This magisterial book is an extraordinary landmark in both Chinese film studies and the broader exploration of cinema itself. In his multifaceted paradigm of realism, Jason McGrath finds a master code for understanding Chinese film across the span of its history: conceptually vivid and analytically riveting, this superb study is a must-read for any student or scholar of the moving image.
Margaret Hillenbrand, author of Negative Exposures: Knowing What Not to Know in Contemporary China