Abstract
While both local and international news outlets have highlighted the collective efforts of over 100 local animation companies involved in the production, the 2025 animation film Na Zha 2 has set a ground-breaking box office record in Chinese film history. The film’s success has sparked tremendous responses from critics and cinemagoers alike, both domestically and globally. This paper investigates how Na Zha 2, one of the highest-grossing films in Chinese cinema history, employs cinematic techniques and narrative structures to reinforce or challenge dominant ideological discourses in contemporary China. Using Apparatus Theory, which examines the ideological effects of cinematic technology and narrative structures, the research explores how the film’s visual style, animation technology, and mythological reinterpretation contribute to shaping audience perception and cultural identity. By focusing on both the technical apparatus (cinematic form, animation techniques) and the institutional apparatus (production, distribution, and state influence), this study offers a critical understanding of how Na Zha 2 functions as a cultural and ideological artifact in modern Chinese society.
Presenters
Changsong WangProfessor, Dean, School of Communication, Xiamen University Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
CHINESE CINEMA, MYTHOLOGICAL REINTERPRETATION, ANIMATION, APPARATUS THEORY, IDEOLOGY IN FILM
