ABSTRACT
On the surface, Mountains May Depart is a family melodrama; upon further scrutiny, it actually conveys the director’s vision of contemporary China as well as its prospects in the age of globalization, with the problematic of “China consciousness” running through the cinematic text. While the film ostensibly stands on a radical, postmodern position as shown in its tolerance for an amorous relationship verged on the “Oedipus Complex,” essentially it holds a conservative stance that pays homage to the neo-authoritarianism that has been reviving in recent years due to China’s robust economic performance. Falling short of the horizon of political economy, it fails to present a profound “cognitive mapping” of Chinese society. In the meantime, although the “surrealistic” emplotment does not endow the film with a “surrealistic” atmosphere, the modernist strategy delivers a Jamesonian “postmodern” consciousness. In particular, certain nostalgic sentiment accompanies the futuristic drama. However, there is no historical truth in this postmodern nostalgia.
