Abstract
Due to cultural policies, film censorship, and China’s legacy of foreign imperialism, Christianity is often seen as carrying a Western ideology and appears only rarely in mainstream Chinese films and dramas. Feng Xiaogang is a notable exception among Chinese directors in that he has deliberately incorporated Christian imagery into several of his movies. This article investigates how Christian motifs manifest in Feng’s films by tracking the evolution of his treatment of Christianity—from humorous ridicule and deconstruction, to later stages marked by reflection and even identification with core Christian themes such as redemption, life, and death. These shifts are examined against the backdrop of Feng’s own career as a military veteran, the framework of Chinese cultural policy and censorship, and the recent growth of Christianity in post-Mao China. The study not only informs filmmakers navigating religious symbolism in controlled environments but also provides insight for scholars and policy analysts into the interplay between ideology, censorship, and artistic expression in Chinese cinema.
Introduction
Feng Xiaogang stands as one of China’s foremost contemporary directors, widely recognized for his commercial successes and his influence over the Chinese box office. Rising to prominence in the 1990s, Feng’s work has consistently captured mainstream attention despite the restrictive cultural environment that characterizes Chinese film production. While traditional Chinese narratives rarely feature Christianity due to ideological constraints, Feng has found a way to integrate Christian symbolism—sometimes overtly, other times in more subtle ways—into films spanning many genres and historical settings.
Feng Xiaogang’s Family Background and Industry Experience
Feng was born in Beijing in 1958. His early life was steeped in artistic traditions thanks to his father’s education at a historically Protestant institution and his own early exposure to diverse cultural influences at a school with notable Christian architectural elements. These early encounters left enduring impressions that later influenced his cinematic approach. After joining a military cultural troupe and later transitioning to work at a state television arts center, Feng’s experiences provided him with both a deep sense of discipline and the subtle understanding of state expectations. His breakthrough came in the mid-1990s when his collaboration with prominent writer Wang Shuo resulted in films that, though at times provocative, achieved both commercial and critical success.
Christianity in Chinese Cinema
An overview of the historical arrival and complex legacy of Christianity in China is essential to understand its portrayal in film. Christianity first made inroads into China during the Tang dynasty before experiencing intermittent periods of influence through the Yuan, Ming, and Qing eras. Particularly during the period from the mid-19th century to 1949, the association between Christianity and Western imperialism deeply influenced Chinese perceptions. In more recent decades, as the country reopened and religious life experienced a resurgence, depictions of Christian imagery in cinema have taken on new meanings—a transformation that Feng Xiaogang’s films help reveal.
Ridicule and Deconstruction in Early Works
In his earlier films such as The Dream Factory (1997), Be There or Be Square (1998), and If You Are the One (2008), Feng adopts a satirical stance toward Christianity. In The Dream Factory, for example, a character disguises herself as a nun complete with a cross and religious garb as part of an elaborate scheme to recreate a famous American general’s film persona. Similarly, in Be There or Be Square, Christian funeral rituals are parodied through humorous scenes that downplay the solemn nature of a traditional service, replacing reverence with everyday banter and unexpected interruptions. Even in If You Are the One, elements such as the pilgrimage to a small church and an unorthodox confession session are used to gently mock ritualistic practices. In these films, the playful deconstruction of Christian symbolism serves the dual purpose of engaging audiences and navigating stringent censorship while highlighting the inherent absurdities perceived in Western cultural clichés.
A Christian View of Redemption in Later Films
A notable evolution in Feng’s cinematic approach occurs with films like Assembly (2007) and Aftershock (2010), where the theme of redemption begins to take center stage. Assembly is set against the backdrop of wartime sacrifice and loss, and despite being a war epic at its core, it incorporates Christian iconography—such as the depiction of a church and the visual motif of the Sacred Heart—to underscore themes of atonement for past sins. In Aftershock, the story of a catastrophic earthquake is interwoven with ideas of moral reckoning and the pursuit of redemption. Here, the influence of Christian ethics is felt in the way characters endeavor to overcome overwhelming despair, suggesting that even in the midst of tragedy, there is hope for spiritual renewal.
Reflection Amid Catastrophe in Back to 1942
In Back to 1942 (2012), Feng grapples with historical tragedy on a massive scale—the famine in Henan province that claimed millions of lives. The film integrates a rich array of Christian elements, including priestly figures, church spaces, and ritual scenes that all serve to explore the concept of redemption and the practical role of faith in times of suffering. This work is distinguished by its more reflective tone; rather than simply mocking religious rituals, Feng uses Christianity as a lens through which to examine questions of salvation, the failure of divine intervention in the face of human misery, and the enduring need for hope when confronted with overwhelming grief.
A Christian Perspective on Life and Death in Only Cloud Knows
With Only Cloud Knows (2019), Feng turns his attention to the more intimate dimensions of love, loss, and mortality. Set in an international locale, the film features numerous Christian references—from church settings and priestly interactions to conversations that casually invoke notions of fate and divine blessing. The narrative explores themes of resurrection in both a literal and metaphorical sense, using cinematic techniques that blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy. Miraculous elements are rendered ambiguous; while on one level they may be interpreted as expressions of faith, on another they function as poetic devices to elevate the emotional resonance of life’s transient beauty.
Factors Behind Feng Xiaogang’s Evolving Presentation
Feng’s gradual shift from ridicule and parody to serious reflection on Christian themes can be attributed to several interwoven factors. His personal evolution—shaped by his military past, his long career in state institutions, and his eventual embracement of a more introspective, artistic mode of expression—plays a significant role. At the same time, the changing landscape of Chinese ideology, evolving attitudes toward Western cultural influences, and a progressively liberalizing stance on religious expression have all provided him with greater latitude to explore these themes in depth. Moreover, the pressures of censorship and the need to conform to mainstream political and cultural expectations have often dictated that religious elements be situated in historical or non-Chinese contexts, thus permitting Feng to comment on issues of faith and redemption without directly challenging contemporary societal norms.
Conclusions
Feng Xiaogang’s filmography offers a fascinating case study in how Christian motifs can be adapted and transformed within the restrictions of Chinese mainstream cinema. His early works, marked by playful mockery and deconstruction of religious symbols, pave the way for later films that tackle heavy themes such as redemption, the search for meaning amid calamity, and the acceptance of mortality. Although his treatment of Christian imagery remains necessarily circumscribed by both censorship and prevailing cultural norms, it nonetheless provides a complex commentary on the intersections of personal identity, historical memory, and state ideology. Ultimately, Feng’s evolving attitude toward Christianity—from irreverent parody to earnest reflection—mirrors broader shifts in Chinese society as it negotiates the legacy of Western influence alongside traditional cultural values.
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