New Books Network Mia Yinxing Liu, "Literati Lenses: Wenren Landscape in Chinese Cinema of the Mao Era" (U Hawai’i Press, 2019)
Oct 21, 2025
Mia Yinxing Liu, an art historian at Johns Hopkins University, explores the interplay between wenren landscape painting and Chinese cinema during the Mao era. She reveals how landscapes in films acted as a subversive channel, subverting ideological constraints. Liu discusses the evocative power of landscapes, the transformation of Huangshan from a literati refuge to a national icon, and the nostalgic elements in films like Stage Sisters. Delving into the feminine moral weight in cinema, she highlights the critical role of women in these narratives and their hope for the future.
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Early Exposure To Cinema Painting
- Mia Yinxing Liu recounts watching her uncle paint billboard posters for a local cinema as a child.
- That childhood exposure sparked her lifelong passion for the overlap of cinema and visual art.
Landscape As Central Visual Language
- Liu argues landscapes in Chinese art function like a cultural 'nude'—a primary visual subject with deep meaning.
- She shows cinematic landscapes act as allegory, mirror of the age, and commentary on national affairs.
Landscape As A Covert Text Under Censorship
- Liu found film visuals often escaped censor scrutiny that scripts faced during the Mao era.
- Literati landscape allusions let filmmakers smuggle charged cultural meanings without explicit dialogue.
