Diamond Language and Poetics of Sound: Xu Chi’s Imagination of Cosmopolitan Cinema in Wartime Chongqing

Abstract

Abstract This article examines the concept of “diamond language” in wartime Chinese cinema in Chongqing, with a particular focus on the works of film theorist Xu Chi, including “The Limits of Cinema” and “The Language Issue in Cinema.” Xu’s theory, developed in the context of wartime Chongqing, seeks to reconcile the tension between Hollywood-influenced aesthetics and nationalist cinematic goals during China’s resistance to the Japanese invasion. The study explores how Xu’s theory addresses the intersection of cosmopolitanism and nationalism in the construction of cinematic aesthetics, and highlights the practical and ideological challenges filmmakers faced during the war, particularly in relation to language and sound. Through an analysis of films such as The Pride of the Nation and Eight Hundred Heroes, the article also sheds light on how cinematic language functioned both as a tool for propaganda and as a medium for emotional resonance, providing insights into the interplay between global and local cinematic forms in China’s wartime cultural landscape.