1895年12月28日法國(guó)奧古斯特?盧米埃爾和路易?盧米埃爾兄弟在巴黎卡普辛路14號(hào)大咖啡館的地下室，第一次播放了自己拍攝的《火車到站》、《水澆園丁》、《工廠的大門(mén)》等十余部短片，從此，這天就成為電影的誕生日。而現(xiàn)在，電影已經(jīng)成為人們生活中的一部分，滿足精神和文化上的雙重享受。丹尼爾?貝爾曾經(jīng)說(shuō)過(guò)“我堅(jiān)信，當(dāng)代文化正逐漸成為視覺(jué)文化……這是人們從19世紀(jì)中葉開(kāi)始經(jīng)歷的那種地理和社會(huì)的流動(dòng)以及應(yīng)運(yùn)而產(chǎn)生的一種新美學(xué)?！睆谋酒陂_(kāi)始，《電影傳奇》就帶你一起在浮光掠影中感受電影文化的魅力。

編者按：在電影以其獨(dú)特的方式和魅力征服世界時(shí)，每一個(gè)國(guó)家和民族也都在通過(guò)這種將資本和媒體技術(shù)高度結(jié)合的方式向世界展示自己，一批批優(yōu)秀的導(dǎo)演和演員以及其他工作人員在文化傳承中都留下了自己的痕跡，光影唇齒間揮之不去的是驚鴻一瞥的感嘆。從5月開(kāi)始我們將帶領(lǐng)大家一起來(lái)回顧所有在西方電影中譜寫(xiě)下自己篇章的中國(guó)導(dǎo)演和演員們。

Modern Chinese cinema began in the 1920s and 30s, when Shanghai became the centre of a thriving film industry, producing pictures which, although they never caught on in the West, became hits throughout Asia. A brief post-war revival in the 40s produced another crop of remarkable movies, as well as a group of talented directors – many of whom were to perish twenty years later.

當(dāng)上海成為新興電影產(chǎn)業(yè)的中心時(shí)，現(xiàn)代中國(guó)電影業(yè)在上世紀(jì)二三十年代開(kāi)始興起，并制作了一系列影片，雖然這些影片沒(méi)有在西方流行，卻在亞洲受到相當(dāng)程度的歡迎。在四十年代戰(zhàn)后也涌現(xiàn)出了一批好電影以及優(yōu)秀的導(dǎo)演，但大多數(shù)導(dǎo)演在二十年后都相繼去世。

The creative charge of Chinese-language filmmaking, meanwhile, had moved to Hong Kong and Taiwan, where new talents emerged in the 70s and 80s. The frenetic action style developed in Hong Kong cinema, in particular, became highly influential in Hollywood. Action movies such as Hard Boiled and The Killer had a strong impact on young Western filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, and by the mid-90s, many of the characteristics of Hong Kong action movies had been adapted into Western cinema. These included slow-motion shooting scenes, double-wielded pistols, and a more brutal, vicious style of filming hand-to-hand combat.

這時(shí)極具創(chuàng)造力的華語(yǔ)電影向香港和臺(tái)灣轉(zhuǎn)移，七八十年代那里涌現(xiàn)了一批杰出的電影人。尤其是在香港興起的狂熱武俠片極大地影響了好萊塢。動(dòng)作片像《辣手神探》和《喋血雙雄》更是影響了像昆汀?塔倫蒂諾這樣的年輕西方導(dǎo)演，到九十年代中期，很多香港動(dòng)作片中的元素也被西方電影廣泛采用。這包括慢鏡頭的槍?xiě)?zhàn)場(chǎng)景，雙手持槍的動(dòng)作場(chǎng)面，以及殘忍血腥的肉搏戰(zhàn)拍攝手法。

Meanwhile a new generation of mainland filmmakers emerged in the more open atmosphere of the 80s and 90s. Many of their films had an easier time getting an audience overseas than at home.The so-called ?Fifth Generation,? many of whom were graduates of the Beijing Film School class of ?82, made films that won praise – and sometimes censure – at home, and also gathered plaudits overseas. Nowadays Chinese-language cinema is becoming more and more internationalized; Chinese films are consistently box office smashes throughout Asia, and increasingly successful in the West. This month we look at some of the directors responsible for these successes, whose movies have proven hits not only in the Sinosphere, but throughout the world.

同時(shí)，八九十年代中國(guó)大陸在更為開(kāi)放的環(huán)境下也產(chǎn)生了一批電影人。相比較于國(guó)內(nèi)觀眾，他們的很多電影更易于被海外觀眾所接受。被稱為“第五代”的導(dǎo)演大多畢業(yè)于北京電影學(xué)院82屆，他們制作的電影在國(guó)內(nèi)屢屢獲獎(jiǎng)，但有時(shí)也飽受爭(zhēng)議，在國(guó)際上贏得了不少掌聲。如今華語(yǔ)電影越來(lái)越國(guó)際化，在亞洲的票房也是居高不下，在西方也越來(lái)越成功。本月我們就來(lái)看一些取得這些成就的導(dǎo)演們，他們的影片不僅僅紅遍中國(guó)，更席卷了全世界。

Ang Lee

導(dǎo)演李安：東成西就

Ang Lee is undoubtedly the most famous Chinese director overseas.His talent seems to have few limits, as he is capable of switching styles and genres with every movie, although whatever his subject, from 70s infidelity to giant green monsters, he brings an introspective touch to it, as well as a magnificent sense of scenery and landscape. A native of Taiwan but a graduate of New York?s film school, he was unable to find work at home for several years, and was supported by his wife Jane Lin, a molecular biologist.

李安無(wú)疑是國(guó)際上最出名的華人導(dǎo)演。他的才華不拘一格，無(wú)論主題是什么，從七十年代的情感不忠到綠巨人，他能夠在任何一部電影中將各種風(fēng)格和類型互相交融，給它抹上一筆發(fā)人深省的色彩，還有電影里的風(fēng)光和景色都異常壯美。李安是臺(tái)灣人，畢業(yè)于紐約大學(xué)的電影學(xué)院，畢業(yè)后有好幾年都找不到工作而閑在家中，生活由妻子林惠嘉（分子生物學(xué)家）來(lái)支撐。

This family arrangement, considered rather embarrassing in Taiwan?s patriarchal culture, led him to observe marriage and society closely. Although heterosexual, Lee has always been highly interested in sexual outsiders like homosexuals. Taiwan and Hong Kong are both more accepting of homosexuality than the mainland, but traditional Chinese values still emphasise marriage and the production of children, and there are frequent generational clashes. Lee?s interests eventually produced the brilliant family drama-comedy Eat, Drink, Man, Woman (1994), about a traditional Taiwanese father and master chef trying to cope with the complicated romances of his three daughters, and The Wedding Banquet (1993), a raucous gay comedy. His move to Hollywood produced a strong success with Sense and Sensibility (1995), where he showed that his keen eye for the social and romantic mores of Taiwan could easily be adapted to take in those of Jane Austen?s Georgian England. The Ice Storm (1997) turned his gaze to 70s America, and the cool, cruel world of suburban wife-swapping.

從臺(tái)灣以男性為主的傳統(tǒng)文化來(lái)看，這個(gè)家庭的分工非常尷尬，這使得李安開(kāi)始密切觀察婚姻和社會(huì)。盡管自己是一個(gè)異性戀，李安一直以圈外人的身份高度關(guān)注同性戀群體。臺(tái)灣和香港對(duì)同性戀的態(tài)度比大陸要開(kāi)放，但是傳統(tǒng)的中國(guó)文化依舊強(qiáng)調(diào)婚姻以及生兒育女，隔代沖突屢見(jiàn)不鮮。李安的興趣最終促成他在1994年制作了優(yōu)秀的家庭喜劇《飲食男女》，該片講述了一位身為臺(tái)灣大廚的父親如何努力去解決與自己三個(gè)女兒的復(fù)雜關(guān)系的浪漫故事，而1993年拍攝的《喜宴》則是一部喧鬧的同志電影。進(jìn)入好萊塢的大門(mén)后他在1995年執(zhí)導(dǎo)了《理智與情感》并取得巨大成功，其中他對(duì)臺(tái)灣社會(huì)以及風(fēng)俗民情的敏銳觀察力也同樣應(yīng)用到簡(jiǎn)?奧斯丁所處的喬治亞時(shí)代的英格蘭。而在1997年的《冰風(fēng)暴》中他又將視線轉(zhuǎn)移到七十年代的美國(guó)，那個(gè)在城郊進(jìn)行換妻行為的殘忍無(wú)情的世界。

His first massive hit in the West was a film that introduced a new genre term, wuxia, to American and European audiences. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) featured a gallery of stars from throughout the Chinese world – though poor Chow Yun-Fat, a Cantonese speaker, was notably struggling with his Mandarin at points! The luxurious, romantic fantasy of a Qing world where great martial artists compete over love and vengeance was a box office smash, grossed over $200 million worldwide, and opened the way for other Chinese wuxia films, such as Zhang Yimou?s Hero.

他對(duì)西方電影的第一次沖擊就是向歐美觀眾介紹了一種全新的電影——武俠。2000年《臥虎藏龍》云集了頂級(jí)華人巨星——其中可憐的、說(shuō)粵語(yǔ)的周潤(rùn)發(fā)努力咬準(zhǔn)普通話發(fā)音！這部影片講述了清朝一些武俠高手的愛(ài)恨情仇，在票房上大獲全勝，全球累計(jì)2億美元，并為其它華語(yǔ)武俠電影開(kāi)創(chuàng)了道路，比如張藝謀的《英雄》。

Lee went on to direct The Hulk (2003), based on the famous Marvel comics hero who transforms into a gigantic raging green monster when angry. Lee?s slow-paced film, which framed shots as comic-book panels, was a box office failure, though remains a favourite of some critics. His next movie, Brokeback Mountain (2005), adapted from a short story by Annie Proulx about homosexual love and longing in the harsh Wyoming mountains, was a massive success, coining a new slang term for gay men in China and winning Oscars aplenty, including a first ?Best Director? for Lee. Lust, Caution (2007) turned to heterosexual passions in 30s Shanghai, with controversially explicit sex scenes. Now, Lee has returned to America, where he?s working on a movie about a gay man at the famous Woodstock festival.

隨后，李安根據(jù)著名的奇跡公司漫畫(huà)英雄——在生氣的時(shí)候會(huì)變成巨大的綠色怪物，拍攝了電影《綠巨人》（2003）。李安這部影片節(jié)奏緩慢，其中多畫(huà)面展現(xiàn)射擊的場(chǎng)景如同漫畫(huà)書(shū)中一樣，票房慘淡，但也獲得一些好評(píng)。他的下一部電影《斷背山》（2005）改編自安妮?普勞克絲關(guān)于發(fā)生在荒蕪的懷俄明州山區(qū)同性愛(ài)情故事的短篇小說(shuō)，獲得了巨大成功，在中國(guó)譜寫(xiě)了一個(gè)全新的同志定義，并在奧斯卡上大獲全勝，為李安贏得了第一個(gè)奧斯卡最佳導(dǎo)演獎(jiǎng)。2007年的《色戒》又轉(zhuǎn)而講述了發(fā)生在三十年代舊上海的異性愛(ài)情故事，其中包括飽受爭(zhēng)議的情色場(chǎng)面?，F(xiàn)在，李安已經(jīng)回到美國(guó)，并開(kāi)始制作一部關(guān)于著名的伍德斯托克音樂(lè)節(jié)的同志故事。

No matter what the subject, the relationships between the characters are paramount – even in The Hulk, scenes involving the eponymous monstrous hero throwing tanks around the desert play second fiddle to the intense psycho-drama between the protagonist and his maniac father, culminating in an epic elemental battle between the two. Equally, in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the beautifully filmed fight scenes are expressions of the feelings between the characters, not just action for action?s sake. Sex in Lust, Caution and food in Eat, Drink, Man, Woman serve a similar purpose; fascinating and delicious in their own right, but also a vehicle for emotions of all kinds.Lee is one of the true masters of the universal languages of cinema and humanity.

無(wú)論電影的主題是什么，角色間的關(guān)系是最重要的——即使在《綠巨人》中，這種類似于巨大的怪物英雄將坦克扔在沙漠中的打斗場(chǎng)景與他和瘋狂的父親之間緊張的心理變化描寫(xiě)相比仍相形見(jiàn)拙，后者以二人激烈的打斗而結(jié)束。同樣的，《臥虎藏龍》中如詩(shī)如畫(huà)的打斗場(chǎng)景也是一種角色的情感表達(dá)，并不是為了打斗而打斗。《色戒》里面的性愛(ài)場(chǎng)面以及《飲食男女》里面的美食也都是為了同樣的目的；而且性愛(ài)場(chǎng)面本就很迷人，食物本就很美味，但也可以成為情感的載體。李安的確是一位使用電影以及人類世界語(yǔ)的大師。

John Woo

導(dǎo)演吳宇森：暴力美學(xué)

Perhaps surprisingly for a director so known for his beautifully choreographed violence, John Woo is a devout Christian and wanted to be a Christian minister when he was young. His two main sources of comfort in an impoverished Hong Kong childhood were the church and the cinema; eventually he turned to the second, becoming one of the city?s most famous filmmakers, but Christian imagery permeates his works.Churches, crosses, and doves are particularly notable images in all of his movies, and they are redolent with images of sacrifice and redemption.

以暴力美學(xué)而聞名的導(dǎo)演吳宇森是一名摯誠(chéng)的基督徒，這一點(diǎn)可能讓人感到意外，在年少時(shí)他曾想當(dāng)一名神父。他在香港貧窮的童年中有兩個(gè)尋求慰藉的地方，一個(gè)是教堂，另一個(gè)是電影院，最終他選擇了后者，并成為香港最著名的導(dǎo)演之一，但是基督畫(huà)面卻始終貫穿在他的作品之中。教堂、十字架還有鴿子，這些都是他所有電影中最出名的場(chǎng)景，它們讓人聯(lián)想起犧牲和救贖。

Woo drew his action choreography from many sources, but especially from the movies of the great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa; the closing battle of The Seven Samurai was a great inspiration for him. His own style defined the ?Heroic Bloodshed? genre of Hong Kong cinema, where huge, rapid action scenes are mixed with high-octane melodrama. In The Killer, the assassin hero is trying to raise the money to save the eyesight of a lounge singer he accidentally blinded.The plot could be straight out of the 30s, but the beautifully filmed violence, in which Chow Yun Fat – Woo?s favourite star – mows down dozens of mooks, is all Woo?s.

吳宇森的動(dòng)作設(shè)計(jì)來(lái)自多方面，尤其是偉大的日本導(dǎo)演黑澤明，電影《七武士》結(jié)尾的打斗場(chǎng)景極大地感染了他。他的個(gè)人電影定義了香港的“血腥英雄”類型電影，其中龐大、快速的打斗場(chǎng)面和緊張刺激的劇情水乳交融?！多┭p雄》中，殺手努力籌錢去救治他誤傷而導(dǎo)致失明的歌手。這種劇情和三十年代的沒(méi)有什么區(qū)別，但是卻將暴力拍得異常美麗，其中吳宇森最愛(ài)的明星周潤(rùn)發(fā)摧毀無(wú)數(shù)本書(shū)的鏡頭，這些都是吳宇森的創(chuàng)意。

Woo?s American films have not been as successful. After moving to the United States in 1993, his initial movies Hard Target and Broken Arrow were lacklustre compared to his Hong Kong works.It was only with 1997?s Face Off that he really recaptured the over-the-top energy that made his previous movies great. His Hong Kong works are classics, though. A Better Tomorrow (1986) The Killer (1989),and Hard-Boiled (1992) made Hong Kong action cinema famous, but the relative flop Bullet in the Head (1990) is perhaps Woo?s best work. It deals with three young friends living semi-criminal lives in 60s Hong Kong, who set out to war-torn Vietnam to make their fortunes, and end up being caught between the mafia, the Americans, and the Vietcong. Gruellingly emotional, with fantastic fight and riot scenes, it was too much for Hong Kong audiences of the day. His Red Cliff, a Chinese historical epic, has been very successful in the Sinosphere, but, with hours of complicated scenes, largely turned off foreign audiences.

吳宇森的美國(guó)電影卻沒(méi)有這么成功。1993年他搬去美國(guó)，最初的《終極標(biāo)靶》和《斷箭》平淡無(wú)奇，無(wú)法和他的香港電影相媲美。而1997年的《變臉》他才真正重新抓住了造就他前期巨大成功的充沛精力。但他的香港電影都堪稱經(jīng)典?！队⑿郾旧罚?986）、《喋血雙雄》（1989）和《辣手神探》（1992）使得香港動(dòng)作片聲名顯赫，而《喋血街頭》（1990）可能是吳宇森最好的作品，它描述了六十年代香港生活在貧民區(qū)的三個(gè)年輕人前往飽受戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)摧殘的越南淘金的故事，最終被黑手黨、美國(guó)人還有越共給抓住。緊張刺激的情感加上激烈的打斗場(chǎng)面，這對(duì)于當(dāng)時(shí)的香港觀眾來(lái)說(shuō)已經(jīng)足夠了。他的史詩(shī)大片《赤壁》在國(guó)際上也獲得了很大的成功，但是連續(xù)數(shù)小時(shí)的復(fù)雜情節(jié)讓外國(guó)觀眾感到厭煩。

Zhang Yimou

導(dǎo)演張藝謀：中國(guó)電影的旗幟

The first mainland director to become famous overseas, Zhang Yimou?s works are complicated, multi-layered explorations of Chinese history. His own education was delayed by the Cultural Revolution, and he wasn?t able to graduate from film school until 1982, when he was already in his early 30s. His considerable talents were turned, first of all, to the warlord era of the 1920s in the internationally acclaimed Raise the Red Lantern (1991), adapted from a novel by Su Tong, which explores the patriarchy and authoritarianism of Chinese culture through the tragic stories of concubines in a warlord?s household. To Live (1994), another novel adaptation, concentrated on later Chinese history and was also praised worldwide, though less fulsomely than the earlier movie.

Hero (2002) was a massive success in Asia, and did well in the USA as well, but was criticised for seeming to approve of totalitarianism, in the shape of the notoriously bloody-handed Shi Huang Di and justify government excesses; many accused Zhang of ?selling out.? The plot supports many readings, including ones which subvert its ostensible messages of authoritarianism and nationalism. Whatever your feelings about its message, there was nothing but praise for its incredible battle scenes.

作為第一位揚(yáng)名海外的大陸導(dǎo)演，張藝謀的作品多是對(duì)中國(guó)歷史進(jìn)行復(fù)雜和多層次的探討。由于文化大革命他的上學(xué)時(shí)間被耽擱，直到1982年才在北京電影學(xué)院畢業(yè)，那時(shí)他已經(jīng)30出頭了。最初，他便施展自己的才華拍攝了電影《大紅燈籠高高掛》（1991），這部根據(jù)蘇童的小說(shuō)改編而成的影片講述了上個(gè)世紀(jì)二十年軍閥時(shí)期的故事，通過(guò)發(fā)生在一個(gè)軍閥大家族里的小妾們的悲劇來(lái)探討中國(guó)文化中的父權(quán)和獨(dú)裁現(xiàn)象?！痘钪罚?994）是另一部根據(jù)小說(shuō)改編的電影，著重講述了近代中國(guó)歷史，盡管沒(méi)有和早期電影一樣大紅大紫，也受到了世界普遍的好評(píng)。電影《英雄》在亞洲獲得了巨大的成功，在美國(guó)反響也很好，但卻遭到了一些反集權(quán)主義者的批判，他們認(rèn)為這部影片是在為臭名昭著、滿手鮮血的秦始皇以及政府的集權(quán)主義做辯護(hù)；也有人指責(zé)張藝謀“賣國(guó)”。電影情節(jié)有多種闡述，包括顛覆其表面上所傳達(dá)的獨(dú)裁主義和民族主義。無(wú)論對(duì)它的主旨的感受如何，對(duì)于電影宏大的打斗場(chǎng)面大家都是贊不絕口。

House of Flying Daggers (2004) and Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) won much less praise, although some admired their melodrama, beautiful set designs, and intense emotional feelings, the plots were far too complicated for most audiences to follow! Zhang?s most recent masterpiece, however, was not a film, but the coordination and design of the splendid opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics; watched by two billion people worldwide, it was even more of a success than his movies!

《十面埋伏》（2004）和《滿城盡帶黃金甲》（2006）反響平平，盡管有人稱贊它們的情節(jié)、華麗的場(chǎng)景設(shè)計(jì)以及強(qiáng)烈的情感，但對(duì)于大多數(shù)觀眾來(lái)說(shuō)劇情太復(fù)雜以至于無(wú)法理解。張藝謀最近的杰作不是電影，而是盛大的北京奧運(yùn)會(huì)的開(kāi)幕式和閉幕式，全世界共有20億觀眾觀看了這場(chǎng)盛會(huì)，這比他的電影更成功。

So, that's the big three - the Chinese directors whose work has made the most impact overseas.Next month we're going to look at some filmmakers whose films have been smaller hits, but who represent a new generation of Chinese movie making that will undoubtedly find its place in world cinema in the next decade.

那么這就是其作品在國(guó)際上擁有巨大影響力的三位華人導(dǎo)演。下個(gè)月我們將繼續(xù)來(lái)看看一些影響力稍小的導(dǎo)演，但他們卻代表了新一代的中國(guó)電影制作人，毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)，他們?cè)谙乱粋€(gè)十年會(huì)在世界電影中找到屬于自己的一席之位。

Notes

1. catch on

意為“變得流行、理解”。

例句：The new song caught on really quickly.

這首新歌真的流行得很快。

Would you mind repeating that? I didn't quite catch on.

請(qǐng)?jiān)僬f(shuō)一遍好嗎?我沒(méi)聽(tīng)懂。

2. hand-to-hand

意為“極接近的、白刃戰(zhàn)的”。

例句：Soldiers seldom fight hand to hand in modern warfare.

在現(xiàn)代戰(zhàn)役中士兵們很少短兵相接。

3. generational clashes

意為“隔代沖突”，即指發(fā)生在不同年代的人之間的矛盾和沖突，比如父母和孩子。

4. raucous

該詞語(yǔ)最常見(jiàn)的意思是“粗糙的、沙啞的”。在這里指的是“very loud, cheerful, chaotic

like a big party”。

5. high-octane

意為“強(qiáng)烈的、極新穎的、高能量的”。

6. turn off

該詞組有多種意思“關(guān)掉；拐彎；完成；（使某人）感到厭煩；解雇, 辭退”，在文中指的是“（使某人）感到厭煩”。

例句：The tap won't turn off and there is water all over the floor.

水龍頭關(guān)不上，滿地都是水。

Half the viewers turned off when the speaker began talking about pop music.

講話人開(kāi)始談起流行音樂(lè)時(shí)，一半觀眾興味索然。

Links

Chinese Directors

中國(guó)導(dǎo)演

現(xiàn)在經(jīng)常能聽(tīng)到第五代導(dǎo)演，第六代導(dǎo)演這樣的話語(yǔ)，那么你知道他們的由來(lái)嗎？他們又都有哪些特點(diǎn)？這些群體不僅見(jiàn)證了中國(guó)電影的發(fā)展，他們的作品更記錄了中國(guó)社會(huì)文化以及思想和精神面貌近百年來(lái)的演變歷程。

第一代導(dǎo)演——拓荒者

第一代導(dǎo)演活動(dòng)的時(shí)間大體上是在上世紀(jì)初到20年代末，是中國(guó)電影的先驅(qū)。他們?cè)谂臄z條件非常簡(jiǎn)陋、艱苦，又缺乏經(jīng)驗(yàn)的條件下，創(chuàng)作了中國(guó)第一批故事片。這些影片中的一部分是受了“五四”新文化運(yùn)動(dòng)的影響，不同程度上表現(xiàn)出一些反封建的民主思想。但是，從藝術(shù)技巧而言，他們往往用傳統(tǒng)的戲劇觀念來(lái)處理電影，拍攝時(shí)沿用戲劇舞臺(tái)的一套辦法，攝影機(jī)基本固定。其中成就最大的是張石川和鄭正秋。中國(guó)第一部短故事片《難夫難妻》、第一部長(zhǎng)故事片《黑籍冤魂》、第一部有聲故事片《歌女紅牡丹》，第一部武俠片《火燒紅蓮寺》，以及早期最有影響的《孤兒救祖記》等都出自他們兩人之手。

第二代導(dǎo)演——首創(chuàng)輝煌

第二代導(dǎo)演主要活動(dòng)時(shí)間是在三四十年代，部分導(dǎo)演一直到五六十年，甚至八十年代，仍工作在電影崗位上。由他們開(kāi)始，中國(guó)電影就思想內(nèi)容而言，開(kāi)始真正從單純的娛樂(lè)中解放出來(lái)，開(kāi)始比較深入地反映社會(huì)生活，從娛樂(lè)中發(fā)揮社會(huì)功能。在藝術(shù)上，這代導(dǎo)演最大的特點(diǎn)是寫(xiě)實(shí)主義，同時(shí)，他們注意把寫(xiě)實(shí)和電影化結(jié)合起來(lái)，開(kāi)始逐漸掌握電影藝術(shù)的基本規(guī)律。其中成就最大的是蔡楚生、鄭君里、費(fèi)穆、吳永剛、?；?、湯曉丹。這個(gè)時(shí)期，中國(guó)的電影表演藝術(shù)也屬于由萌芽到起步階段。

第三代導(dǎo)演——大放異彩

建國(guó)后走上影壇的導(dǎo)演藝術(shù)家被稱為中國(guó)電影導(dǎo)演的第三代。這一代導(dǎo)演主要有成蔭、謝鐵驪、水華、崔嵬、凌子風(fēng)、謝晉、王炎、郭維、李俊、于彥夫、魯韌、王蘋(píng)、林農(nóng)等，他們遵循現(xiàn)實(shí)主義原則表現(xiàn)生活的本質(zhì)，深入展現(xiàn)矛盾沖突，以及在民族風(fēng)格、地方特色、藝術(shù)意蘊(yùn)等方面，都進(jìn)行了十分有益的探索。

第四代導(dǎo)演——探索奮斗

第四代導(dǎo)演的主體是六十年代電影學(xué)院的畢業(yè)生，還包括在同一時(shí)期自學(xué)成材的人。他們雖然學(xué)藝于六十年代，由于種種歷史的原因，其藝術(shù)才華到1977年以后才發(fā)揮出來(lái)。他們以開(kāi)放的視野，吸收新鮮的藝術(shù)經(jīng)驗(yàn)，不懈地探索藝術(shù)的特性，承上啟下，力圖用新觀念來(lái)改造和發(fā)展中國(guó)電影。他們提出中國(guó)電影要“丟掉戲劇的拐杖”，打破戲劇式結(jié)構(gòu)；提倡紀(jì)實(shí)性，追求質(zhì)樸、自然的風(fēng)格和開(kāi)放式的結(jié)構(gòu)；注重主題與人物的意義性和從生活中，從凡人小事中去開(kāi)掘社會(huì)和人生的哲理。其中有代表性的人物是吳貽弓、吳天明、張暖忻、黃健中、滕文驥。

第五代導(dǎo)演——承前啟后

第五代導(dǎo)演是指八十年代從北京電影學(xué)院畢業(yè)的年輕導(dǎo)演。這批導(dǎo)演在少年時(shí)代卷入了中國(guó)社會(huì)大動(dòng)蕩的漩渦中，有的下過(guò)鄉(xiāng)，有的當(dāng)過(guò)兵，經(jīng)受了10年浩劫的磨難。在改革開(kāi)放的年代，他們接受專業(yè)訓(xùn)練，帶著創(chuàng)新的激情走上影壇。他們對(duì)新的思想、新的藝術(shù)手法，特別敏銳，力圖在每一部影片中尋找新的角度。他們強(qiáng)烈渴望通過(guò)影片探索民族文化的歷史和民族心理的結(jié)構(gòu)。在選材、敘事、刻劃人物、鏡頭運(yùn)用、畫(huà)面處理等方面，都力求標(biāo)新立異。第五代導(dǎo)演的作品主觀性、象征性、寓意性特別強(qiáng)烈。當(dāng)他們一旦作為一個(gè)群體的力量出現(xiàn)時(shí)，盡管人數(shù)不多，卻給中國(guó)影壇造成了巨大的沖擊波。主要代表人物有陳凱歌、張藝謀、吳子牛、田壯壯、黃建新。

第六代導(dǎo)演——抗拒歸納

第六代導(dǎo)演一般指生于二十世紀(jì)六十年代后期和七十年代中后期，在八十年代末進(jìn)入北京電影學(xué)院、中央戲劇學(xué)院等高等院校，接受過(guò)正規(guī)影視教育的青年導(dǎo)演，其中還有一部分熱愛(ài)電影的自由職業(yè)者。代表導(dǎo)演包括張?jiān)?、王小帥、婁燁、路學(xué)長(zhǎng)、管虎、賈樟柯等。這一群體成長(zhǎng)于經(jīng)濟(jì)復(fù)蘇的改革開(kāi)放年代，此時(shí)正值中國(guó)建設(shè)市場(chǎng)經(jīng)濟(jì)初期，他們?cè)谙鄬?duì)開(kāi)放多元的文化背景下接受了系統(tǒng)的教育，并接觸到大量國(guó)外各種電影理論。第六代親身感受到經(jīng)濟(jì)體制的轉(zhuǎn)軌給中國(guó)的社會(huì)關(guān)系、人際關(guān)系、家庭關(guān)系所帶來(lái)的重大變動(dòng)，經(jīng)歷了電影從神圣的藝術(shù)走入尋常生活，降格為一種文化產(chǎn)品供人們消費(fèi)的無(wú)奈，觀念和作品內(nèi)容都發(fā)生了巨大變化，然而他們的影片沒(méi)有通過(guò)制造幻覺(jué)的快感向市場(chǎng)妥協(xié)，而是更多地關(guān)注那些出于禁忌而“不可言說(shuō)”的社會(huì)現(xiàn)實(shí)，更顯出直面現(xiàn)實(shí)的冷酷。在題材選取上，他們關(guān)注當(dāng)下都市、邊緣人物，小偷、妓女、無(wú)業(yè)青年這些邊緣人頻繁在影片中亮相；在敘事策略上，他們常常在劇中人物身上融入自己的經(jīng)歷，或多或少帶有自傳色彩；在影像風(fēng)格上，他們強(qiáng)調(diào)真實(shí)的光線、色彩和聲音，大量運(yùn)用長(zhǎng)鏡頭，形成紀(jì)實(shí)風(fēng)格。他們注重以電影為媒介來(lái)考察當(dāng)代都市普通/邊緣人的生活狀態(tài)，新一代青年在歷史轉(zhuǎn)型時(shí)期的迷茫、困惑和無(wú)所適從在他們的鏡頭下被真實(shí)地記錄下來(lái)。導(dǎo)演們似乎都極力反對(duì)第六代這個(gè)集體冠名，他們要么極度追求影象本體，要么偏執(zhí)于寫(xiě)實(shí)形態(tài)，要么堅(jiān)定的走在商業(yè)路線上，幾乎難以像第五代那樣整體構(gòu)建電影精神的統(tǒng)一面貌，所以，他們是抗拒歸納的一代。