RIGIDITY AND RELATION: NEGOTIATING MASCULINITY IN SHANGHAI'S REFORM-ERA CINEMA (1978-2000)

Abstract

The period of Reform and Opening up (1978-2000) was a pivotal era of socio-cultural transformation in China, profoundly reshaping identities, including cinematic representations of masculinity. This article examines the construction of Shanghai masculinities during this period through a visual and narrative analysis of four representative films: Twins Come in Pairs (1979), Under the Bridge (1984), Shanghai Triad (1995), and Horizontal and Vertical (1999). It employs the "TAO-Frame," a self-developed analytical framework, to dissect the interplay between rigid and relational masculine traits. The study finds that Shanghai cinema moved beyond the one-dimensional, heroic masculinity of the socialist era to construct a more complex, contingent masculinity. This was characterized by a negotiation between hegemonic, duty-bound "rigidity" (刚) in public and professional spheres, and softer, emotionally adaptive "relationality" (柔) in private and romantic contexts. Visual codes, particularly clothing and physique, served as key markers of this evolving identity. The article argues that Shanghai cinema acted as a cultural space for negotiating the tensions between tradition and modernity, collectivism, and individualism. It demonstrates that masculinity is not a fixed construct but a fluid performance, contextually adapted to the demands of a rapidly modernizing society.