The aim of this thesis is to analyze the portrayal of female characters in two contemporary Chinese films – The Story of Qiu Ju (1992) directed by Zhang Yimou and I Am Not Madame Bovary (2016) directed by Feng Xiaogang. The analysis focuses on how the two protagonists are depicted as women seeking justice, what similarities and differences can be identified between them, and how their motivation and relationship with the bureaucratic system shape their subjective understanding of justice. Special attention is also given to the way in which cinematic form critically comments on the bureaucratic system and social inequalities through female characters, while simultaneously reflecting the commercialization of the female character. The theoretical framework is based on Laura Mulvey’s feminist theory of the male gaze. Methodologically, the work is designed as a qualitative visual and discursive analysis of film material. The analysis shows that Qiu Ju, despite confronting the system, remains the subject of her own story and is not sexualized, whereas Li Xuelian is placed under the male gaze throughout the entire film, and her body becomes an object of visual pleasure and fetishistic scopophilia. Both protagonists come from a rural environment and seek moral satisfaction, but their paths differ: Qiu Ju seeks an apology and ultimately wins her legal case, while Li Xuelian fights to clear her name and remains trapped in the patriarchal system. The findings of the thesis contribute to a better understanding of the development of female characters in Chinese cinema and open up possibilities for further research.
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