Fan translation and film criticism in China
Re-reviewing The Wandering Earth (2019) through translation
Film criticism in China has been changing due to a growing fan community and their active participation in online
film reviewing. While social media has democratized who can write reviews, there remain distinct hierarchies of professional and
amateur reviewers. Drawing upon
Henry Jenkins’ (2006b) concept of “knowledge community”
and Alex Bruns’ “produsage” model (
2008), this article will explore how Chinese film
fans use translation to shape the online reception of a film and participate in the debates over film criticism in the digital
age. Through a case study of the Chinese translations of an English review of
The Wandering Earth (2019), a
Chinese sci-fi blockbuster, it argues that translation, as an alternative form of self-expression, constitutes both an
important cinematic experience for fans and a response by grassroots consumers to the existing reviewing system influenced by
media capital.
Article outline
- Introduction
- The crisis of criticism
- Translation as a cinematic experience and a catalyst for knowledge production
- Reviewing The Wandering Earth (2019) through translation
- Conclusion
- Notes
-
References
References (63)
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