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Article published In:
Translation and Interpreting Studies
Vol. 18:3 (2023) ► pp.378–398

Fan translation and film criticism in China

Re-reviewing The Wandering Earth (2019) through translation

ORCID logo | University of Liverpool

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.

Keywords: online film reviews, fan translation, knowledge community, produsage, Chinese cinephile
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
Published online: 13 February 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.20093.guo
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