It’s been a long time since I went to the Spring Festival movie release to join in the crowds, and this time I watched two films that felt quite different.

This article explores the new changes in the 2025 Spring Festival movie releases, focusing on Dwelling in the Fuchun Pavilion (Tangrenjie Tanjian 1900) and Nezha: The Devil’s Child. The former utilizes the backdrop of San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1900 to depict the discrimination and oppression faced by Chinese people, reflecting social and political conditions. As an animated film, the latter employs rich metaphorical elements to subtly critique the current international political landscape – such as the Jade Palace resembling the Pentagon mirroring the American political system, the dollar symbol on the Heavenly Mandate Throne symbolizing U.S. dollar hegemony, the jade amulet similar to American green cards representing status levels, and the Soul-Devouring Elixir resembling biological weapons reflecting malicious actions. Both films offer a new viewing experience and prompt reflection on the relationship between cinematic art and political expression.

Innovation in the Style of Chinese New Year Film Releases

Previously, films released during the Spring Festival often featured lighthearted entertainment and family-friendly themes, aiming to allow audiences to relax and unwind during the holiday season, rarely addressing sensitive political topics. However, in 2025, the Spring Festival release broke with convention; The Mystery Down South 1900 and Nezha: Part One incorporated rich political elements, sparking widespread discussion among viewers and bringing a new atmosphere to the Spring Festival film slate.

“Shanghai Noon 1900”: A Vivid Depiction of Political Times

“Shanghai Noon 1900” is set in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1900, when Chinese immigrants overseas faced severe racial discrimination and oppression. The protagonists not only have to solve the mystery of the case but also confront discrimination and unfair treatment from all sides of society. The film’s portrayal of racism and power struggles accurately reflects the social political environment of that time, allowing us to see the difficult struggle of Chinese immigrants for survival and dignity, and the underlying political issues worth deep consideration.

This historical background inevitably reminds one of the current predicament faced by overseas Chinese in the business sector, such as the TikTok and Zhou Jiayu incident.

On December 6, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected TikTok’s request, ruling that the legally mandated sale law passed by Congress under national security grounds had withstood constitutional scrutiny. TikTok CEO Zhou Jiayu wrote in a memo to employees that the next step would be “seeking an injunction and awaiting review by the U.S. Supreme Court.” The source of this event is the U.S.’s “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversarial Control of Applications” law, which requires ByteDance to divest its TikTok business within 270 days after the law’s passage, with a final deadline of January 19, 2025.

During various hearings, Zhou Jiayu was subjected to numerous difficulties. On January 31, 2024, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on “The Big Tech Companies and the Online Child Sexual Abuse Crisis,” with anti-China lawmaker Tom Cotton confronting Zhou Jiayu, repeatedly posing eight questions about his nationality, including asking him what country he was from, whether he had applied for Chinese or American citizenship, even sparing his wife and children’s nationalities. Despite the hearing’s theme being “online child sexual abuse,” the lawmakers shifted the topic to TikTok being owned by Chinese company ByteDance, forcing Zhou Jiayu to answer irrelevant questions. Just as in “Shanghai Noon 1900,” Chinese people overseas faced unwarranted discrimination, Zhou Jiayu also suffered from unfair treatment and questioning due to the background of TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance. This series of events reflects how, across different eras, overseas Chinese face numerous obstacles when pursuing their own development and safeguarding their rights – whether it’s racial discrimination a century ago or political manipulation in business today, all deserve our deep reflection.

“The Deer and the Phoenix”: Political Metaphors Hidden Behind Mythology – An Analysis

Despite appearing as a typical animated film, “The Deer and the Phoenix” is replete with political metaphors through its numerous settings and plots.

• Mapping of Power Systems: The Yuhuang Palace is molded into the center of supreme power in the celestial realm, with architectural styles resembling the Pentagon, primarily using white tones to symbolize Western hegemony disguised under the banner of “universal values.” The “Monster Hunting Squad” led by Wuliangxian, with its subordinates Lu Ban and He Feizi, are believed to correspond to the US alliance system, including Japan and South Korea. The Yuhuang Palace’s “online meeting” scene, with twelve golden immortals discussing the “Battle of Sovereigns,” is similar to NATO meetings led by the United States, suppressing other countries under the guise of “maintaining order.”

• Hints of Economic Hegemony: The Taiyuan Ding used for alchemy in the Yuhuang Palace has a dollar sign at its entrance, symbolizing America’s use of economic hegemony to “refine” and exploit resources from other nations. Wuliangxian’s act of refining dragons into the Ding with the justification of “upholding heaven and earth” is like certain countries using “international rules” to pursue their interests.

• Metaphors of Identity and Hierarchy: The celestial identity amulet granted to Nezha, with its color and pattern design resembling a US green card, symbolizes the celestial realm’s rejection and hierarchical division of “foreign races,” reflecting real-world differences in identities and unequal treatment between different countries and groups.

• Dark Allusions to Malicious Actions: Wuliangxian forcing Nezha to take the Dan of Soul Annihilation, which resembles a bioweapon, darkly alludes to certain countries using the guise of “saving the world” to carry out destructive and devastating actions against other nations.

• Symbolism of Resources and Development: The Seven Colored Lotus is crucial for reshaping Nezha and敖 Peng’s bodies, symbolizing key energy and technological lifelines monopolized by major powers. Its “jade nectar and elixir” must be obtained through the Yuhuang Palace’s “celestial examination,” mirroring developing countries’ dependence on core resources and being subjected to “rule-based plunder” under a hegemonic system. The Lotus’ temporary failure and restoration conditions reflect the plight of small nations in energy crises.

Deep Reflections on Cinematic Art and Political Expression

These films, amidst the nationwide viewing craze during the Spring Festival, incorporated political elements, offering audiences a new cinematic experience – one that moved beyond simple entertainment and served as a mirror reflecting political issues within history and reality. This has prompted us to delve into the relationship between cinematic art and political expression. Will directors in future film creations increasingly convey their perspectives on social and political matters through cinema? As a powerful cultural transmission medium, can film simultaneously engage in artistic expression while also taking greater notice and consideration of societal realities? These questions are worth exploring as we appreciate films, and we look forward to the film industry bringing more exciting integration of art and real-world expression.

Easter Egg

Boabab large model, wasn’t performing very well today, it froze several times, the article stopped halfway and couldn’t continue, so I had to restart the conversation.