Toying with the Caper and the Uncanny: the Comic Devices in Stephen Chow's Films
| Autor: | Lin, Yi-han, 林以涵 |
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| Rok vydání: | 2014 |
| Druh dokumentu: | 學位論文 ; thesis |
| Popis: | 102 In this thesis, I try to focus on Stephen Chow’s comic devices from two directions in his films The Magnificent Scoundrel and Out of the Dark. First of all, I revisit the history of Hong Kong comedy and start to bring up the significance of Chow’s films and performing style. I argue that Chow tries to convey the ideas which respond to the social events in different periods of his films. I suggest that he deals with the issue of the 1997 handover in Hong Kong in his films. In addition, though being the hero in his films, Chow paradoxically subverts the idea of heroes, and wulitou tends to be his device to mock on the idea. As a result, wulitou would not be the main concern in his films but it builds up an atmosphere, chaotically discusses the central social topics. First, I analyse the comic structure in The Magnificent Scoundrel. Chow uses physical gags and exaggerating facial expressions to perform the comic events in his early comic acting. Also, this film presents the anxiety that middle class would have and suggests the confusing mis-identity that the characters have. Chow’s funny comic events help to dissolve the anxious feeling and also reflect the social atmosphere. Second, I probe into Chow’s unfamiliar figure in Out of the Dark. I argue that whilst being the ghost buster, Chow’s character Leon and Chow’s own image turn out to be the uncanny dread that reminds his viewer the upcoming handover which frightens most of the people in Hong Kong. By focusing more on the mental status and the inner side of human beings along with black humour, Chow changes his performing style and implants more ideas on humans into his films. The purpose of my thesis is first to examine Chow’s famous wulitou device to discuss how he builds his stardom and opens his era in Hong Kong comedy history and further concentrate my argument on Chow’s performing style and his concern about social events. By examining the films I seek to suggest that Chow’s films do not always seem merely playful and nonsense, but rather a more pessimistic and chaotic aura in his films which repeatedly explore the deeper inner side of humans and the social events |
| Databáze: | Networked Digital Library of Theses & Dissertations |
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