The Eye of the Tiger, Amongst Other Animals: The Non-Chinese Viewer’s Guide to the Symbolic Significance of Animals in Jia Zhangke’s A Touch of Sin

Abstract

Jia Zhangke’s A Touch of Sin (2013) takes us through fictionalized accounts of four viral murder cases in China. While existing scholarship analyzing the film picks up Jia’s social commentary and common themes with his previous productions, there is a lack of scholarship providing sociocultural contextualization of the film’s cinematography, especially for the non-Chinese viewer. This essay argues that the film’s usage of animal imagery is symbolically significant. In particular, the animal imagery is central to understanding the role of natural law and justice in China. On top of aiding understanding of lawlessness and the effects of capitalism across rural and urban China, attention to the literary references and linguistic wordplay uncovers representations of law, justice, and balance in Chinese society. Finally, the lens of animals contrasted against the film’s central protagonists unveils interpretations of the futility of revolt against capitalism, and the ambiguous position of women in China.

Keywords

• Chinese film
• media
• East Asian cinema
• Asian film
• China
• animals on film