hinges on technology to propel and resolve its narrative.

Hard science fiction and soft science fiction present the long-term imagination and the short-term imagination of science fiction narratives, respectively. “The long-term imagination is a worldview setting with a high level of imagination, which is virtual and surreal; the short-term imagination is a worldview based on reality, which is an imaginative transformation of the real society” (Chen & Xue, 2021). In contrast, the complementary concept of soft science fiction, coined in analogy to its hard counterpart, places its narrative focus on areas such as philosophy, psychology, politics, and sociology. Soft science fiction is more concerned with speculative societies and character relationships, with less emphasis on speculative science or engineering. This distinction in narrative focus leads to varying narrative points of view, ultimately resulting in different narrative effects in the storytelling of the two films.

Greimas actantial model for deep structure analysis of character

Greimas considers that there should be two levels of textual analysis, surface structure and deep structure. The surface structure is concerned with the narrative level, and the narrative level is concerned with character relationships. He invented six actantial models for this purpose, the three groups of dichotomous role models as subject/object, sender/receiver, and helper/opponent.

The Wandering Earth is interwoven by two closely related story lines: one is the growth of the son hero Liu Qi, and the other is the redemption of the father hero Liu Peiqiang. Like all contemporary myths, the textual structure of the film is made up of two superficial stories and the deeper meaning behind them. The first sequence is the story of the father and son heroes working together to successfully save the world, while the second sequence is the hero’s personal mythology and self-salvation. For the father hero, who sacrifices himself to complete the redemption of his son, reflects the connection between blood kinship and homeland feelings. For the son hero, he grows from a rebellious adolescent to a hero who saves the world and continues the faith of the father.

According to Greimas’ actantial model, the subject and the object are the core set of relationships in this model, which is the core link and basic framework of the film narrative, and all the plot developments and story conflicts are based on this relationship. In The Wandering Earth the subject is the father and son heroes Liu Peiqiang and Liu Qi who save the Earth and the object is the Earth, which is threatened by the gravitational pull of Jupiter. The sender is some kind of authority image in the story, a symbol of authority or order in society, and this actantial element is held by the United Earth Government in the film, which is basically consistent with the current international political system (Figure 8).

Figure 8. The depiction of the United Earth Government in The Wandering Earth bears resemblance to the United Nations in the present international political landscape. (© China Film Co., Ltd.).

The receiver, the beneficiary of the act of rescue, is consistent with all science fiction films with disaster themes, referring to all of humanity. The helper is a collection of Russian astronaut Makarov, a Chinese rescue team represented by Wang Lei and rescue teams from other countries, and the opponent consists of moss, a super artificial intelligence that differs from the human rescue plan, and Jupiter, which poses a gravitational threat to the Earth. The actantial model diagram is as follows (Figure 9).

Figure 9. The actantial model of The Wandering Earth.

From this actantial model we can see that the sender and the receiver are the same meta-society symbolizing humanity and order, while the opponent is Jupiter symbolizing ecological catastrophe, then it can already be basically concluded that this narrative text belongs to the classic mainstream narrative sequence, and the subject in the narrative text of the main character must be the classic hero who saves the apocalyptic crisis. From this superficial structure, we can see that The Wandering Earth draws on the classic Hollywood narrative.

Greimas posits that every narrative text must encompass a profound structure of meaning, derived from a core set of dichotomies and their subsequent related and relative sets of dichotomies they derive from, and thus he proposes the semiotic square theory. Applying this method of deep structure analysis, the profound structure of The Wandering Earth can be expressed as follows (Figure 10).

Figure 10. The semiotic square of The Wandering Earth.

From this semiotic square, in terms of the meaningful structure of the film, it was a battle between the father and son heroes, the United Earth Government, the rescue team and Jupiter, which is more than 1300 times the volume and 300 times the weight of the Earth, in short, an all-human rescue of the Earth civilization facing ecological disaster. In contrast to the artificial intelligence Moss and Jupiter, which constitute an antonym and contradictory relationship with humans, the film does not have irreconcilable conflicts between humans, the identity of nations and races is weakened, and humans always collaborate as a community of destiny. The attributes of the AI Moss and Jupiter, which constitute an antithetical and contradictory relationship to humans, are not real human characters, as opposed to the film’s absence of irreconcilable conflicts between humans, where national and racial identities are weakened, nationalism gives way to internationalism, emphasizing the need for global action and international cooperation, deconstructing dichotomous power structures and advocating a communicative and dialogic view of power in cultural discourse, and where humans collaborate as a community of destiny all the time. What is thought-provoking is that the relationship between Moss, an artificial intelligence that symbolizes post-humanity with absolute rationality, and humans is not antagonistic, but rather a difference in the concept of salvation. The deep structure of the film reveals a different value from the Western science fiction discourse, and the narrative discourse of the community of human destiny achieves a localized adaptation of the classic Hollywood science fiction narrative conventions through the traditional concept of family ethics.

In contrast of the polyphonic narrative of The Wandering Earth, Crazy Alien is an adaptation of Liu Cixin’s science fiction novel The Village Teacher, which explores the themes of interstellar civilizational grid difference, human social class difference, and urban-rural grid disparity. Ning Hao maintains his absurd comedy style through a single-line narrative, integrating local comedic elements into the science fiction genre. By aligning the shortcomings of Chinese science fiction films with comedic longcomings, the film making takes on the form of soft science fiction, offering a response to the order of reality. The film’s actantial model is as follows (Figure 11).

Figure 11. The actantial model of Crazy Alien.

The subject of the film is the underclass characters of the real society, Geng Hao, a monkey showman, and Dafei, a wine seller, while the object is the inspiring event of establishing diplomatic relations with the alien civilization. The alien, the highest symbol of the cosmic order, occupies the actantial element of the sender, and the receiver is the Earth civilization. Huanhuan, the monkey who is the protagonist of the monkey show, is the helper, while the agents who claimed to be the most advanced representatives of the Earth civilization become the opponent. From this superficial structure, we can already see the rewriting to the classic science fiction narrative: the role of the alien in the film is no longer set as a single evil invader, but its goal is ultimately to exchange genes with humans and establish a diplomatic relationship; the elite figure who usually defeats or repels the alien in alien-themed science fiction films becomes the negative image of arrogance and accomplishment, while the civilians are given the opportunity to participate in the political reality in the process of reconstructing the order. This rewriting is more localized than that of The Wandering Earth and has a distinctive authorial cinematic style. Digging further into the deep structure of the film’s text, the semiotic square of the film can be represented as follows (Figure 12).

Figure 12. The semiotic square of Crazy Alien.

As it can be seen from this semiotic square, the relationship between the Chinese and the aliens dominates the narrative of the film. At the beginning of the film, the alien lost his energy hoop and was forced to accept the domestication of the monkey show, and then the conflict between humans and the alien was repeatedly played out around the gain or loss of the energy hoop. In the end, this conflict was settled through the training and immersion of the monkey show and wine culture, which symbolize Chinese folk culture. The alien finally accepted the Chinese civilization and brought the wine back to the alien civilization, thus reconciled the confrontation between the intergalactic civilizations.

The conflicting relationship between the C agents, who symbolize the image of the United States, and the alien in the film, with both sides claimed to be the highest civilization in their respective interstellar worlds and discriminating against other civilizations, reflects a certain hegemonic discourse of the current international political situation. The narrative effect of such an ideology is that the relationship between civilizations is rigid and antagonistic. In contrast, the wine symbolizes the Chinese culture, which aims to identify the traditional Chinese cultural concept of “harmony and difference, seeking common ground while reserving differences”. The setting of character relationships and narrative strategies in Crazy Alien reflect a critique of Western-centrism in the context of postcolonialism. A new perspective that postcolonialism provides for our understanding of art works lies in the fact that there is a complex relationship of power culture behind the works. That is, there is a hierarchical relationship between civilizations and civilizations, and between peoples and nations. The narrative strategy of Crazy Alien is consistent with what Edward Said called the need to transcend the rigid dichotomy of East-West cultural conflict, emphasizing that the traditional notion of East-West dichotomy should give way to a new third way of pluralistic symbiosis.

Although Crazy Alien draws on Hollywood science fiction themes of alien invasion, such as the setting of the alien in Alien and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, it also deconstructs the dichotomy narrative mode with a localized comedy narrative strategy. The chain of discrimination between the class difference in human society and the intergalactic civilization is reversed in a contrasting and absurd narrative style, and such a rewriting is obviously de-Western-centric.

Cultural representation within the narrative space

The rewriting of classic science fiction narratives by The Wandering Earth and Crazy Alien is also manifested in the cultural field presented by the construction of visual symbols at the technical level of the film industry. Bachktin (Bakhtin, 2009) believes that any ideological symbol is not only a reflection, a shadow of reality, but also a material part of that reality itself. Any symbolic thought phenomenon has some material form: sound, physical material, color, bodily movement, etc.

In the preparatory unit of the narrative, the son hero Liu Qi lives in the underground city of Beijing, and the visual symbols amplify the local Chinese cultural elements to form a collective cohesion and cultural identity. The narrative time of the story is set to the Chinese New Year with the meaning of reunion, and the living scenes such as lion dance performance, skewer stores and mahjong parlors can be regarded as the mirror image of the current Beijing alleys. The spatial settings of neon lights, billboards and rabbit girls in a mixed atmosphere present a Chinese style cyberpunk landscape.

In the growth unit of the story, the frozen spaces of Beijing, Shanghai and other Chinese cities created with digital effects technology visually respond to the audience’s imagination of the future narrative of the aging of the sun, where planetary engines drive the Earth gradually out of the solar system and cause the temperature to stop plummeting in autobiography, and for the first time, Chinese audiences see the future macroscopic picture of their own home in the big screen. The Wandering Earth presents the maximum Chinese aesthetic concept in the audiovisual field that reflects the industrial design of the film. In the frozen world, which is several hundred meters thick, famous landmarks such as the China Zun Tower in Beijing and the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai, planetary engines and transportation engineering vehicles are designed in a Soviet heavy industry aesthetic (Figure 13).

Figure 13. Industrial scenes in The Wandering Earth. (© China Film Co., Ltd.).

The design language of the film’s main prop, the planetary engine, incorporates the aesthetics of traditional Chinese craft shapes, taking the outline of the geodesic instrument invented by Zhang Heng during the Eastern Han Dynasty of China as its core shape and combining it with the huge inner cavity structure of the modern rocket thruster as a reference. The appearance of the outer space station is a reference to the ancient timepiece sundial. The choice and consideration of these visual constructions are based on the historical memory of Chinese audiences and the current realistic conditions of space technology, forming a localized science fiction visual aesthetic style. While the Soviet heavy industrial aesthetic style evokes the audience’s emotional memory, the visual coarseness and power of this style is in line with the collective sense of unity and resilience in the textual narrative. The film conveys a sense of homeland with the Earth, reflecting the national imagination and identity of the Chinese nation, a modern mythological model inheriting the traditional Chinese cultural spirit of “Yugong Moves Mountains”, which is clearly different from the Noah’s Ark mythological archetype of the Western maritime civilization.

Crazy Alien takes the miniature landscape of the world park popular in China in the 1990s as the main narrative space. Here the symbolic architecture of various countries constitutes the field of Earth civilization, which contains the desire of Chinese people to go abroad and imagine the outside world after the reform and opening up. To a certain extent, the world park can be called the “heterotopia” proposed by Foucault, which is both a real space different from the nebulous utopia and a space of the other different from the reality.

As a small figure with a distinctive authorial cinematic style, Geng Hao, the protagonist of the monkey play, is placed in such a marginalized and closed space, where the director constructs a visual coding system of Chinese culture in such a heterotopian narrative space. The narrative space carries obvious traces of parody, as the performance space of the monkey show and the design of the energy hoop of props follow the same pattern as Sun Wukong’s Mount Huaguo and tightening hoop in the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West. The alien’s acceptance of Chinese culture and the establishment of diplomatic relations with Earth civilization can be seen as an appropriation of the text of Sun Wukong’s conversion to Buddhism to obtain scripture in the West.

The portrayal of the state of existence of the underclass is a consistent narrative element of director Ning Hao’s authorial film style. The narrative space associated with Geng Hao, a small figure who has lost his way in life, is populist and urbane. The desolate World Park, the narrow and crowded streets, and the isolated and chaotic open-air bazaar reflect the social status of the underclass and express the film’s reflection on the modernization process.

From our analysis, these films provide us with deeper understanding of their connection to identity and cultural allegory in the context of the Chinese New Era. They incorporate elements of Hollywood science fiction while also reflecting Chinese cultural values and addressing the challenges faced by China in the modern era. The Wandering Earth presents a grand narrative set in a future where the Earth faces a crisis caused by the aging Sun. It adheres to the principles of hard science fiction, relying on science and technology to drive the plot. The film combines ecological disasters and apocalyptic themes from classic Hollywood science fiction with Chinese concepts of family and nation, creating a unique cultural allegory that links Chinese patriarchy to the progress of science and modernity. In contrast, Crazy Alien integrates comedic elements and gentle science fiction into its narrative. It deconstructs the international political order and social reality using a localized response. Based on Liu Cixin’s novel The Village Teacher, the film retains the extraterrestrial invasion setting but adds a parody and absurd twist, challenging the elitist ideological orientation often found in Western science fiction films.

The narrative strategies employed by the two Chinese science fiction films have achieved a certain level of localization and reimagining, particularly evident in the dynamics of character relationships, cultural representation, and genre fusion. The divergent portrayals of post-apocalyptic salvation in The Wandering Earth reflect the national imagination and identity of the Chinese nation. The Wandering Earth embodies a modern mythological model that inherits the spirit of perseverance from China’s agrarian civilization, akin to the legendary tale of “Yugong Moves Mountains”. This narrative approach starkly contrasts with the Western mythological archetype of Noah’s Ark, which symbolizes exploration and conquest under the backdrop of maritime civilization. In terms of genre fusion, Crazy Alien combines absurd theatrical elements with science fiction elements to criticize the current social order. This close scrutiny of present reality stands in contrast to the future-oriented imagination of grand worldviews typically found in Western science fiction.

While we can still discern the influence of Western classic science fiction films, this is evident in both the appropriation of classic science fiction themes and the parody of plots. The visual presentation and narrative settings of the intelligent robot Moss in The Wandering Earth and the alien Chika in Crazy Alien evoke associations with classic Western science fiction films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Such image settings make the two Chinese science fiction films deviate from the localized traditional narratives to a certain extent. The cross-cultural phenomenon of incorporating science fiction motifs in these two Chinese films indicates their inheritance and development of the global science fiction narrative tradition.

From a postcolonial theoretical perspective, this rewriting has not completely subverted the structure of binary opposition under the vision of the Other. Whether it is the portrayal of Chinese power as the protagonist in saving doomsday crises or the emphasis on Chinese wisdom in encounters with alien civilizations, traces of nationalist storytelling can be observed to varying degrees. These rewrites, in turn, weakens the breakthrough of the two Chinese science fiction films to the traditional science fiction film genre and may also cause the problem of cultural discounts in the process of textual interpretation by the extra-territorial audience due to the highlighting of certain cultural representations by the localized rewriting.

Nationalist narratives and western culture elements

After comprehensively analysing these films, we also found potential limitations of Chinese science fiction cinema, particularly focusing on The Wandering Earth and Crazy Alien. These films have garnered international attention for their unique blend of traditional Chinese elements with global influences. However, this fusion has raised questions and critiques, primarily centered around their alignment with nationalist narratives and their appropriation of Western cultural elements. One significant point of critique that we posit revolves around the alignment of these films with nationalist narratives. While The Wandering Earth and Crazy Alien do promote unity and interconnectedness on a global scale, we argue that this shift from individualism to collective action might serve nationalist agendas. By emphasizing the idea of humanity as a “community of destiny,” these films could potentially be seen as promoting a form of Chinese exceptionalism, where China takes a leading role in saving the world. This could inadvertently reinforce notions of Chinese superiority and nationalistic sentiments.

Moreover, the appropriation of Western cultural elements within these films is another point of contention. Both films borrow from Western science fiction traditions, such as apocalyptic scenarios and extra-terrestrial encounters, to tell their stories. We argue that this reliance on Western tropes might dilute the authenticity of Chinese science fiction films. While these films successfully blend traditional Chinese elements with global influences, some purists in the field of Chinese film and culture might argue that this hybridization dilutes the unique identity of Chinese science fiction. They may perceive it as a form of cultural assimilation or a strategy to appeal to a broader international audience, potentially sacrificing the distinctiveness of Chinese storytelling.

These critiques, though not necessarily diminishing the artistic and cinematic value of these films, highlight the complexities of cultural representation and narrative choices in a global context. They prompt important questions about how the Chinese science fiction film navigates the fine line between embracing global influences and maintaining cultural authenticity. Furthermore, they shed light on the potential political implications of narratives that emphasize collective action and global cooperation, raising concerns about the influence of these films on broader cultural and national discourses.

These conversations serve as vital reminders that the role of art, particularly in the form of film, extends beyond mere entertainment. It is a lens through which cultures reflect upon themselves and express their aspirations. Within the context of China’s evolving cultural and political landscape, science fiction films serve as both a reflection of contemporary society and a projection of future possibilities. This debate is not limited to cinematic aesthetics but extends into politics, identity, and global influence. Science fiction, as a genre, has always been a powerful tool for social commentary, and Chinese science fiction is no exception.

In the nutshell, the critique regarding nationalist narratives and the incorporation of Western cultural elements in Chinese science fiction films underlines the significance of a holistic examination. These discussions are pivotal in comprehending the multifaceted layers of cultural representation, national identity, and global narratives. While these films contribute substantially to the evolution of the Chinese science fiction film and provide fresh insights, they simultaneously provoke a critical examination of their influence, aligning perfectly with the dynamic relationship between art, culture, and society. From this complex interaction between film and society that exemplifies the vibrant and ever-evolving nature of the contemporary Chinese film, we gain a profound understanding of their broader implications and their role in the evolving discourse surrounding China’s position in the world.

Conclusion

These films serve as exemplars of how the Chinese film is dynamically evolving, effortlessly engaging with global influences to craft narratives deeply rooted in Chinese culture yet universally appealing. They not only showcase the adaptability and resilience of Chinese cultural identity but also act as trailblazers in the exploration of alternative narrative conventions. In doing so, they make significant contributions to the discourse surrounding the contemporary Chinese film and the expansive realm of global science fiction filmmaking. However, it is essential to critically examine their limitations, such as their potential conformity to nationalist narratives and the appropriation of Western cultural elements. This study provides insights about the evolving landscape of the Chinese science fiction film, which not only showcases a fusion of traditional Chinese elements with global influences but also contributes to broader discussions within the realm of global cinematic discourse.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Zhaokai Hu

Hu Zhaokai is currently a PhD candidate in Visual Arts at the Faculty of Creative Arts, Universiti Malaya. His research interests include film and television arts and mass cultural communication. His current research project is a study on the narratology of Chinese science fiction films.

Roslina Ismail

Roslina Ismail is a transdisciplinary artist-scientist and cultural researcher in art and culture knowledge management. She focuses on how cultural institutions engage and interweave with their members, partners, audiences, and communities. She is also a thought leader in the art-science transdisciplinary sector, having shaped narratives of new methodologies for creative development and critical inquiry across art and science.

Changsong Wang

Dr Wang Changsong is Associate Professor in Xiamen University Malaysia. Currently he is the Dean of School of Communication and Director of Centre for ASEAN and Chinese Screen Studies in Xiamen University Malaysia. His research areas include film/cinema studies, and cultural studies.