A Critical Analysis of Feminist Consciousness in Her Story

Abstract

This article offers a systematic analysis of the female consciousness embodied in Chinese feminist movie, Her Story. Her Story uses a plain visual style and everyday narrative to depict the survival dilemma and consciousness awakening process of contemporary women under the patriarchal structure. The film focuses on three generations of women: single mother Wang Tiemei, young band lead singer Xiao Ye, and Wang’s young daughter Wang Moli. Through their daily struggles and growth, it reveals the path of female subjectivity reconstruction from "being watched" to "self-writing". This article focuses on the concept of female consciousness in Chinese feminist discourse and explores its close connection with feminist film theory. Taking director Shao Yihui's film Her Story as a starting point, my analysis places it in the Chinese female film genealogy, with analysis of the changes in female film production. By looking at the portrayal of female characters, the construction of female relationships, and the expressions of women in family and social spaces in the film, this article reveals the connotations of female consciousness portrayed in movies in multiple dimensions such as self-awareness, emotional relationships, and social participation. It also explores how movies break through the constraints of traditional gender concepts, present the spirit of women's independence and pursuit of equality, and lead a positive impact on contemporary gender politics in China.