Cultural anchoring in cinematic digitalization: Stratified PCA reveals chromatic adaptation regimes in wuxia cinema evolution

Abstract

This study decodes cultural chromatic evolution in wuxia cinema using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of 30 rigorously curated films across three epochs: Celluloid (1960–1979), New Wave (1980–1999), and Digital (2000–2024). Key findings reveal the following: Editing speed (PC1) dominates digital-era films, with cutting rates accelerating by 63% annually (β = 0.63, p < 0.01), fragmenting traditional narrative rhythms; Color stability (PC2) preserves core aesthetics through robust hue-value coordination (r = 0.62, p < 0.001), stabilizing cultural symbolism in wuxia visual motifs; and Saturation adaptation (PC3) activates under high editing intensity to counteract perceptual fragmentation. Crucially, 61% of digital-era films maintained cultural distinctiveness via strategic HSV manipulation, thus demonstrating that cinematic aesthetics actively resists technological homogenization. This reveals a paradigm shift from technological subjugation to chromatic sovereignty in cinematic heritage.