Stardom and Identities in Chinese and American Cinemas

Module code: HA3436

From the newspapers, magazines and tabloids to the multimedia vehicles of film, television and the Internet, film stars not only help to promote products and services, but also signify various social values, cultural identifications and personal desires. This module examines stardom across media texts and within historical and cultural contexts. 

The module is structured around a number of case studies, through which you will explore stardom as an important agency mediating cultural identities of nationhood, gender and sexuality, social class, and race/ethnicity. Primarily focusing on star images developed in Chinese and American popular cinemas, the case studies highlight the cultural specification of star discourses in national contexts as well as providing a comparative investigation of star studies across cultural and national borders.