Liu Renlai wrote "Cross-cultural Communication of Soft Power"。 From the perspective of cultural communication, this paper explains the important influence of the soft power (represented by the film industry) on the comprehensive national strength of a country。 Chapter "The practical significance of Sino-US cultural exchange" and "The prospective goals and practical effects of cross-cultural communication", brought a lot of enlightenment to my writing of the fifth chapter, "How to use films as a medium to strengthen soft power"。

3。 Four Periods of Chinese Images in American Films

3。1Early American films论文网

     Due to lack of information and distance, before the 20th century, the United States knew little about China。 At that time a handful of references included Marco Polo, Matteo Ricci's work, and description of missionaries who came back from China。 So in their eyes, China, this ancient and distant country is mysterious, filled with legend, with the unique charm of the East。 But at the same time, the domestic turmoil made a large number of Chinese come to the United States。 They join the gold rush team or become the construction workers of the railway。 With the sharp drop in California of gold reserves, Chinese gold rush has become the object of being excluded。 In addition, the Chinese worker’s low price of labor is also seen as robbing of the local workers of their job, the Chinese gradually becoming yellow peril。 In 1882, the United States even signed an exclusion bill to prohibit Chinese immigrants in the form of legal documents。

     Under the influence of these two factors, the Chinese images in the early American films are mostly negative。 They are extremely evil, ugly, and in an attempt to subvert the Western rule, such as the classic Fu Manchu films and the daughter of dragon。 Sometimes they are pedantic, backward, slow, lacking in masculinity, such as the Cheng Huan in Broken Blossoms。

     In the film industry, the earliest description of the Chinese image is in several documentaries。 For they do not have artistic creation, they are not included in the discussion of this article。 Among early American films, the most famous Chinese images are not Fu Manchou and Chen Charlie。 By the influence of Chinese Exclusion movement since the end of the nineteenth century, the incarnation of the Yellow Peril ,"Dr。 Fu Manzhou" began to be active in the American films。 Fu Manchu was molded into a vicious image with sharp jaws, walrus mustache, and slender eyes。 He is always claustrophobic in the dark world, proficient in all kinds of torture and poison, planning all kinds of evil activities。 He set all the bad imagination of Chinese by the west in one。 During the same period, another classic Chinese image is Detective Chen Charlie。 Chen Charlie is the Sheriff  of Hill Police Officer。 He is gentle, witty, obedient to whites。 Except mantra "sub-saying" and a strong accent, he rarely mentioned China。 He represents the expectation of ideal Chinese in the eyes of whites。

     If we want to list a film in which Chinese image is partly positive, then it must be Broken Blossom。 Cheng Huan, a Chinese youth, left his hometown and dreamed of preaching the Buddhist doctrine to England。 But when he saw the cruel reality, the idea was shattered。 Later, he often relies on opium to seek the comfort。 The girl Ruth was often beaten by her father who is alcoholic。 In the same street, Cheng Huan, out of sympathy,often helps her。 Later, Ruth cannot stand his father's abuse and escaped from the home, fainting in the shop of Cheng Huan。 Cheng Huan took Ruth back home。 Never knowing what happiness is, Ruth was moved by the enthusiasm of Cheng Huan。 But Barroz learned that her daughter ran away from home so he rushed out to seek for Ruth everywhere, and finally forced her back。 When Cheng Huan came back from the outside and hear that matter, he desperately ran to find Ruth。 At this point, Ruth has been killed by his brutal father。 Cheng Huan went furious, shot Barroz, and then buried Ruth's body。 Finally, he also ended his young life。文献综述