A Study of New Main Theme Films under Rhetorical Theory: Taking the Film "Full River Red" as an Example

Abstract

The film "Full River Red" was released during the Spring Festival of 2023, with Zhang Yimou as the director and Chen Yu as the writer. It achieved significant success, surpassing the $4 billion mark at the box office. The film deviates from traditional melodramatic film creation and challenges conventional practices in character development, subject matter portrayal, and narrative intentions. "Full River Red" revolves around the conceptual theme of "Full River Red" and employs a narrative polyphony that continuously reverses. It focuses on a minor character who sacrifices his life for justice within a specific historical context. This approach highlights the theoretical nature of "rhetorical film," combining national righteousness as a spiritual core with popular culture and neuro-comedy elements. The skillful combination of commerce and literature in "Full River Red" has resonated strongly with the audience. It follows the artistic character and film aesthetics established by director Zhang Yimou while also providing significant momentum for developing China's new melodramatic cinema.