Facts, Modes, and Narrative: The Cross-Cultural Circulation of Dead to Rights
| International Journal of Humanities and Social Science |
| © 2026 by SSRG - IJHSS Journal |
| Volume 13 Issue 2 |
| Year of Publication : 2026 |
| Authors : Rong Zhenghao |
10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V13I2P102
How to Cite?
Rong Zhenghao, "Facts, Modes, and Narrative: The Cross-Cultural Circulation of Dead to Rights," SSRG International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 16-25, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V13I2P102
Abstract:
The film Dead to Rights, which dramatizes the factual history of the Nanjing Massacre and highlights civilian efforts to preserve evidence of atrocities, has garnered significant international dissemination and critical acclaim. Adopting a cross cultural communication perspective, this article investigates the internal mechanisms underpinning the film’s successful global reception. The analysis is structured across three interconnected dimensions: the historical, the modal, and the narrative. Firstly, the historical dimension examines how narrative credibility is constructed through the multi-source archival cross-verification of historical facts. Secondly, the modal dimension analyzes the film’s multimodal construction, focusing on the synergistic coupling of visual, auditory, and textual elements. Finally, the narrative dimension explores how narrative structure, perspective, and dissemination strategies facilitate the transformation from individual to public memory. These dimensions operate synergistically, not only enhancing the evidentiary force of the film's historical materials but also expanding the cognitive and affective pathways through which international audiences engage with the film. This integrated approach enables Dead to Rights to transcend cultural barriers and effectively promote global communication of a pivotal historical event, thereby offering valuable insights into China’s narrative practices for international dissemination.
Keywords:
Dead to Rights, Historical Facts, Narrative Analysis, Multimodal Discourse Analysis, Cross-cultural Communication.
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