Selling Party Patriotism to Intellectuals in the Chinese Blockbuster Hero

There are various forms of subjectivity that are not permitted to surface in post-1989, neo-liberal China. The most forbidden form is alternative political subjectivity, which is connected to a less forbidden but still taboo subjectivity—non-heteronormative subjectivity. Conversely, patriotic subjectivity is the form of partisanship that is most often promoted, as seen in the portrayal of the patriotic Tong Zhi discussed in Chapter 3. Such Party patriotism is embraced by the socialist spirit that manifests as sacrifice of the individual for the greater good as well as patriotic submission to the ruling Party. This chapter investigates the phenomenon of promoting Party patriotism, particularly to intellectuals, while banning dissenting political expressions as is apparent in films made after the 1989 Tian’anmen Incident. In this chapter I will focus on one Chinese blockbuster that promotes the notion of self-sacrifice and will examine three contrasting underground/independent films that depict challenges to state power in Chapter 6.1