Interpreting the Film Chang An from the Perspective of the Theory of Symbolic Intertextuality

Abstract

This study takes the animated film Chang An as a case study, and employs the theory of symbolic intertextuality and the perspective of cultural coding to conduct in-depth analysis of the three major symbol systems: image, language, and music. The study found that these three symbol systems form close intertextual relationships through strategies of simultaneity, linearity, and embedding, expanding the dimensions of symbolic meaning and constructing a multidimensional and dynamic symbolic network, enriching the film’s expressive techniques. At the same time, it reveals the rich historical and cultural connotations inherent in these symbol systems’ encoding, emphasizing the importance of cultural heritage. Through micro-textual analysis, the study delves into the mechanisms of visual language generation, providing theoretical support and empirical cases for the academic research of classical Chinese animated films.