ma1234

Ruprecht-Karls-Universität
Zentrum für Ostasienwissenschaften
Institut für Sinologie
SoSe 2018



Stanley Setiawan
Master- Arbeit

“Somersault-Cloud into Celluloid: Three feature-length animated film adaptions of the Journey to the West”


1.Korrektor: Prof. Dr. Gotelind Müller-Saini
2.Korrektor: Prof. Dr. Joachim Kurtz




am xx.xx.2018
vorgelegt von:
Stanley Setiawan
Karlsruher Str. 130
69126 Heidelberg
Tel. (Mobil) 015772535689
email: sogss2@cantab.net
HF: 12. Semester Sinologie Master
NF: 11. Semester Transcultural Studies
Somersault-Cloud into Celluloid: Three feature-length animated film adaptions of the Journey to the West

Table of Contents
1. Chapter 3: Analysis of the Films
Beginnings: Princess Iron Fan (1941) [10 Seiten]
-Synopsis [1 Seite]
-Visual Aspects
-Sound
-As Adaptation
-Characterisation
-Setting
-Intended Audience and Reception

Contents
1.Introduction​2
2.Chapter 1: Animation in China and Adaptations of the Journey​8
3.Chapter 2: Unity is Strength: Princess Iron Fan (1941)​8
Synopsis​9
4. Chapter 3: It is Right to Rebel: Havoc in Heaven (1961-1964)​17
5. Chapter 4. Banishing the Ghosts of the Past? Golden Monkey Routs the Fiends (1985)​22

###Betreffs Untertitel, ist vielleicht einen Bezug zueinander herstellbar??###

Synopsis​23
As Adaptation​23
Sights​26
6. Conclusion​28
Appendix​28
Filmography:​28
Bibliography​29
1. Introduction
This thesis is an attempt to contribute to the field of Chinese animation studies.

###Zu direkt, vielleicht anekdotische Einführung/Zitat etc.###

Its main focus will be on the analysis of three feature-length animated adaptations from the Journey to the West (Xiyou ji 西游記; henceforth abbreviated as Journey), a novel first published in 1592 and commonly attributed to Wu Cheng’en. In analysing these adaptations, a special focus will be put on the use of themes from the Journey and the purposes according to which the adapters proceded.
The three feature films in question are Princess Iron Fan (Tieshan gongzhu 鐵扇公主, 1941), Havoc in Heaven (Danao tiangong 大鬧天宮, released in two parts in 1961 and 1964 respectively)  Golden Monkey Routs the Fiends (Jinhou xiang yao 金猴降妖, 1985). Princess Iron Fan, made in the French Concession of Shanghai during the Sino-Japanese War, is often named as the first feature-length animated film in Asia (and the eighth in the world). The latter two were productions by the state-owned Shanghai Animation Film Studio (SAFS; Shanghai meishu dianying zhipianchang 上海美術電影製片廠). Havoc in Heaven is perhaps the most noted Chinese animated film, thanks to frequent reruns and international critical acclaim. Golden Monkey Routs the Fiends however, a product of the 1980s, which saw the second “golden age” of Chinese animation, has remained somewhat more obscure.  For the sake of historical context,

###Elaborieren? Gibt es eine Entwicklung, Stagnation? Wenn es die künstlerische Freiheit dergestalt beansprucht wird, schlagen die Interpretationen jeweils dem historischen Kontext entsprechend unterschiedlich aus?###

I have also examined other films – mostly animated – as well as contemporary materials hinting towards their presentation and their reception, such as articles in official cultural journals. The three films are all adaptations from certain chapters of the Journey to the West, and their creators have taken  considerable artistic liberty with the source material in all three cases in order to convey a certain political message. The comparison with the literary original, while only peripheral aspect, will also be provided in order to give the reader some perspective, particularly in the case of strong alterations in terms of plot or characterisation. For this purpose, I will make use of the original text of the 1592 Shidetang edition of the novel as well as the most recent edition of Anthony C. Yu’s complete translation.

###Hier notieren, wie sich Übersetzungen zu welchem Zweck wann eignen###

The focus of this study will be on the analysis of the texts of the three aforementioned films.

###Nach oben schieben###

For this purpose, my methodology will rely on a close reading (or rather close watching and listening).

###"Close watching" hat vielleicht eine Referenz？###

The framework used for this analysis is primarily derived from the field of semiotics; as such, special attention will be paid to the use of significands and significates. Several aspects of the presentation are thus subject to particular scrutiny, such as the art style, peculiarities in terms of animation or the use of sound effects, voice acting and music. Given that the objects of this study are all animated films, and thus belonging to a highly visual medium, the appendix will contain comprehensive documentation in the form of stills from the films. Furthermore, characterisation and the depiction of landscapes will also constitute another part of the analysis. These aspects pertain to the visual style (with a view on the artwork in general), music and sound (particularly from the perspective of diegetics), aspects of the plot and its relationship with the source material(s), the characterisation and the settings. Finally, whilst considering the broader historical context, other underlying factors such as the artistic vision, intended audience and the official reception will be presented.
The theoretical framework of this study relies on several approaches. The analytical approach treats the films as texts, i.e. it is a form of discourse analysis based on semiotics. Animation studies will form another theoretical pillar, as the medium of animated film has a number of peculiarities that set it apart from say, live action films or comic books. The insights of adaptation studies will be applied as well, particularly in view of these adaptations as artistic works in their own right, since neither of the films is a particularly faithful representation of the parts of the novel they purport to represent. It is not so much of interest that the films deviate from their source material, but rather to what ends the alterations have been made. My reading will be based on the political context during which the films had been made. The popular appeal of the Journey has facilitated the political instrumentalisation by the agents of state power, be it the Japanese occupation authorities, or the Central government of the PRC.

###Der obere Teil lässt sich evtl kondensieren und als Relevanzbeleg nach oben verbringen in den allerersten Paragraphen?###

Following these methodological and theoretical frameworks, the thesis will focus on a number of pertinent questions. To what extent are those films signs of the times? How did they reflect their respective contemporary political situation? What do the design choices tell us about the artistic and ideological agenda? What is adapted “faithfully” from the novel, what is not? And why? What is the function of the specific story taken from the Journey?

###Wie wurde zu welchem Zweck adaptiert? Nehmen die Filme aufeinander Bezug?###

The thesis will thus be arranged according to the following structure. The first chapter will discuss the history of animation in China itself, including its origins and its trajectory. An important aspect remains the social and institutional aspect of animation in China; first as an endeavour subject to market forces and the private sector, and very much conceived in emulation of the emergent American industry and subsequently as a state-subsidised project of national self-expression. The founding of the PRC led to the concentration of all media production in the hands of the state and thus the subordination to centralised control. Animation, now produced in specialised studios became an outlet for increasing artistic and technical sophistication as well as an overt tool for political propaganda. As a consequence of the marketisation of the Chinese economy in the process of economic reforms, the situation has shifted back somewhat, but the art form remains subject to heavy-handed control by the state. I will also provide some context on the adaptations of the Journey in Republican times and the People’s Republic, including those made outside of a China. These animated films that will not be used for in-depth analysis, but remain useful for the sake of providing context.
The bulk of the thesis is found in the next three chapters – with a chapter for each film.  The analysis will follow along the lines of certain select aspects, as has been outlined in the discussion of the methodology. Along with a synopsis of the plot, the analysis will turn to the art style, sound effects and music, questions of adaptation, and the settings and their portrayal as well as the characterisation of the protagonists and the antagonists.   Each of the works is reflective of the social and political conditions that prevailed during their creation; this is even more apparent in the film most overtly influenced by Maoist ideology, Havoc in Heaven. But it is my aim to move beyond the obvious and show in detail how that assertion can be proven. For this purpose, special attention will also be paid to the reception and the framing in the media of the films. In the conclusion… … []
Chinese animation studies appears

###appear?###

to be a very young field. Within China itself, the number of publications is somewhat limited. Specialised academic monographs in English have only appeared very recently, as the discussion of Chinese animation has often been subsumed into Chinese film studies in general. Rolf Giesen has also contributed a first overview of Chinese animated films with Chinese Animation. A History and Filmography, 1922-2012. Giesen’s work is not informed by a Chinese studies background, which may explain a number of inaccuracies and errors. As an overview, it remains a useful resource that is however more journalistic than academic in character. Specialised, academic studies have only appeared more recently.
Daisy Yan Du’s doctoral dissertation, entitled On the Move, offers a first, more theoretical, foray into Chinese animation studies. Du covers the history of Chinese animation from the 1940s to the Cultural Revolution in a series of case studies, putting special emphasis on an anti-essentialist reading of the topic. Another effort is the monograph by Wu Weihua, who has paid special attention to the aspects of nationalism in the pursuit of a Chinese school of animation focused on supposed national characteristics, but whose focus lies more on the period post Reform and Opening-up. Sean MacDonald has taken a similar approach, examininng again the issue of “Chineseness” in Chinese animation among others. Sun Hongmei has provided a specialised study on the depiction character of Sun Wukong in various media from Yuan Dynasty drama to reinterpretations in Asian-American themed graphic novels. Furthermore, Sun has paid special attention to the shifting cultural connotations of the character; particularly in the PRC during the Maoist and post-socialist transformations. A similar in-depth study of the image of Sun Wukong in various media has been undertaken by Bai Huiyuan.
John A. Lent and Xu Ying have also assembled a comprehensive study entitled Comics Art in China, based on interviews with various artists, with a chapter devoted entirely to animation. Among the people interviewed, a number had a hand of the creation in the films discussed.

###Kein eigener Teil für state of the art? Vielleicht im ersten Kapitel und dann den Hintergrund der chinesischen Filmgesellschaft?###

Finally some notes on formal conventions. For the sake of consistency, I only use traditional characters in conjunction with Hanyu Pinyin.
2. Chapter 1: Animation in China and Adaptations of the Journey
The history of Chinese animation is inextricably connected to the Wan brothers

Afterwards, the production of the genre was placed under the control of the state.
The main studio was the Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio;
One of its predecessors was located in Changchun initially, a remnant of the Japanese attempts to build up a film industry for the puppet state of Manchukuo (滿洲國 Manzhouguo ; Manshû koku)
The topos of Journey to the West...
3. Chapter 2: Unity is Strength: Princess Iron Fan (1941)

Characterised as the first feature-length animated film in China as well as Asia,  Princess Iron Fan ;
was re (?)
The animation of the characters is heavily reliant on rotoscoping, and the influence of American cartoons is obvious in many ways. First, the title, which appears to be derived from the Chinese version of Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Baixue gongzhu 白雪公主

###Ich würde gerne wissen, warum die Vorstellung des Filmes noch nicht hier steht, was hebt diesen Film hervor?###

Synopsis
After showing the opening credits – which advertise the film as China’s first feature-length, stereoscopic animation with sound (Zhongguo di yi bu changpian yousheng liti katong 中國第一部長篇有聲立體卡通) - , this film starts off with a drawn background of a Buddhist temple. Regarding the title of the film it appears that its production had been inspired by Disney’s Snow White … Etc. Unlike the former, it is still shot in black and white , as the materials for producing a film in colour, a recent innovation, were not as readily available at that time in China. The camera moves into the temple, until it is focused on a room with an altar. In the background, the chanting of Buddhist monks can be heard, while a wooden fish is struck rhythmically. Then, in a succession of screens, a text with film’s mission statement is laid over the image of the altar.
西游記，本爲一部絕妙之童話。特以世多誤解，致被目為神話小説。本片取材於是，實為培育兒童心理而作。故内容刪蕪存精，不涉神怪。僅以唐僧等四人路阻火焰山，以示人生途徑中之磨難; 欲求經此磨難，則必須堅持信念，大衆一心，始能獲得此撲滅凶火焰之芭蕉扇。
The Journey to the West has originally been an ingenious children’s tale. Yet over the generations, the misunderstandings have increased, and it has thus been seen as a mythological novel. This film has been conceived from this, and it really has been made for the sake of children’s psychological education. Therefore, regarding the contents, the superfluous has been expunged whilst preserving the spirit, and there are no concerns of gods and spirits. It is restricted to the hindrances on the pilgrimage of the four people, the Tang Monk and the others, at Flame Mountain, in order to demonstrate the difficulties in life. As for the difficulties of wanting to seek the Scriptures, one must harden one’s resolve,  the masses have to be of one mind, and only then are they able to acquire the plantain-leaf fan that can extinguish the fierce fire.
From this introductory text, several clues can be taken.

###Du analysierst auch Paratexte, ist das ein semiotic thing? Was ist der rote Faden zwischen den Paratexten der Filme in deinem Vergleich? Vielleicht wäre es auch interessant, sich die dahinterliegende Filmgesellschaft anzuschauen und im politischen Kontext einzuordnen?###

First of all the intended audience – the Journey is relegated to the position of children’s literature; implicitly, the film itself explicitly becomes a piece of children’s entertainment, which is in line with a common conception of cartoons at that time.
It is apparent that the conceit of disavowing references to the divine is in line with censorship…  This might seem odd as the premise of the entire story and its main characters are of supernatural provenance in one way or another…
The message of the Journey becomes very practical and mundane, oriented towards mastering the quotidian hardships of life rather than being about an esoteric Buddho-Daoist process of spiritual enlightenment.
While an explicit political message appears to be absent… however with the expression da zhong yi xin 大衆一心–an appeal for collective action can already be found. The camera then pans out to the image of a collection of Chinese-style bound books – a translation of the Buddhist Tripitaka Canon (Sanzang zhenjing 三藏真經).

Then, the plot of the film itself begins, as a familiar scene that needs no introduction to a Chinese or East Asian audience unfolds:

###Warum? Hier scheint der rote Faden durch. An was muss sich das Trio der Filme messen lassen? An der Treue zur Vorlage, oder diachron zur politischen Entwicklung in China?###

the four scripture-seeking pilgrims on their arduous journey through a rugged wilderness. In my analysis, I will make use of the Three-Act-Model of dramaturgy formulated by Field. The design of the characters is somewhat simplistic, and from the movements it becomes apparent that the animation relies heavily on rotoscoping – an animation technique where movements are first shot in live-action and subsequently drawn over.

###Vielleicht ganz oben erwähnen beim ersten Mal des rotoscoping.###

 Of all the protagonists, Sun Wukong has the most unique and animal-like appearance; reminiscent of Mickey Mouse, Felix the Cat, or Bimbo the dog (cf. figures ...). Furthermore, the more ostensibly non-human characters, i.e. the two elder disciples Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie (who also has a pig’s tail coming out of his trousers) as well as the Bull Demon King, are all shown to have only four fingers – a convention that is particularly common to American animation. One should note however, that the more explicitly human characters such as the Tang Monk and  the villagers near the Mountain, or the eponymous Princess all possess fully five-fingered hands. Whether this is a conscious decision… …
Following Field’s terminology (while not adhering slavishly to it) , I would characterise the first half hour or so of the film
Based on the original structure of the novel with (Three times borrowing the fan)
As in the novel, the Tang Monk complains about the scorching heat; the disciples are shown sweating, and Zhu Bajie even plucks off one of his ears to serve as a fan – only to be reprimanded by Sun Wukong for his lack of endurance. This small, slightly surrealistic occurence is the first of many instances where the film utilises deliberately unrealistic visual humour, a characteristic apparently inspired by the films of the Fleischer studios in particular. As they struggle forward, they finally reach the abode of a local elderly man. He tells them the name of the mountain (Mountains of Flames, Huoyan shan 火焰山) and of the harsh conditions of the area. An incredulous Sun flies off to examine the mountain for himself – but he returns to the house as he is overpowered by the fierce, partially anthropomorphised flames and smoke: a threatening face with sharp fangs and an evil look appears from within the fire. Accompanying the scene musically, is a drawn out … while what appears to represent Sun’s anxiousness and excitation, also… a serious of high-pitched, chirping sounds. The tremendousness of the Mountain’s fire thus establishes the main conflict of the film: the group’s inability to proceed to India for the scriptures (as well as the hardship of the local population under the scorching heat).
The group, desperate to find a way through the fire, then turns to the old man, who mentions the magical Iron Fan as the only mean to extinguish the flames as well as its owner, the eponymous Princess, whose name provides the film’s title. In a deviation to the novel – albeit in line with the character’s reputation as a lecher – , Zhu Bajie asks whether she has got a husband. As it turns out, it is the Bull Demon King (Niu Mo Wang牛魔王), an old friend of his. The three pilgrims are instructed by their master to journey to the Princess’s abode, Plantain Cave (Bajiao dong芭蕉洞), together. Each of them is supposed to get inside and ask for the fan. The first of the three to go is Sha Wujing. However, in line with his depiction as a hapless and stuttering comic relief, he has no luck, and is humiliated and driven away by the Princess’s servant. Here, at the 11th minute of the film it becomes obvious that the main conflict of the film is afoot: obtaining the fan is not going to be an easy task. Zhu Bajie refuses to get inside. It is up to Sun Wukong, who ambushes the servant, which causes the Princess to get combat-ready by entering  her armour and taking her sword. It turns out that she is not too keen to interact with the group of pilgrims, least of all Sun Wukong, due to their role in subduing her son, the Red Boy (Hong Hai’er 紅孩兒). She believes that Sun had killed him, only for Sun to retort that he had been brought to the “right fruit” zheng guo 正果 (i.e. he was made a disciple of the Bodhisattva Guanyin). The Princess orders Sun to stretch out his head to strike at it with her sword; if she fails to hurt him, she would have to hand the fan over. Thanks to his magic abilities, her sword does not harm him at all, and after the final blow Sun elongates his neck and wraps it around her blade.  Taken aback, she nevertheless reneges on her promise by taking out the fan and using its magic to blow Sun away. Finally Sun gets to the mountain of the Bodhisattva Vimalakirti (Lingji Pusa 靈吉菩薩) – drawn with a grotesquely bulbous skull reminiscent of depictions of the God of Longevity, Shouxing壽星, and the characteristically elongated earlobes of many Buddhist figures, he is clad in a monk’s attire and holding a flywhisk 拂塵 - , who provides him with a magical wind-stopping jewel (), which reverses the ravages of the fan’s wind. The newly-equipped item allows Sun to return quickly however. As the Princess waves the fan again at him, she is shocked to see its effects annulled. Sun is in a triumphant mood but while he gloats the Princess seizes an opportunity flee back into her home, leaving Sun locked out outside. He then devises a new stratagem to obtain the fan by turning himself into a small insect and infiltrating the cave. The transformation animation consists of the character brushing over his body with his hands – a borrowing from the Fleischer cartoons. Slipping into the Princess’s tea, he enters her belly, requests the fan again and causes tremendous pain by pummelling her insides. As he would only agree to come out if the Princess agrees to lend him the fan, she has no choice but to comply. She hands the fan over to Sun, who has exited her body and returned to his real shape. The trio happily make their way back to the old man’s house, riding on Zhu Bajie’s rake – but not before Sun causes some mischief for his younger disciples who were waiting outside of the cave. The next scene is a significant deviation from the novel, as it shows the Tang Monk in a more favourable and respectable light. With authority, he holds a lecture on the Buddhist Scriptures, defining them as a key to ethical conduct and as a way out of the sufferings of life. The crowd of villagers who attend the talk is rather large, … … …. , and sometimes grotesquely portrayed. He takes his divinely ordained task seriously as he makes clear that he wants to leave the area as soon as the flames are extinguished. Sun takes the fan and flies over to the mountain yet again – only to realise that instead of extinguishing the flames, the fan given to him intensifies them further. In frustration he returns. This time the task to obtain the fan falls to the hesitant and lackadaisical Zhu Bajie (rather than Sun Wukong who does almost all of the heavy lifting in the original account of the novel). This deliberate choice … as the following adventures are more in line with Zhu’s character rather than with that of Sun Wukong, who had been desexualised by the author of the novel version.
He trots off to the Jade Cloud Cave where the Princess’s estranged husband, the Bull Demon King, lives. The next scene is set inside the cave, showing the Bull Demon King’s lover for whom he left the Princess – the fox spirit Jade Face. Her true nature is immediately made clear to the viewers in the following way, a dog-like animal in women’s clothing is shown from behind, seated in front of a mirror. The camera then pans to the mirror and in a characteristic manner, another transformation scene is shown as the animal brushes over its face with its hands – resulting in the appearance of a young woman clearly modelled on another Fleischer stalwart, Betty Boop. After an exchange with the Bull Demon King, she sets out of the cave to pick flowers, while singing. Zhu Bajie then comes across her. Playful music and flustered movements (such as awkward guffawing, tucking at his clothes and face, and lolling his tongue) signify his desire, in line with the lustful nature of the character. Startled, Jade Face is first seen hiding behind a tree and luring him with a flower, but shocked by his appearance. Zhu – his desire made even more obvious, kneels before her and lies about having been sent from the Plantain Leaf Cave. As he becomes increasingly invasive, even grabbing her clothes, he causes her to flee. He pursues her to the cave, but he does not manage to follow her inside, as his snout gets jammed by the door slammed shut. He then attempts to force his entry by using his snout to drill through the walls of the cave, only to be stopped by the Bull Demon King who picks him up by the tail. An exchange follows; while obviously annoyed, the King shows no hostility. As had been stated before, Bajie and the King are the ones shown to be old acquaintances, even bond-brothers rather than in the novel where Sun Wukong is the younger brother to the King. After greeting one another, Bajie insists on the Bull Demon King’s help in borrowing the fan. The Bull Demon King lists a number of grudges against the group of pilgrims, including the subjugation of the Red Boy as well the fact that they have disturbed his wife. Due to their old friendship, he spares Bajie, but refuses to help him with the fan.
As Bajie’s request had been rejected, he turns to a ruse. Observing a frog fitting easily through a crack in the cave’s door, he assumes its size and shape, using the characteristic transformation process. [...] Sneaking into the stables of the he proceeds to steal the Bull King’s mount, a huge, dinosaur-like beast, by deflating it like a balloon.  A scholar [who?] has noted its similarity with a Japanese tank. …
Zhu Bajie then assumes the form of the Bull Demon King, the transformation animation being slightly different this time, with Bajie splitting in two parts and then fusing back together. He blows up the beast, returning it to life. After struggling with riding the beast, he finally makes it to the Plantain Leaf Cave, where he deceives the Princess by posing as her husband. Entry to the cave is far easier than it had been before for his fellow disciples; after knocking several times, the Princess’s maidservant opens the door and welcomes him as Great King. He wakes up the napping Princess by tickling her nose with a pheasant feather. She is overjoyed to see her husband again and asks why he came over. Zhu, playing his part, lies that he had heard of Sun Wukong, their enemy on account of harming their son, being in the area and he had come to safeguard the fan from him. The Princess, feigning desperation, gives him an account of Sun Wukong’s first two attempts to obtain the fan (with Zhu concealing his laughter as she tells about her misfortunes during the simian invasion of her innards), only to reveal that the fan she handed over had been a fake. She proceeds to entertain her husband with a banquet and a song-and-dance performance.
Zhu enjoys himself greatly, so much that his magical disguise almost falters at some point and he has to reinforce his transformation (this is in contrast with the novel, where the deception plot is enacted by Sun Wukong – who only feigns matrimonial affection and desire out of duty). During the dance, an inebriated Bajie even chases after the dancing Princess – only to be rebuked by her.
The song scene is subtitled and makes use of another Fleischer innovation – the bouncing ball on the song’s lyrics, which can still be found today.
Finally, he manages to obtain the fan from the also inebriated Princess by claiming that he needs to keep it safe from Sun Wukong and himself. He dispels his magical disguise, showing his true nature and gloating at her for having fallen for his charade. The Princess, frustrated and betrayed, throws the food and crockery from a nearby table.
Inbetween, the scene then moves on to the Jade Cloud Cave, with the real Bull Demon King and Jade Face. As he is about to depart for a social call to a Dragon King, he notices the theft of his beast-of-burden. Realising immediately that this had been Zhu Bajie’s work, he departs in the direction of the Plantain Leaf Cave.
A happy Zhu Bajie returns with the fan, full-sized. … … The second song of the film is played, again with the lyrics in the subtitles.
As the Bull Demon King flies over the landscape – with a sound reminiscent of a prop aircraft, he notices Zhu Bajie with the fan. He disguises himself as Sun Wukong and manages to talk him out of the fan – not before shrinking it and putting in his mouth. Then he proceeds to stamp on Zhu and kicking him like a ball. In a slapstick scene, the compressed Zhu rolls all the way to the house where the other disciples and the townspeople wait for the fan. As he is helped back into his normal size by Sun Wukong and gives an account of his attempt, he is fiercely mocked by the former, and they start to fight.
The failure to obtain the fan after three attempts leaves the group dejected. Here the (re-)solution of the plot becomes evident. Whereas in the novel it is the Tang Monk who frets and despairs about this interruption of the journey, here becomes a rousing agitator, who reproaches his disciples for their lack of unity – causing Sun and Zhu to stop their fight - and urges them along with the locals to work together in retrieving the fan.  The language used is indicative of a military struggle, and the words used might be easily construed as an appeal to the audience to act before the background of the Sino-Japanese War.
唐僧： [… … ] 要成功一件事情總是有阻礙的。我們要做這樣神聖的事情就要堅定我們的信念。不能因爲有點兒困難就中途改變我們的宗旨。你們這一次失敗的原因是由於既不同心又不合力。假使你們三個人一條心合起力量，共同跟牛魔王決鬥，事情一定可以成功的！
Tang Monk: If you want to complete something successfully, there will always be hindrances. If we want to fulfill the holy task we need to strengthen our resolves. We cannot change our mission mid-course just because there has been a little trouble. The reason why you failed this time is that you neither brought your minds into accordance nor united your strength. If you three are of one mind and united your power, and then challenge the Bull Demon King together, the task will certainly be concluded in success!
孫悟空、豬八戒、沙悟净：我們謹遵師父命令去跟牛魔王爭一個誰勝誰敗！
Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing: We shall diligently abide by Master’s order to go forth and fight with the Bull Demon King [until one of us wins or loses]?
唐僧：那就好極了。各位受他的害處也不小了。希望各位也出些力量， 跟小徒們共同征服牛魔王，消滅火焰山，免除永遠的禍害！
Tang Monk: Now that is superb! All of you have been harmed greatly by him [the Bull Demon King]. I hope that you all contribute some of your strength, so that you may conquer the Bull Demon King with my lowly disciples together, extinguish Flame Mountain, and eliminate this eternal misfortune!
村民1：我們聽從師父的命令，為大家謀幸福！
We shall follow Master’s order, let us plan happiness for all!
村民 2：大家一起出力去！
Everyone, exert yourselves!
In a scene reminiscent of a contemporary wartime newsreel, the camera then pans to the disciples storming forward, followed by a large group of locals armed with torches and farming utensils such as pitchforks. Several times, a shot occurs which appears from the perspective of a ditch; from below, we see the group jumping over that ditch, starting with Sun Wukong [fig. ..]
Using the trunk of a tree as a battering ram, they first storm Plantain Leaf Cave, forcing the Bull Demon King to fight with the disciples. Armed with two swords, he nevertheless succumbs to their combined might, forcing him to flee again. He is then trapped by a group of villagers in a net under a tree, but he manages to escape apprehension through magical means. As Sun Wukong tries to take on the Bull Demon King by himself, the latter transforms into his real form – a gigantic bull. The creature chases Sun and charges through the forest, at one point running over and flattening Sha Wujing who is then revived by Zhu Bajie. While the disciples try to chase and provoke the Bull Demon King, the villagers commence to transform a large, massive tree into a trap. First sawing it in half vertically, then pulling the two halves apart, with the help of ropes. As the creature charges into the bifurcated trunk, they let go, thus trapping it. To prevent further escapes, Sun Wukong transforms one of his hairs into a nose ring and a chain, this affixing the gigantic animal to the tree further.
The collective nature of their endeavour is emphasised in a number of scenes...
As the huge beast is crying and begging for mercy, his distraught wife hurries to the group of villagers and the four pilgrims, finally handing over the real fan.
Finally Sun can use the fan in order to still the raging flames.
The heroes resume their journey, being seen of by throngs of grateful villagers.
In the very final scene, the artistic influence also becomes obvious again, as the protagonists wander towards the background featuring a great castle-like structure.

While … to use surrealistic visual humour as found in the Fleischer Studios animated films.

###Vergleiche mit Fleischer Studios führen vielleicht zu weit?###

Adaptation
Just as in the literary original, the iron fan in the title, or to be more precise, the Banana-leaf fan, serves as the object driving the plot. As has already become apparent in the introductory screens, it is also laden with a more explicitly allegorical ...
Several alterations to the original plot had been made.

Tang Monk as an authoritative father figure, teacher and agitator of the people; “Straight man” with no comic dimension
Sun Wukong as the mischievous, daring trickster
Zhu Bajie as lovable rogue, glutton, lecher - and also trickster, Compared to the novel, his role in the story and the acquisition of the fan is far greater as a number of actions and stratagems done by Sun Wukong are done by him
Whereas in the novel...
Sha Wujing as a stuttering simpleton and comic relief
Princess Iron Fan as an ambiguous antagonist … etc.
The Bull Demon King … a representation of Japan? …

The literal Deus (or rather Dei) Ex Machina in the original that leads to the submission of the Bull Demon King is replaced by the collective action of the locals living next to the Fire [] Mountain.
A number of shots resemble those of soldiers jumping across trenches … reminiscent of Guerilla warfare…
A war of national resistance

Music
Given that the audiovisual qualities of the extant copies of the film is somewhat poor
4. Chapter 3: It is Right to Rebel: Havoc in Heaven (1961-1964)

Havoc in Heaven remains the most prominent animated adaptation of the Monkey King topos; it has also received the most thorough scholarly attention of all the films discussed. Part of the reason may lie in the comparative attractiveness of the presentation; the animation is far more professionally executed than in Princess Iron Fan, and the film utilises a vibrant and lively colour scheme. The international reception, albeit belated due to the Cultural Revolution, appeared to have been enthusiastic.
…
Pu Jiaxiang
...
The film, created under the artistic direction of the Wan brothers, …

###Genau diese Sorte Paratext meine ich, siehe oben###

Synopsis
Given that the film has been released in two parts, it might be advisable to analyse the film as such as Macdonald has done. The flagship film for the SAFS (the Sun Wukong design of this film has become something of a logo for the studio, even adorning its website), it is an adaptation that contains major plot elements from the chapters 3-7 of the novel, while also making significant alterations and submissions. Prior to the credits, a stylised scene of Stone Monkey who would later assume the name Sun Wukong is shown. Afterwards, the credits the film starts with the idyllic scenery of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, showing infantilised monkeys (with child-like physiques and either voiced by children or women voice actors) frolicking around beneath the trees and in the water. The film then switches to Sun Wukong himself inside the cave, leading a military exercise with his simian subjects. First draped in his regalia, he quickly casts them off. Wielding a scimitar (a dao 刀) and practising martial arts, he tests his weapon further, but it breaks. Disappointed, he asks one of his elderly advisors (one of the few non-childlike monkey), who tells him that the Dragon King of the Eastern Seas could provide him with a more suitable weapon, a scene that stays close to the novel. Sun – ever the confident braggart – then proceeds to dive into the Sea, forcing entry into the palace. The Dragon King, not too pleased, offers a number of weapons – all of them too light  or otherwise dissatisfying to the Monkey King. Exasperated, the Dragon King offers  Sun to take the gigantic … He protests, but Sun displaying his powers with the …  After this – to him unfortunate – series of events, he reports to his superior, the Jade Emperor. … Subsequently … a… The Jade Emperor’s court is divided in their … Li Jing, …, while the Gold Star convinces … here, the decision is shown as a result of malice and contempt.
Chinese Animation and the National Style
Unlike the more American-derived art style of Princess Iron Fan… here a conscious effort was made to adhere to a national style. The emergence of such an artistic orientation had become apparent in the late 1950s. One catalyst might have been the perception that the influence of Soviet animation had become overly apparent, to the point that one film, Why the Crow is Black, by …
The attempt at creating a national style of animation based on supposedly more traditional and indigenous art forms such as ink-wash painting, paper cuts or paper folding is particularly apparent in the works of Te Wei, who played a key role in the establishment of the notion. The Proud General (Jiao’ao de Jiangjun 骄傲的将军), for example, utilises conventional animation, but the character design and soundtrack are clearly based on borrowings from art forms deemed to be characteristic of Chinese tradition – in this case, opera . The plot … … Where is Mama (Xiao Kedou Zhao Mama 小蝌蚪找媽媽), on the other hand, based on a painting by Qi Baishi and a story from a children’s school book, … while … others have seen the narration in more sinister terms as an overt apologia for authoritarian party rule …
One of the Wan brothers, also made use of another art form deemed to be representative…
This paradox of glocalisation has been characterised as “The more national the more international” and vice versa by Daisy Yan Du.

To what extent Te actually played a role in working on the animated credited to him is actually contested, if one considers the interviews with other contemporary artists working in the SAFS conducted by Lent and Xu.
Yet the influence of this … is very clear, as… will be discussed further down below

In terms of its ideological message, it is also more easily accessible than the other films.
Offering an overtly Maoist representation of the Monkey King, [and the scenes of destruction at the Heavenly Palace eerily presage the devastation wrought by the Cultural Revolution – which had ironically led to its ban.]

The character design can be mostly traced back to the cartoonist Zhang Guangyu 張光宇 (1900-1965). Zhang, who had started as a political cartoonist with a left-wing nationalist outlook, had been commissioned with creating several drafts for the characters in the film. He thus appears in the credits for the artistic design 美術設計
He had already adapted the Journey in 1945 an earlier the work, entitled Xiyou manji 西游漫記 (The Manhua Journey to the West), selections of which can be found in an anthology book of his cartoons and on the internet. Xiyou manji … The design of Sun Wukong in particular shows great similarity to the one in Havoc in Heaven less than twenty years later.
The actual animation, based on Zhang Guangyu’s initial concepts is the work of Yan Dingxian 嚴定憲
Tang Cheng, another assistant director… supposedly, as Wan Laiming has suffered from poor health during the production of the film.
A modernised version of the design can still be found on the website of the Shanghai
Sun Wukong – note that he is for the most part of the film in pilgrim look, not in full regalia as the Handsome Monkey King / Great Sage…
The face, which shows more resemblance to Peking opera masks than an actual monkey’s
Note that Zhang also provided a design of a more regal-looking Sun Wukong as well.
It is only in the first scene of his appearance that Sun Wukong wears the robe of a monarch and a cap with two phoenix feathers (the latter which he would only acquire at the end of his foray into the dragon king’s palace according to the novel). He quickly casts these clothes off in order to lead the military drill of his monkey subjects, revealing a more functional set of clothing. ...
The reasoning behind this design choice is obvious: as the creators of the film have recast Sun Wukong into a representative of the proletarian revolution, it would not have been very fitting to bestow the obvious signifiers of feudal, monarchic authority upon the Handsome Monkey King and later Great Sage-Equal-to-Heaven.  Ironically however, it is the seemingly more egalitarian garb of the pilgrim – the monk’s cap, the yellow silk shirt and the tiger skin draped around his waist – that form a visual shorthand for the subdued Mind Monkey in the service of the Buddha. Even when he declares himself Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, thus claiming parity with the Jade Emperor, he remains in said garb.
The only changes in clothing occur when he has been enfeoffed with an office by Heaven – first as bimawen (BanHorse Plague in Yu’s rendition), secondly as titular Great Sage in charge of the Queen Mother’s Peach Orchard.
In musical terms, there is an easily recognisable leitmotiv associated with Sun Wukong which is also the theme of the film itself. Depending on the scenes and their contents, for example, when Sun dives down to the Dragon King’s palace, that theme is also subject to a number of variations.
The monkey sprites – mostly voiced by children, with some exceptions
The Jade Emperor – aloof and haughty … the black dot on his chin – either indicative of a beard or a mole, has been taken by… as an allusion to Mao Zedong...
The Gold Star (Taibai Jinxing), a diminutive figure dwarfed by all other characters… as outwardly friendly but prone to intrigue… deceptive and grovelling… whereas honest in the novel, and protective of Sun Wukong, contemptuous here; only wants to pacify Sun by having him submit to the heavenly order
Laozi/Taishang Laojun appears as a snaggle-toothed, hag-like villain, riding a stylised water buffalo. Wearing the robe of Daoist patriarch and a crown 道冠
Li Jing ...
Nezha a pudgy, mean-spirited brat … Contrast with depiction in Nezha nao hai.
Erlang Shen as an unshaven brute…, not very dignified, ridiculous when angry, accompanied by his stylised black dog.
The Four Heavenly Kings
One should note the absence of any deities directly associated with the Buddhist pantheon (although several of the deities that are supposed to be “Daoist” and thus more “Chinese” do have their origins in Indic religious traditions, such as Nezha or Li Jing, an amalgation of a Tang dynasty general and Vaisravana) … Both the Bodhisattva Guanyin, who plays a great role in the novel as a guiding figure for the heroes and Buddha Tathagata, who is the one subduing Sun Wukong, are conspicuously absent, the former only mentioned by name.
It appears that the Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio (Shanghai meishu zhipian chang 上海美術製片廠) has maintained this representation of Sun Wukong for later adaptations
The background and landscape design on the other hand was the work of Zhang Zhengyu, who put great effort in deriving

It appears that the themes of the Journey to the West have remained an useful trove for social and political allegory.
Music - diegetics

5. Chapter 4. Banishing the Ghosts of the Past? Golden Monkey Routs the Fiends (1985)

The output of the Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio 1980s was reflective of a recovery in the Chinese animation industry after the Cultural Revolution. Furthermore, a number of works with an experimental approach which garnered international critical acclaim were created.
First, Ding Ding challenges the Monkey King... Ding Ding zhan Meihou Wang 丁丁戰美猴王

###
Using papercut-style animations
Secondly, another made by Yan Dingxian…, simply titled Ginseng Fruits 人參果
which is based on an episode of the novel …
Notably, the character design from Havoc in Heaven for Sun Wukong and the Earth God had been retained, while a modified version of the leitmotif  in said film is used as well…
Of all direct animated adaptations from this timeframe, it is the one that stays closest to the source material… although it is rather abridged… with a running time of just under 44 minutes… and altered in small details…

While not made by the Wan brothers, but by another set of artistic directors, including Te Wei, … this appears to be the last of the feature-length adaptations of the Journey by the Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio.
Synopsis
This film has been broken up in a number of episodic sub-chapters. As the four pilgrims pass through a mountainous, forsaken wilderness, they encounter a most formidable foe.

As Adaptation
This plot is a somewhat bowdlerized pastiche of several episodes from the Journey to the West. The sometimes considerable alterations of the plot – as the original episode with the White Bone Demon is rather short – have already been made in a shao drama and an accompanying manhua adaptation from the 1960s, entitled Sun Wukong sanda baigujing 孙悟空三打白骨精. If one considers the general plot line of the film, it might even be more appropriate to consider it as an adaptation of those preceding adaptations as opposed to an adaptation of the novel.
The episodes that have been used for the plot of the film are all variations on a central theme found in the novel. It is therefore imperative to return briefly to a discussion of the literary source material. The titular journey itself so to speak, is found in the chapters 12-99. … These chapters cover most of the 81 challenges which the group of pilgrims, and the Tang Monk in particular must face in order to achieve their ordained task and with it, enlightenment. These challenges form episodes within the novel, spanning one to three chapters. Most of these episodes are constructed along the lines of the following standardised plot structure: The Tang Monk, be it through deception or more violent means, falls into the hands of a powerful demonic entity or entities. Thanks to reincarnations upon reincarnations which have practised the austerities of a Buddhist monk, the Tang Monk had obtained an essence (jing 精) so purified that both his flesh and semen would bestow immortality. For the male fiends, cooking and eating the monk has become the primary motivation, while a number of female demonesses show greater interest in intercourse and marriage. The task for Sun Wukong and his fellow disciples then is to free the Monk from the ordeal of his imprisonment. This allows the novel to showcase the martial prowess and magical powers of its protagonists.  However, more often than not, the once Heaven-defying Great Sage is forced to call upon the help of Deities, Bodhisattvas and on some instances, Buddha Tathagata himself. There, are however, a number of exceptions to this basic plot structure.
Some of these fiends have become more memorable characters in the popular imagination than others. The White Bone Demon, is one example. […] In the novel itself, her appearance is limited to a single chapter. Her powers are limited; she cannot best Sun Wukong in combat, and has to rely on subterfuge instead. In the novel, she assumes the appearance of human beings. Three different disguises appear: first, a young married woman, second the woman’s elderly mother, and lastly, her octogenarian father. In the end, she is easily slain by Sun Wukong, leaving only a skeleton behind, her name engraved on the spine. … … But the consequences of her deception are grave. The Tang Monk, unwilling to accept Sun Wukong’s explanations and goaded on by Zhu Bajie’s manipulative talk, banishes him. Sun Wukong is forced to return to his home, Flower-Fruit Mountain, once more. It is only in the following episode, in chapter 3?, that he rejoins the group as it has entered a dire crisis.
Given that one of the most illustrious villains of the Journey, the White Bone Demon, only has a short appearance… in the original, the writers of the opera attempted to expand her role by adding plot elements from other, later chapters of the novel. These elements were taken from the chapters … First of all, the scene where the White Bone Demon creates the illusion of a Buddhist shrine is a borrowing from the …, while Bajie travelling to Flower-Fruit Mountain to bring about the return of Sun Wukong is taken from…, finally the part where an elderly female Fox-Spirit is invited… ist taken from … Another addition is the revelation that the White Bone Demon’s transformations were all based on her deception to the...
This pastiche of various plot elements from different parts of the original novel allows for a particularly cathartic resolution – something that had already been made use of in the 1960 shao opera film and the 1977 picture book adaptation. Sun disguises himself as the Demoness’s (presumably adopted) mother, goading her to show her the methods she had used to fool the Tang priest. The Demoness obliges, transforming into the different shapes … in front of everyone in the cave. … The sense of injustice that the Tang Monk’s wrongful banishment of his eldest and most disciple elicits in the original is thus diminished.

#Hintergrund shao opera zu erwähnen im ersten Kapitel? Hintergrund des Genres und der strukturelle Kontext?###


The theme of deception.
The atmosphere is far more gloomy…, and the tone of the film is also generally darker. There are several reasons for this, including the choice of the colour scheme and the setting, which apart from a scene at Flower-Fruit Mountain, is primarily based in a forsaken wilderness and a demon cave.

Sun Wukong – the heroic protagonist, devoted disciple, caring patriarch, fearless bane of demons… among his many abilities, his Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupil 火眼金睛 are a major plot point in this film
Tang Monk – kindly, but overly naive; Damsel-in-Distress
Zhu Bajie – somewhat more sympathetic, but naive and easily misled by his human frailties; the primary comic relief
Sha Wujing – More earnest role...
The White Bone Demon – An elegant woman with pale skin, clad in armour and a cape
  Her transformations – Young Woman, Child (based on Red Boy), Old Man, Real Form
Her henchmen – generic “ogre types”,  various animals clearly visible what they are based on; a bat, a snake, a wolf, a tiger and a bear among others,
Her mother – a nine-tailed fox spirit, this character in the novel really is the mother of the silver-horn and gold-horn demon kings
The monkeys – even more child-like, more naturalistic, less if at all warlike

Sights

###Ich nehme an, das ist ein Terminus?###

Intertextual aspects
The very first shot of the film shows a dark mountain in the shape of a palm facing upwards. To an audience familiar with the lore of the Journey this is a giveaway: the mountain is none other than the Mountain of the Five Phases, where Sun Wukong had been imprisoned after his failed usurpation of Heaven. Blueish mist and clouds dominate the scene; at the very foot of the mountain, we see a small figure in Buddhist garb and a white horse. Pasted to the mountain, within the monk’s reach is a yellow slip of paper – the seal with the mantra om mani padme hum, with which the Buddha had prevented the escape with the monkey so far. The general atmosphere is dark and foreboding…
This scene appears to form a counterpoint to the introductory scene in Havoc in Heaven. Where there is the triumphant birth of the Stone Monkey…, here we have the release…, a second birth so to speak, and the beginning of the wayward hero’s quest for redemption. Rather than building upon the alternate continuity set up by the earlier film, where the rebellion against Heaven ends in triumph, this film appears to portray itself as an adaptation more faithful to the spirit of the original… The subjugation and restriction of Sun Wukong become necessary once more and are not signifiers of a shameful defeat….
The Return to Flower-Fruit-Mountain
Flower-Fruit-Mountain is the demesne of Sun Wukong. In the course of the first seven chapters, …  Whereas Flower-Fruit-Mountain served as a stand-in for a Communist base area of sorts in Havoc ,
In the novel, Sun Wukong returns to a desolate place. His subjects had been decimated, his erstwhile non-simian allies are nowhere to be seen and the few survivors have to endure predation by a group of human hunters. As Sun Wukong sees himself unbound by his Master’s admonitions, he quickly returns to his earlier, more violent nature and massacres the hunting party with his magic. After looting the remains and disposing of the bodies, he then restores the Mountain to its former splendour through means both magical and mundane. In Golden Monkey, which is ostensibly aimed at an audience of children, such wanton brutality against human beings is excised. Instead, a scene is shown where Sun Wukong summons a succession of deities to … ending with the Dragon King Ao Guang … in order to restore the Mountain’s habitability. His Arcadia reborn, and barred from returning to his grand quest, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven once more takes up the mantle of the doting simian patriarch.

###Doting simian patriach needs to be a thing. Metal band?###

To Bai Huiyuan, these scenes and their setting are of a profoundly allegorical nature: the wastelands to which Sun Wukong returns being a representation of China after the ravages of the Cultural Revolution.
The carefree bliss of his home is not what it seems, however.
Just as in the novel, it is up to Zhu Bajie to ensure the return of Sun Wukong

6. Conclusion
Repurposing the Great Sage: Sun Wukong in the service of ideology
Plot Alterations
Three adaptations as a mirror of modern Chinese history: war years and their complexity, the Mao-ification of Chinese political and cultural life, lastly perhaps a late revenge for the ravages of the Cultural Revolution...
Later adaptations came in different forms… live action films… in Hong Kong… also in Japan, TV series by CCTV, films such as A Chinese Odyssey…. , computer-generated animation like Hero is Back etc

###Keine Untertitel im Schluss... das sollte alles in den Hauptteil.###

Appendix
Filmography:
Disney, Walt.
Hu Jinqing  胡進慶 (dir.). Ding Ding zhan Mei Hou Wang 丁丁戰美猴王 (Ding Ding challenges the Monkey King). Shanghai: Shanghai meishu dianying zhipian chang, 1980.
Te Wei 特偉 (supervising director). Jinhou xiang yao 金猴降妖 (Golden Monkey Routs the Fiends). Shanghai: Shanghai meishu dianying zhipian chang, 1984-1985.
Wan Guchan  萬古蟾 (dir.). Zhu Bajie chi xigua 豬八戒吃西瓜 (Zhu Bajie eats a Watermelon). Shanghai: Shanghai meishu dianying zhipian chang, 1958
Wan Laiming 萬籟鳴; Wan Guchan 萬古蟾 (dirs.). 鐵扇公主 Tieshan gongzhu (Princess Iron Fan). Shanghai: Zhongguo lianhe yingye gongsi, 1941.
Wan Laiming 萬籟鳴; Tang Cheng 唐澄 (dirs.). Danao tiangong 大鬧天宮 (Havoc in Heaven). Shanghai: Shanghai meishu dianying zhipian chang, 1961-1964.
Yan Dingxian 嚴定憲 (dir.). Renshen guo 人參果 (The Ginseng Fruits). Shanghai: Shanghai meishu dianying zhipian chang, 1981.
Yang Xiaozhong 楊小仲, Yu Zhongying 俞仲英 (dirs.). Sun Wukong San Da Baigujing 孫悟空三打白骨精. Shanghai: Shanghai Tianma dianying zhipian chang, 1960.
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