Mysterious Buddha, popular cinema, and the new Chinese film culture in the early 1980s

Mysterious Buddha was one of the earliest commercial genre films made in post-Cultural Revolution China. Drawing from the traditional Chinese popular literature of chuanqi, crime thrillers, martial arts films, and horror films, the film was a smash hit with domestic audiences despite condemnation for its poor taste by many critics. The significance of Mysterious Buddha lies not only in its pioneering efforts in reviving the martial arts film genre in the PRC, which is the primary focus of previous studies, but—more importantly—in its ability to reflect the containment of popular cinema and the subsequent ascension of elite film culture. An unmistakable commercial “other,” the film represents a conspicuous departure from Socialist orthodox with its emphasis on plot over characters, native cultural relics over modernization, and bodily confrontation over intellectual engagement. The film was publicly denounced by many influential public figures but was eventually authorized for release. Its haphazard treatment indicated the emergence of a new film bureaucracy, professional institutions, and power balance while a new cinematic direction was sought in the changed political and cultural climate. This chapter reappraises the 1980s’ popular cinema represented by Mysterious Buddha and provides a case study to demonstrate the contested nature of nascent Chinese popular culture in the early 1980s.