Kuei-lan Anna Ma

Symbolist Films: the Metaphorical Expression of Narrative Films Kuei-lan Anna Ma

In nowadays? world of images, people are perceptive of how images are created. Film theories? concern about the surface manners of narrative films cannot suffice our in-depth curiosity about the celluloid. The controversy to appraise the beauty of films, however, still troubles regular viewers and critics. Our understanding of films is framed by debates over surface manners or subjects. In most cases, the issue of films as films has not brought up front for concrete discussion. This book offers a feasible way to examine the beauty of films by analyzing how films deliver meanings. Symbolist films defined in this work have interesting dualistic schemes to convey two layers of meanings in them. Both layers intertwine with each other in a metaphorical relationship. Unlike straightforward narration of films, the beauty of these films relies on the collision of meanings. Symbolist films can be elusive. To deliver the intended meanings, filmmakers often give birth to sophisticated ideas, which transcend the beauty of their films. This study explores a novel theory of Symbolist films based on a synthetic study across the arts and shares with you the beauty of five films.