1 MARTINDALE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISE Taiwanese horror cinema Nađa Stojanović Taiwanese horror films enjoy significant popularity despite comprising a small portion of domestic production. These films often draw on local folklore and address contemporary societal issues, with recurring themes of Taiwanese identity and historical trauma. This article explores why these films resonate so strongly with domestic audiences, arguing that their distinct appeal stems from folkloric elements and sociopolitical themes. A comparative analysis with Japanese and South Korean horror further highlights these unique characteristics. Introduction Among popular film genres in Taiwan, horror stands out. Horror films constitute less than 5% of annual domestic film production yet consistently achieve disproportionate commercial success. Horror films in neighboring East Asian markets of Japan and South Korea do not exhibit the same trends. This distinct genre preference, despite limited production volume, warrants closer examination of the themes and narratives within Taiwanese horror that resonate strongly with the local audience. Formally defined in the context of popular literature as “a genre focused on evoking emotions of dread, fear, and tension,” horror encompasses films that elicit similar emotional responses through visual, auditory, and narrative elements (Prohászková, 2012). In light of horror’s distinct success in Taiwan, this article examines the specific thematic and narrative choices that drive its popularity. Namely, the notable appeal of Taiwanese horror stems from its engagement with three key themes: local folklore, the conflict between modern and traditional values, and the fragmented Taiwanese identity. By analyzing how Taiwanese horror engages with these themes, this study situates the genre within the broader landscape of Taiwanese cinema and its cultural significance. Background Film plays a critical role in shaping cultural identity and articulating social consciousness. According to the Taiwan Government Information Office (2006, as cited in Gao, 2007), “Film is the most important medium of modern culture. We watch the same movie so that we have the same dream, the same consciousness, and even the same culture.” Beyond fostering collective cultural consciousness, cinema in Taiwan is also a site of competing narratives of identity and history. Any attempt to define a Taiwanese cinema must therefore consider the multiple oppressive regimes the island has been subjected to throughout its history and how such periods have shaped and continue to shape the Taiwanese identity. Early cinema, 1897–1945 The history of cinema in Taiwan dates to 1897, when a motion picture device was first used for makeshift screenings in Taipei (Lee, 2012). Early film screenings catered to predominantly Japanese audiences living in Taipei, as Taiwan had come under Japanese colonial rule in 1895. In Japan, a labor movement activist, Takamatsu Toyojiro, used motion pictures to enhance the agitation aroused by the socialist speeches he gave while traveling with fellow union organizers (Lee, 2017). This innovative use of motion pictures caught the attention of the Japanese Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi, who persuaded Takamatsu to travel to Taiwan and hold film exhibitions that would educate the “ignorant” Taiwanese as to how colonial rule benefits them and encourage the Japanese to visit the newly acquired colony despite their prejudice against the locals (Lee, 2017; Wen, 2018). Takamatsu’s first film, An Introduction to Actual Conditions in Taiwan (1907), portrayed the assimilation of the Taiwanese population into the Japanese Empire, exaggerating the benefits of Japanese rule and the supposed harmony between the locals and their colonizers. Thus began the use of film for propaganda purposes by the colonial government—an early example of how cinema was leveraged to shape perceptions of identity and belonging in Taiwan. The imperialization program aimed at assimilating the Taiwanese population by promoting Japanese language, culture, and values and encouraging allegiance to Japan. An important genre emerged: doi:10.18275/pbe-v043-002
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