Qin Shi Huang In Society And Modern Media History Essay

Qin Shi Huang In Society And Modern Media History renderScholars debate everywhere Qin Shi Huang Dis legacy that he left afterward his decl be 2,200 years ago. To the western domain-supported, he has been perceived as a disillusi unmatchedd, power-hungry, despotical globe whose lust for immortality he sought brought about the bury legacy of perfect, baked clay models dating from before the birth of Christ. In the conk out 50 years or so, his history has been re-analyzed into a colossus of a historical figure in Chinese history more than or less equivalent to Alexander the Great and Caesar rolled into one. By ruthless force of result, he bound warring states together and knit them into a tightly centralize system, standardized chinawares language and law, and built major structures such as the primal Great smother of China. Even the style of his coinage, round with a squargon-shaped seafarer in the middle, lasted until the dawn of communist rule. Few other rule s take a leak so shaped the sinews of their country. However, these feats pale in comparison to his superlative legacy, the establishment of a bureaucracy that would survive for more than 2,000 and would be the largest in the man, staffed by improve men and reaching to the lowest peasant in the land (Wood). The work out held by the western public reflects the darker aspects of his life. Despite his massive reforms in the frugal and political systems of China, he as well as garnered the spirit of world an oppressive and border psychotic ruler, the just about publicly cited example being the Great bulwark of China, which was built with hundreds of thousands of conscripted workers in such a small quantifyframe that thousands were all overworked to their deaths. (Many of these workers are believed to be echtly buried within the Great Wall) perhaps one of the greatest stories that personified these psychotic and tyrannical tendencies is one regarding his obsession with i mmortality. In an atallure to obtain the fabled elixir of life, he dispatched thousands of people to Penglai mountain. When none returned (because failure meant execution), he sent a nonher expedition consisting of three men, sole(prenominal) to be offered the light-headed excuse that they had been frightened off by a big fish. He duly set off to shoot it with a repeating crossbow, though despite his attempts, the elixir continued to elude him. His next attempt, immortality pills, consisting of mercury, which his alchemists assured would confer the same power that the sub military position displayed in absorbing gold, would prove fatal. The dynasty he had promised to last for thousands of years would barely struggle through a decade.The patch up of Chinas current alteration of the recognition of Qin Shi Huang Di roots from the comparableities derived between Qin Shi Huang Di and Mao Ze Dong. some(prenominal) were inspirational leaders who unite China in their times of need. Qin Shi Huang Di united China hobby a 200 year halt, turn inn as the Warring States period, creating a political entity recognizable as the China we know today. Similarily, Mao Ze Dong united a war-torn China following the collapse Qing dynasty, managing to ca-ca st world power in a land which was utilize as World War IIs battlefield. However, the similarities do not end there. Qin Shi Huang Di was similarly know for his massive public works projects, often recruiting hundreds of thousands of workers at the depreciate of tens of thousands of lives to complete great engineering marvels such as the Great Wall of China, the Lingqu Canal, and the Mausoleum of the First Emperor. Mao Ze Dong in addition ordered huge public works projects, such as dams, groundworkals and other infrastructure projects, which millions of peasants and prisoners had been forced to do work on and in numerous cases die for. However, these projects often proved abortive as they had been built without the input of trained engineers, whom Mao had rejected on ideological grounds. Other policies set out during Maos reign parallel Qin Shi Huang Dis crookions during his reign. For example, twain were extremely well known for their persecution of intellectuals in their empires that Mao would later be quoted as bragging He Qin Shi Huang Di buried 460 scholars alive we gather in buried 46,000 scholars alive. As Tun Dun, the musical composer for Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Hero, would put it, Qin Shi Huang Di was slightly much like Mao Zedong. He unified China. He make the language, made the measuring system, made the currency. With these similarities, it would come as no awe that the commie party, clean as it has protected the reputation of Mao in order to defend both the legitimacy of his leadership and the foundation of the commie organization in China, would protect the reputation of Qin Shi Huang Di in a similar manner lest Mao be compared to Qin Shi Huang Di in a histo rical sense.The communist governance has commonaltyly censored foreign paintings, a practice almost completely alien to Americans. Instead of a free speech article in their equivalent Constitution, the communist government is allowed completely control over the media world of China. Especially with foreign charges, the Communist government uses a key out of criteria to screen the claim from the following attri barelyesCriticism against affectionate order and governmentDisruption on the unity of various ethnicities of the stateEndanger the reign and territorial of the state.Endanger security of the state harm the public reputation and interests of the state.Disrupt the unity of various nationalities of the stateDivulge a state secretAdvocate inappropriate sexual relationship violate moral standard, or obscene content having strong visual stimulation tempt people degenerationAdvocate superstitious belief offense against social orderAdvocate violence appeal people despise hau ghtiness of law tempt crime disrupt public securityIf impuissance to meet any of these requirements, the pic is typically banned from the country. While the Communist government has long had a stronghold on foreign films and has gained a strong reputation recently for its restriction of foreign films, domestic films reflexion horizontal closer scru midget. While foreign films must be screened by censors, domestic products must submit their plots and final product for approval. The examination period for reviewing in the first step is 15 long time, examine fees are base on government policy in polar case. In scrap step, producers get response from censorship department for content should be modified. Last, after modification made accordingly, production will be sent anchor to review by censorship department. If content has been modified accordingly, the film will then be certified to be broadcasted. In addition, if filmmakers who are not agree with the examination, they are allowed to apply for reviewing no later than 30 days of the first time submission.Because of this strict screening process, some of Chinas prominent filmmakers postulate run afoul of the censors (such as some of the films mentioned below). except the communist governments ability to block unwanted material has withered, thanks to the Internet and a blacken market that made copies of unauthorized movies available. Hit films often generate tens of thousands of pitch-dark copies, and are largely widely available on pirated DVDs.As the government controls much of the major media within China today, Qin Shi Huang Dis legacy and current perception is change based on his depiction in modern media outlets. Filmography is peradventure the simplest expression to reach major audiences. A modern marvel that can instantly reach millions of viewers at once in just days, it comes to no surprise that Qin Shi Huangs greatest appearances in modern media are in movies. The most recent movie to portray Qin Shi Huang Di or reference him would be The Mummy Returns The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. However, this movie will not be discussed due to the fact that it is an entirely Western-establish movie and thus, involving no direct see from the Chinese government and Chinese directors. It is interesting to note that in this movie, many of Emperor Hans signature aspects such as terra cotta warriors or obsession with immortality are based off of Qin Shi Huang Di. The Myth, the next most recent mainstream Chinese movie to rollick Qin Shi Huang Di is indeed directed by a Chinese (Hong Kong) director. However, Qin Shi Huang Di similarly plays a barely supporting role (his persona not notwithstanding being seen once in the entire film). However, his obsession with immortality and his large mausoleum are referenced as well.Finally, Hero, the third most recent movie to feature Qin Shi Huang Di truely features the emperor on a sort of important level. On at least three levels, T he Hero violated the consensus of todays Chinese audience. First, popular peoples common judgment, which has lasted for thousands of years, that Qin Shi Huang Di was a tyrant, and that tyrants should be condemned. Although the aspiration for a benevolent ruler implied in this view is still a longing under arrogant rule, the condemnation of tyranny is universal. However, the movie Hero is intended to reverse the pubic view towards Qin Shi Huang Di, and goes against the sentiment of the audience. Hero is based on a stance that reverses the judgment towards tyrants. It takes the perspective not of the majority hardly of a tiny group of people.Second, ordinary peoples general view of militant arts heroes. You have to pay a expenditure for the so-called wandering in the wilderness, tho by paying the price you free your heart and spirit, and realize the want to be in charge of your own life. Peoples general yearning for martial arts and acceptance of it are based on this longing for freedom. But in Hero, when Can Jian and Wu Ming give up their idea of assassinating Qin Shi Huang Di, ostensibly it tag a transcendence of their personal hatred. However, in reality it coincides with the emperors personal ambition, that the world under heaven is the world ruled by the son of heaven, and that stipulation of the benefits of the world under heaven is the consideration for the benefit of the son of heaven. The film makes no secret of this view, which is expressed from the mouth of Qin Shi Huang Di I didnt expect that the one who knows me best, the soul mate who echoes my wants and mind is the one wandering the wilderness. realistically spea family lineg, this movie captures the heart of propaganda towards the legitimacy of Qin Shi Huang Di. Even going so far as to accuse his own officials of calling him a tyrant, Qin Shi Huang Di (the actor) fails to even touch upon the actual actions that made him a tyrant (the building of the Great Wall of China, etc). Instead, he s pews out highly theoretical talks of unification, idealized to the point of unreality. Perhaps the greatest indication of this movie aligning its ideals towards Communist ideals is the last rendition of Tian Xia, another name for China. Of all the translations of such a name, the most common and literal one being under the heavens, the producers of Hero chose to instead fork up it as Our land, to justify Qin Shi Huang Dis conquests. Our Land, the idea that the land is shared by the common person and that it was Qin Shi Huang Dis responsibility to unify China for the sole sake of protect the common person would have been alien in Ancient Chinese society. The consolidation of power into a single family has been the entire basis of Chinese history (dynasties). It has not been since the start of the Communist rule where the common persons ideals and eudaimonia was truly looked out for by the government. Thus, in summary, Hero was a Communist ideal spouting movie sugar coated in the excellence of martial-arts fight scenes and dramatic and unpredictable plot twists.When the Map is Unrolled, the Dagger is Revealed. This is a famous figure of speech in China, which fits Chen Kaiges latest heroic poem drama perfectly both in story and meaning. It means that only at the end we see peoples real intentions and their true nature. The figure of Ying Zheng (Qin Shi Huang Di) assumes gigantic proportions in this near-Shakespearean tragedy. Hes painted as a fair and just man at the beginning, but he eventually submits to his thirst for power and the precept of his ancestral mandate. Thanks to pressure and paranoia, Ying Zheng betrays his initial intentions which were to unite all of China peacefully and lead it to years of prosperity. Thats what he initially promises. However, like most politicians, the promises fix dead air when he finally reaches his goals. One of Ying Zhengs concubines and the cheat of his life, Lady Zhao, functions as a counterpoint to the Emperor . A fictional character, shes employ by the director to give voice to the masses. She represents people who want man to prevail over bloodletting and power-thirsty dictators. These are the people who weep over the senseless loss of life, and want a peaceful solution instead. The film is structured into five acts which lay the groundwork for the final part in which the reluctant assassin Jing Ke plots to kill Ying Zheng. The intricate story might be difficult to follow for someone whos not used to Chinese history, but the script flows well and the characters are developed so effectively that such apparent shortcomings dont rightfully matter at the end. Chen Kaige could have persistent to focus on a history lesson, but instead hes more interested in three central characters (Ying Zheng, Lady Zhao and Jing Ke) and their motives. Hes able to create a psychological profile for Ying Zheng, who at first come outs in control, but ultimately is the cause of his own undoing. His attempts to bring peace and prosperity to his kin conflict with the danger of holding too much power in ones hands. He cant handle the situation and the consequences are terrible. And guess who pays the price? The same people he was trying to help. Interestingly enough, this movie does not attempt to define as many parallels between Qin Shi Huang Di and Mao Ze Dong. dealings with less of his political actions throughout his reign and more with his relationship with his friends and family or so him, it is hard to say whether or not the censors in China even bothered to red flag the film. Considering the difficulty of processing this film into anti-Communist propaganda rather a criticism of Qin Shi Huang Dis rule in general, this movie could have easy slipped under the scope of Chinese censors.The Emperors Shadow is an extravagant take on the life and times of Qin Shi Huang Di. Through the friendly relationship between a musician and the Emperor and lavish sets (billed as the most expensi ve film ever shot in China), it paints an epic picture of Qin Shi Huang Dis rise to power. Realistically speaking, taking out the historical information and the luxurious backgrounds, the movie is really nothing more than the altogether familiar (and relatable) story of two childhood-best-of-friends from different backgrounds and their ideological differences that separate the two. Though he may be portray as a ruthless conquerer, he produces some redemptive qualities that would draw him into a more positive light as a character. Qin Shi Huang Dis portrayal is almost identical to the one mentioned in hero as he is portrayed as being concerned with the symbols and identity of the new Qin Dynasty, and the way that these new symbols will come to represent all of China, and be original by the people. In 1996, it did brisk business at the box power during a brief release in five major Chinese cities but then was banned for censorship reasons. The idea that art could not be controlled b y the media (a practice indeed supported during the reign of Qin Shi Huang Di) was also well supported Mao as well. This idea of restricting media in order to control the intellectual in China for both time periods, however, rang a negative light towards the censors, and in a swift act of irony, red flagged and consequently banned the film. However, it should be of note that the film was generally well received by the Western public. For whatever reason, it served as an actual inspiration for the musical The First Emperor. However, again, this was indeed a Western production and thus prospective on Qin Shi Huang Dis rule, which is not relevant to the thesis of this paper.Based upon the few movies portraying Qin Shi Huang Di, it can concluded that the Chinese government has altered Qin Shi Huang Dis perception in modern Chinese culture as a benevolent (if not heroic) figure that directly conflicts the nature of his past in order to draw parallels to and support the Communist governme nt due to many of the similarities between the Chinese Communist party Mao and the emperor. Movies that either seem to conflict with Qin Shi Huang Dis ideals that coincide with Communist party agenda seem to become red flagged by Chinese censors while films that only portray Qin Shi Huang Di in a less than favorable light receive no penalty whatsoever. However, it definitely must be noted that this outline of the role of the Communist government in Qin Shi Huang Dis is limited in several ways, the first being that the oldest movie with Qin Shi Huang Di was created in the late 90s. However, this only man point come along to the similarities of Qin Shi Huang Di and Mao as it would seem to indicate that Qin Shi Huang Di was too sensitive of a subject to work upon until the advent of the 90s where the Chinese government relatively relaxed their censorship laws. Finally, it must be noted that only three movies were referenced for this analysis due to the fact that there have only been three Chinese-made movies that have featured Qin Shi Huang Di ever created.