Agency and Tradition : Women in 1920s China through the Lens of Film

Abstract: The aim of this study is an attempt to provide examples of how women’s roles have been portrayed in Chinese film made in modern time about women in the 1920s through examination and analysis of the film Raise the Red Lantern《大红灯笼高高挂》by Zhang Yimo by using agency theory. The study delves into the portrayal of female characters' actions within traditional marriage and family dynamics as depicted in the film. Through the method of inductive thematic analysis, the research identifies categories, including rivalry, pregnancy, illicit affairs, and oppressive behaviour through punishment and violence. The study also addresses the expression of agency by female characters, identifying elements of agency within the constraints of the patriarchal system. The projective element, involving envisioning potential future events, and the practical-evaluative element, making judgments in response to changing situations, are recognized. However, the study concludes that the agency expressed by female characters primarily focuses on improving individual positions within the system rather than challenging the system itself.