New Taipei Women's Images in Taiwanese Cinema in the 1980s

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the development or transition of women’s images in Taiwanese cinema during the 1980s. The central aim of the thesis involves examining the characteristics of Taipei women by identifying the way in which they are positioned, imagined, and represented in three films. Chapter One examines object/setting motifs, which contributes to the understanding of character traits. Chapter Two specifically discusses the typical image of Taipei women through the representation of binary oppositions. In Chapter Three, the study focuses on the common use of voice-over in the three films, reflecting upon the directors’ concerns with women’s inner voices and women’s desire for independence. In the field of ideological film studies, this close analysis of new Taipei female characteristics uncovers the individualism vs. familism binary opposition constructed by New Cinema film directors and their consistent concern with humanism when portraying Taipei women.