Constructing Memories of the Northeast and Calling Forth the Spirit of the Times: A Symptomatic Reading of "The Long Season"

As an interpretive methodology, Althusser's concept of "symptomatic reading" provides an epistemological approach for deciphering the elusive meanings behind cinematic works. Building upon this framework, this paper examines the popular short drama "The Long Season," a hit in mainland China in 2023. The study aims to decode the "silent discourse" that the director intends to convey behind the overt narrative presented in the story. "The Long Season" achieves a re-articulation of "new Northeastern memory" and evokes the contemporary consciousness of "truth, goodness, and beauty" through its genre-blending of suspense and comedy, innovative storytelling from a paternal perspective, and the tragic displacement within its plot structure.