From ‘poisonous weeds’ to ‘fragrant flowers’

This thesis is a historical research project on an underexplored phenomenon in the Mao era, the “criticism screening” (1964-1969). It examines how these propaganda film exhibitions functioned not only as mediums for ideological dissemination but also as spaces for public communication. Different from previous scholarship that interprets “criticism screenings” and their reception primarily through the frameworks of ideological exorcism and audience resistance, this research draws on archival materials related to off-screen media practices in this phenomenon to reveal the inherent ambivalence of propaganda. By exploring these non-cinematic interfaces, the study repositions the “criticism screening” within the broader historical context of socialist film culture.