Where Commerce Meets Art: Hybrid Complexity and Narrative Ambiguity in Post-1990s Cinema

Yu Yang

doi:10.5195/cinej.2026.800

Where Commerce Meets Art: Hybrid Complexity and Narrative Ambiguity in Post-1990s Cinema

Authors

Yu Yang Zhengzhou University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8107-0462

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2026.800

Keywords:

hybrid complexity, narrative ambiguity, puzzle film, postmodern cinema, art–commerce dialectic, cognitive film theory

Abstract

This study explores how post-1990s commercial cinema absorbs and reconfigures the narrative ambiguity of art cinema. Through formalist and cognitive analyses of Pulp Fiction, Memento, Mulholland Drive, and Inception, this study identifies a hybrid form of complexity that merges aesthetic indeterminacy with market-oriented storytelling. The concept of hybrid complexity reveals cinema’s evolving balance between openness and control, demonstrating how ambiguity becomes both an artistic strategy and a commodity in contemporary media culture.

Author Biography

Yu Yang, Zhengzhou University

Dr. Yu Yang is a tenure-track lecturer in Theatre and Film at Zhengzhou University (ZZU) in China. He earned his PhD in Art Studies from the University of Lisbon’s Faculty of Fine Arts (FBAUL). His research focuses on the narrative techniques and strategies used in puzzle films, which has led to significant breakthroughs and the publication of several theoretical articles in international journals. In 2024, he was honored and supported by the Central Plains Talent Plan from the Henan Provincial Government of China. He is currently translating a collection of essays on representation in Portuguese immigrant cinema in the Americas to Chinese. The compilation was put together by the Faculty of Humanities and Arts at the University of Lisbon. Additionally, he is interested in exploring how Fernando Pessoa's techniques with heteronyms relate to cinematic narrative strategies.

References

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Published

2026-05-22

How to Cite

Yang, Y. (2026). Where Commerce Meets Art: Hybrid Complexity and Narrative Ambiguity in Post-1990s Cinema. CINEJ Cinema Journal, 14(1), 231–267. https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2026.800

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Issue

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2026): Spring

Section

Articles

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