Masks in the Film Banquet: A Study of Visual Element

本文已用作课程论文。

The film Banquet, directed by Feng Xiaogang, is a visually stunning and emotionally gripping masterpiece of Chinese cinema. Released in 2006, the film is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, set in the Tang Dynasty and featuring an all-star cast led by Ge You, Zhang Ziyi, and Daniel Wu.

This paper is a study of the theatricality of Banquet, focusing on its visual element represented by masks. The purpose of this study is to analyze how the film’s use of visual elements reflects its theatricality and contributes to its success as a paly and a film.

In order to achieve this goal, the paper will first evaluate how masks are presented in Banquet, followed by a brief analysis of the relationship between discourse and words to provide further insight.

I. MASK

There is a wide variety of masks in the film, each representing wearers’ different mindsets and personalities, extending director’s exquisite combination of Shakespeare’s spirits and Chinese traditions. Nevertheless, all the masks in the film originate from one, Nuo mask (Zhang 411).[1]Nuoxi (Play of Nuo), also known as Guixi (Play of Ghost), is the oldest type of dance ritual in the Han nationality ("傩戏" §1).[2] It is performed to worship the gods, drive away diseases and express happiness (Feng 157).[3] Masks, whose content is mostly related to religious ghosts and gods, are an indispensable artistic form in Nuoxi. Performers of Nuoxi often wear colorful masks according to their roles, in order to create different personalities and images (C. Jiao, C. Qing and Zhang §5).[4]

Wu Luan’s Mask. Wu Luan, the son of the old emperor, is the equivalent of Hamlet. Therefore, the mask he wears is worth discussing.

Throughout the film, Wu mainly wears one kind of mask, which is plain white and has almost no decoration, except for holes in the corresponding positions of the mouth and eyes for seeing and speaking. According to the classification of Nuo masks, there are three types: fierce mask, kind mask, and ugly mask. This mask tends to symbolize goodness, but it is somehow similar in terms of shape to the neutral mask in Western theatre (Zhang 414). The neutral mask is simple and regular, radiating a sense of peace and harmony. Once putting on this mask, one can accept everything around him or her without resistance.

When Wu first appears in the film, he wears this mask (Figure 1), surrounded by a bamboo forest and the chorus of Song of Yue People. He has built a wall not only between himself and the immediate outside but also between his desire for art and the intrigue in the court. What follows is a massacre, while Wu survives by lurking under the water. The next scene where Wu wears a mask is when he returns to the court and meets Empress Wan in her palace. The mask he wears this time is the same in form and shape as the one before, but much more stained due to previous fight. He even wears this mask on the stage of play-within-a-play (Figure 2), and only takes it off once the play is over. Since then, he doesn’t wear a mask for a long time, until the dance performance near the end, when he wears the pristine mask again (Figure 3). To sum up, Wu shows himself with a mask mainly four times throughout the film.

A theory compares Hamlet’s decisiveness and indecisiveness with the notion of yin and yang in Chinese culture, suggesting that Hamlet’s state of mind can be quantified by a two-dimensional coordinate axis, above positive, below negative (Table 1). Similarly, it seems that the cleanliness of the mask can be seen as a reflection of Wu’s mind.

Table 1

In the film, the plain and white form of the mask worn by Wu (Figure 1) at the very beginning represents purity. Similar to Hamlet studying in Germany, Wu is upset by his love for Empress Wan, who is married to his father, the old emperor. He runs away to the remote site and immerse himself in music and dance, with no concern of the court dispute.

Figure 1 00:01:41

The plain and white form in the very beginning stands for the purity. As shown in the film, because Wan, who Wu loves, is married to his father, the old emperor, Wu is upset and runs away to the remote site, absorbing himself in music and dance. He is like Hamlet studying in Germany, has no concern of the court dispute.

The next scene shows the play-within-a-play, with Wu sitting on the stage, beating a drum and peering out at the others, especially Emperor Li, from the sordid mask (Figure 2). In Hamlet, Hamlet does not participate in the play but instead sits aside and watches Claudius. In Banquet, behind the mask, Wu does not need to hide his facial expressions, which cannot be seen, and can look directly into Emperor Li’s eyes. The image of mask here can also be seen as a shield to hide the true self and achieve his goal of verifying Emperor Li’s crime. Similar methods can be found in Hamlet, who pretends to be crazy to avoid arousing suspicion. The difference is that Wu xpresses his madness and grotesque nature not by playing the fool, but by wearing mask.

Figure 2 01:06:47

In the final dance performance, Wu puts his plain mask back on (Figure 3), seemingly a metaphor that he has found a way to peace, that is to finish his revenge. As a matter of fact, Wu has already come up with this solution when he was to be killed near Khitan but was saved by Yin Sun (Laertes). Yet, it’s difficult to tell whether yang has dominated Wu, for his last words are, “neng si zhen hao (Banquet 02:01:11)”[5] (it’s good to die). No epiphany, no heroic speech, only a sentimental sigh, less shocking than Hamlet’s.

Figure 3 01:48:29

Notably, Qing Nü wears a dirty mask (Figure 4) on the last performance, a mask belongs to Wu. She wears this mask while sings the song, pouring out her love for Wu. But as can be seen, the mask is no longer pure, suggesting the broken ideal and unattainable love.

Figure 4 01:49:11

Old Emperor’s Brass Mask. The old emperor is comparable to the former King. In Hamlet, the old king appears as a ghost, telling Hamlet the truth and guiding him to the path of revenge, and is also an important impetus in the play.

However, in Banquet, old emperor never shows himself as a ghost or any entity, nor does he push Wu to revenge. All he has left is an armor, and his emotion bursts all through the mask on it. The mask sheds tears of blood twice in the film. The first time is when Wu comes back, and the second is during the play-within-a-play.

It is a tradition in ancient Chinese culture that items belonging to the deceased have a function of maintaining the dead person’s soul. In this respect, the brass mask can be seen as an avatar of the old emperor. As a result, when Emperor Li and Empress Wan are indulging in pleasure of sex and lust, also the time Wu comes to see the armor, the old emperor’s ghost, if it exists, is overwhelmed by a mixture of feelings and tears (Figure 5). It is livid about Emperor Li’s usurpation, melancholic about Empress Wan’s remarriage, and relieved by Wu’s return to the court. Revenge for one’s father is beyond reconciliation with the dead, and is more like a requirement of normal human relations. Hence, in the eyes of the audience, Wu doesn’t need a ghost-like shape to guide him through, like the ghost of Hamlet’s father. He is more likely to seek justice for his father, which is considered a normal deed in that period of China.

Figure 5 00:23:25

The second time the mask tears is during Wu’s performance in front of Emperor Li, which is reaching its climax. On stage, the actor in white blows poisonous powder onto the lying King. It is at this moment that the mask begins to ooze tears (Figure 6). Although Wu is unable to see the old emperor’s mask, Wu can discern Emperor Li’s facial expressions. However doubtful previously, he now feels sure of the crime committed by Emperor Li. The mask tears partly because the dead king’s soul is still hovering around the palace, saddened to see the regicide again (even if it is just a just a performance), but glad to know Wu’s determination to seek revenge for him.

Figure 6 01:08:48

Red and White Masks in Play-within-a-play. This play-within-a-play in Banquetuses masks to manifest good and evil.

The actor who wears a light gold costume and a tall red crown with feathers, indicating his identity as an emperor, also wears a thick red mask (Figure 7). According to Chinese traditions of mask culture, red is seen as a symbolization of loyalty and courage, fitting the identity of an emperor.

Figure 7 01:06:36

Following this is an actor in white, wearing a crownless mask the same style as the emperor’s, but different in color (Figure 8). The mask he wears is pale white, which is a symbol of paranoia and stubbornness in traditional Chinese plays, and his later performance proves it. He Moves in a creepy way, approaching the emperor and blowing poison into his ears.

Figure 8 01:06:45

The fact that nearly all Western film adaptations of Hamlet simply use actors to present the play-within-a-play makes the use of red and white masks in Banquet a unique Chinese characteristic. It not only provides a unique way for foreigners to observe Chinese culture but also a familiar image for the Chinese audience, allowing us to connect this play, even Shakespeare’s play, with the notion of masks in traditional dramas.

Masks during the Play of Polo. When Emperor Li and Empress Wan are playing polo, they are wearing different masks.

Empress Wan’s mask (Figure 9) is gold and exquisite, much more like a type of imperial family, showing her decency. Also, it reflects her desire to protect Wu and hides her concern that Emperor Li would do harm to Wu.

Figure 9 00:45:47

In contrast, Emperor Li’s mask (Figure 10) is dark and grotesque, reflecting his jealousy towards Wu and fear of losing Empress Wan, his country, his authority among people. In this scene, he says to Empress Wan, “but you said people have expectations for him (00:46:26).” “You” here implies Empress Wan, while “him” refers to Wu. Meanwhile, Emperor Li’s cruelty and tyranny are fully expressed. He had sent imperial guards to kill Wu and forced them to kill themselves for their failure. He even orders to killing of the whole clan of a governor for calling “empress” “empress dowager”. Nothing suits him better than a black and ghostly mask.

Figure 10 00:45:38

II. THEATRICALITY

Several elements reflect the theatricality of the film, such as unnatural dialogues, stage-like filmsets and so on. Some researchers have regarded the usage of theatricality in Banquet as a failure, which will not be in the study coverage of this paper.[6] Instead, the following part will focus on the relationship between words and masks, within the field of theatricality.

Dialogues as Explicitness. According to the definition of plays, characters’ discourses, are an important part of play. There are mainly three language modes under this criterion: dialogue, monologue, and narration.[7] Although masks can’t utter, they are talked about by characters. This part will choose dialogues between Wu Luan and Empress Wan as an example to illustrate:

Empress Wan: Why do you wear a mask when you perform?

Wu Luan: It transports an actor to the highest state of his art. Without a mask, happiness, anger, sorrow and joy are simply written on his face, but with a mask, a great artist can convey to the audience the most complex and hidden emotions.

Empress Wan: In that case, what do you see in my simple face?

Wu Luan: Six parts arrogance, three parts disquiet and one part guilt towards your late husband.

Empress Wan: You are wrong. It is disappointment … disappointment in you. I no longer look to you to fulfil my dreams… You are incapable of even the most basic play-acting. Your sorrow, anger, bitterness and uncertainty are there for all to see... You think hiding behind a mask can elevate your art. The highest level is to use your own face and turn it into a mask. (Banquet 00:55:13-00:56:21, 00:56:32-00:56:42, 00:56:47-00:56:58)

In this selected section, the function of masks is conveyed to the audience through the dialogue between Empress Wan and Wu. In truth, this conversation is not necessary for the plot to progress. The reason why the actors included this dialogue is to draw more attention from the audience. With so visual elements and audio elements in a film, it’s easy for the audiences to miss the point without extra emphasis. Hence, actor Feng conveys his idea and design philosophy to the audience through the words of characters, emphasizing the play-like features of the film.

Masks as Implication. Nevertheless, Feng doesn’t give a detailed exploration of all the masks, leaving space for the audience to figure things out themselves, reflecting the essence of the film. Since the first part of this paper has already mentioned many implications of masks, this part will focus on the old emperor’s brass mask as an illustration.

As mentioned before, when Emperor Li and Empress Wan are having sex, the mask tears. No narration such as “Old King’s soul languishes, therefore the mask, which contains his soul, cries” is used here. All we see are a set of pros (Figure 13) and cons (Figure 14) of play lens.

When the camera is shot from inside the mask (Figure 11), the audience appears to become an incarnation of the old emperor’s soul, observing Wu’s approaching. This is also referred to as the peeping lens, which creates the illusion that a real person is watching the scene.

Figure 11 00:23:13

As Wu touches the mask, the camera angle changes to a frontal view (Figure 12). Because the mask conceals what is behind it, the audience cannot see the emptiness behind the mask, and it appears as though Wu is caressing a real person wearing a mask.

Figure 12 00:23:14

The combination of dialogues and silent pictures makes Banquet both a play and a film, allowing the audience to experience a unique feeling that can only be fulfilled by watching a film rather than a stage performance where the observational direction is fixed and limited.

III. CONCLUSION

This paper discusses visual elements in the film Banquet, represented by a variety of masks, and inquires how they reflect theatricality. By analyzing certain masks, this paper aims to connect traditional Chinese culture with existing studies on Hamlet, providing researchers with a new area to explore. Further study, such as a comparative analysis of the balance of yin-yang in Hamlet’s psyche and the cleanliness of Wu Luan’s mask, is strongly recommended.

Works Cited

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