Film Theme Expression: Dual Variations of Narrative Structure and Editing Techniques

Nowadays, film narratives and editing techniques are diverse, with each director having their own stylistic preferences. So, how exactly do these techniques contribute to conveying the themes of a film? This paper aims to analyze Cao Baoping's films The Dead End and Cock and Bull, exploring the narrative structures, editing styles, and other audiovisual techniques in his works, as well as how their innovative breakthroughs enhance thematic expression. Through collecting and analyzing relevant literature, the author conducts a comparative study of the two films. By applying film narratology and visual rhetoric theory, this paper interprets their respective uses of causal linear narrative, multi-perspective circular structure, and montage techniques, while exploring the differences between these approaches and their interactive relationships in thematic communication. The final research reveals the crucial role of narrative and editing techniques in enriching cinematic dimensionality. In The Dead End, the linear causal narrative constructs a sense of inescapable moral dilemma, while flashback montages externalize the characters' psychological traumaCock and Bull deconstructs truth through multi-perspective collage, while parallel montage intensifies emotional resonance. The study concludes that Cao Baoping's directorial approach strikes a unique balance between commercial viability and artistic expression, providing Chinese-language cinema with exemplary cases where formal innovation serves as a vehicle for cultural discourse. His methodology carries significant implications for subsequent filmmaking practices.