Chinese Silents - a Review
Caleb Kennedy
silents and five talkies. Hardly anything from this period of Chinese
cinema has been available here in the US, so for many people this will
be the first time they can see this unfamiliar part of cultural history.
(Even readers in this group might have seen maybe one Chinese silent
film, if that many.)
There is not that much early Chinese cinema left....only a few dozen
films made before 1937 still survive. In fact, although films were shown
in China as early as 1896, the earliest surviving film comes from 1922!
Many films were destroyed during the Japanese bombings and invasion
during the '30s (just as most of Japanese film history went up in smoke
under American firebombs). The Chinese film industry had some trouble
getting started in the first place, because many foreign-owned theaters
wouldn't show Chinese films - in the '20s, up to 90% of the films shown
were American. As one magazine warned, "All Chinese film producers
unite! Resist a certain country's sabotage and monopoly!" So the '20s
were something like the American teens, with the emergence of a local
studio system, the building of theaters, a 'cinema boom' with hundreds
of films produced, and the growth of stars and popular fan magazines.
Until the '20s women were not allowed to play leading roles in the
movies (a parallel might be Chinese actors in Hollywood); but within a
few years, actresses had become quite successful and fan magazines were
plastered with pictures of pretty stars. And, as in Japan, Chinese
producers were not in a hurry to switch to talkies, so silents and
talkies were made side-by-side until the mid-'30s. Of course the '30s
were a chaotic time in China, and several of the films in the new Cinema
Epoch series were by left-wing directors who were critical of the
Nationalist government and the traditional class structure, but who also
urge their audiences to help defend the country against the invading
Japanese.
The Cinema Epoch DVDs appear to use the same prints as Chinese-released
VCDs of these films; there has been no 'restoration' (if that was even
possible), so all of the films in varying degrees are covered with
scratches and murkiness, with cuts and blank frames aplenty. (However, I
suspect that folks who dislike worn-out scratchy prints wouldn't be
watching '30s Chinese films in any case!) The subtitles though are
clear, and they usually even make sense; however I should mention that
writing within the films usually isn't translated (for instance, letters
and signs), which sometimes leaves things unclear.
All of these films are also available from Yesasia.com as $6 VCDs in the
same quality, but without English subtitles, so that may not be of much
use to bargain-hunters.
I should say a few words about Yesasia.... they have a large stock of
early Chinese films in good quality, mostly on $6 VCDs, but also on DVDs
for $7 or $8. Most of their films of course aren't subtitled, but they
do have a number of important silents with English subtitles, including
Peach Girl, Little Toys, Two Stars, Pearl Necklace, Romance of a Fruit
Peddler, Poor Daddy, Greedy Neighbors, Don't Change Your Husband, Spring
in the South, and Spray of Plum Blossoms.
It is difficult to look up films on their site, though - you generally
have to know the Chinese title (which may be different from what IMDB
lists, if it's even on IMDB), and they do not have films sorted by
category, nor do they even bother listing the year of the film; indeed,
there is usually no English film description at all! (Also, their
subtitle information is often incorrect.) So it's hard to say how many
silent films they have....
Anyway - the new releases are:
Romance of the Western Chamber 1927 - based on a medieval play, this is
about a young student in ancient times who falls in love with a pretty
maiden; unfortunately, nearby warlords are on the loose.... This film
has a magical fairy-tale atmosphere, lots of humor, a wonderful
dream-scene, and some spear-fighting; it also seems chopped-down from a
longer film. At only 40-some minutes, I wish it had been paired with an
early martial-arts movie.
The next three films were done by Sun Yu, a left-wing director who had
studied in the US and was clearly a supporter of the Communist cause;
his films tend to be lively (lots of young, fresh faces such as the
girlish actress Li Lili, who grins and scampers constantly through all
his films), but very didactic.
Daybreak 1933 - young villagers come to the big city looking for work,
only to find it hard to keep a job. One girl is invited by her slimy
boss to a hotel room at night if she wants to keep working; she
initially refuses, but he helpfully reminds her, "Starvation is a
terrible way to die....." The first half is a fascinating view of the
poor and their struggle to survive (a trait shared by several of these
left-wing films), but it then descends into implausible propaganda as
our heroine becomes a prostitute delivering messages for the Communists.
Queen of Sports 1934 - a young girl joining a women's college becomes a
star on their sports team, but finds she has to deal with catty rival
girls, a teacher with a crush on her, and boys who want to do more than
just dance. Like many Chinese movies it is full of morals and emphasizes
health and 'traditional values'; I wasn't thrilled by it, but it's
interesting to compare this to American college & sports movies of the
time.
Big Road 1935 - a musical about how glorious it is to build roads for
the nation. If you haven't seen a Communist propaganda film, this is a
perfect example of one. But while the USSR was industrializing, here we
see the laborers pounding rocks with muscle-power alone; and of course
they love it, and want to build more roads on their own, til they drop!
Sad stuff. The second half, though, becomes an interesting thriller as
the workers foil a traitor who is helping the Japanese army take over
the country.
The talkies are generally better than the silents in this series.
Crossroads 1937 - this was described as being about "four college
graduates" and their contrasting fates, but that's quite misleading;
it's mostly about a romance growing between two wacky people who don't
know they live next door to each other. It's really an entrancing
comedy, kind of a cross between Lonesome and Shop Around the Corner -
actually the director may even have seen Lonesome, there's sometimes a
strong resemblance.
Street Angel 1937 - no, not a remake of the Borzage movie, but it is
extremely Borzage-like. In fact, it's astonishing and rather hard to
describe since it has so many levels; it's partly about two sisters -
the younger one sings and frolics and quarrels with her lover; the older
one is a doomed prostitute who steals the film as she tries to keep her
sister from being sold by their owner. Part of what's striking here is
that the movie keeps switching between scenes of Three Stooges-like
comedy and moments of deep tragedy, back and forth.
Twin Sisters 1933 - this is an over-the-top soap opera about twin
sisters, separated in childhood; one becomes a starving peasant, the
other a wealthy concubine. Do they meet again? What do you think?....
Not my favorite; it could have been a Victorian stageplay, but with lots
of criticism of the rich.
Song at Midnight 1937 - a horror film, actually a version of Phantom of
the Opera, in which a group of actors visit an old decaying theater and
discover that it's haunted by a disfigured singing phantom. Outstanding
creepy atmosphere, photography strongly influenced by the Universal
horrors, and the phantom himself is quite a pitiful figure.
Spring in a Small Town 1948 - the only postwar film here, it was redone
recently in an extremely close remake, practically line-for-line but in
a 'modern' style. But the 1948 version has a more mysterious, sexually
tense atmosphere; it initially seems crude, with really strange (but
deliberate) editing, but swiftly turns into one of the best romantic
dramas from any side of the globe.
- Caleb
"Watching a shadowplay and eating Dayou's new walnuts: isn't that
heaven!"
- advertisement in Yingxi Chunqiu (Movie Weekly), 1925
Bob Lipton
Are these available online? Is there link?
Bob
The Picture Show Man
of interest in early Chinese cinema, I listed only a couple of these
films on my "NEW DVDs" list for May: http://www.pictureshowman.com/recs_dvd_new.cfm
During a recent trip to Hong Kong I came upon, and purchased, a book
by Jubin Hu called "Projecting A Nation: Chinese National Cinema
Before 1949". This is supposedly "the first major work on pre-1949
Chinese cinema written in English", and I am happy to say that it can
be purchased through Amazon.com. (It's probably available from
others, too, but I only checked Amazon.)
Since we're on the subject of early foreign-cinema history, I would
like to also recommend the newly published "Bollywood: A History" by
Mihir Bose. Interesting stuff . . .
The Picture Show Man
http://www.pictureshowman.com
Dedicated to exploring the history of motion pictures . . .
The Picture Show Man
interest in early Chinese films I listed only a couple of these on my
"NEW DVDs" page: http://www.pictureshowman.com/recs_dvd_new.cfm
During a recent trip to Hong Kong I purchased a book by Jubin Hu
titled "Projecting A Nation: Chinese National Cinema Before 1949".
It's supposedly "the first major work on pre-1949 Chinese cinema
written in English", and I would recommend it highly if you are
interested in the subject at all. (By the way, the book is available
from Amazon.com, and probably other vendors as well.)
In the same vein, an excellent book on the history of Indian cinema
has just been published. It is "Bollywood: A History" by Mihir Bose.
The Picture Show Man
of interest in early Chinese cinema, I listed only a couple of these
films on my "NEW DVDs" list for May: http://www.pictureshowman.com/recs_dvd_new.cfm
During a recent trip to Hong Kong I came upon, and purchased, a book
by Jubin Hu called "Projecting A Nation: Chinese National Cinema
Before 1949". This is supposedly "the first major work on pre-1949
Chinese cinema written in English", and I am happy to say that it can
be purchased through Amazon.com. (It's probably available from
others, too, but I only checked Amazon.)
Since we're on the subject of early foreign-cinema history, I would
like to also recommend the newly published "Bollywood: A History" by
Mihir Bose. Interesting stuff . . .
The Picture Show Man
Caleb Kennedy
think you can order films directly from them, so you can check the
discounted prices on sites like Amazon or Ebay, or perhaps even your local
videostore if you have a good one.
Caleb
"Bob Lipton" <bobl...@nyc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:4652df03$0$4656$4c36...@roadrunner.com...
Reel...@aol.com
I find it regrettable that, in commenting on Sun Yu's silent films,
Caleb Kennedy seems to have resorted to broad political
generalizations by representing them mainly as "Communist" propaganda.
This analysis apparently regards Sun Yu's works as little more than
inferior imitations of Soviet films in Chinese dress with no mention
of the extent to which the great director was steeped in his national
culture and how his approach significantly differs from those of his
Russian contemporaries. Nor was there in his post any reference to
his brilliant cinematic techniques, including highly sophisticated
camera movement, and the emotional power of his narratives. In truth,
Sun Yu's vision was more Taoist than Maoist, an individuality on his
part that often led to criticism from left-wing ideologues. The
artist's conflict with the totalitarians would later result in
continual interference from the government after 1949.
I have published an online article on Sun Yu at: http://www.gildasattic.com/sunyu.html
And while, with the greater knowledge of the director and his work I
now have, I intend in the future to revise and expand this piece, I
have found no reason to alter my main point that his films are very
much in the philosophical and aesthetic traditions of Chinese
civilization. A 1991 article on Sun Yu by Chinese cineaste Li Cheuk-
To stresses the commanding influence of the great Tang dynasty Taoist
poet, Li Bai, on helping to form the director's vision:
"It was perhaps the 7th century poet Li Bai who was more
instrumental in shaping his style than any other western film or
theory. Sun Yu had been a great admirer of Li since his youth and had
translated nearly 120 of his poems into English. In 1982, he
published 'A New Translation of Li Bai's Poetry.' One can tell from
the introduction to the poet that Sun Yu found kinship in Li's
unbridled passion, patriotism and fervent romantic spirit. In the
'30s, after being nicknamed 'The Poet Sun Yu,' he wrote a short essay
entitled 'Can I Accept This "Poet's Laure?"", in which he said he
would like to become an 'idealistic poet,' using film to express his
passions. Evidently, he aspired to follow in the footsteps of Li
Bai."
Sun Yu's affinity for Chinese poets was also noted by the great
actress, Li Lili, with whom he made so many memorable films. In a
2004 interview for Chinese TV a year before her passing, Li Lili
recalled: "When I was making movies, Sun Yu was particularly
interested in classical poetry, and he would recite poetry while he
was making movies."
"The Big Road" indicates the additional influence of classic
Chinese novels like "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Men of the
Marshes" in what Li Cheuk-To calls the film's unique narrative
structure, starting as it does with the experiences of one man,
extending to include others, and concluding with a lone survivor. The
critic writes: "A far cry from the linear, cause-and-effect logic of
the West, its structure seems to expand and later contract into a
cyclical form. Inevitably, it reminds one of traditional Chinese
novels."
The director's vision was also shaped by the ancient philosophic
traditions of his culture. Elisabeth Cazer-Sun, who met Sun Yu in his
last years, comments in an essay published in French at:
http://www.hkmania.com/Dossiers/chinechaillot-persistanceimage.html
that he had the ability to remain true to his heritage while infusing
it with the modern influences of the West, including a portrayal of
strong, athletic women that broke with the traditional frail feminine
ideal in China. At the same time, she writes that "his art of
metaphor and allusion, with its montage and juxtaposition of parallel
or antithetical images, has something of Chinese poetry, and his
humanism comes directly from the Confucian tradition. For Confucius
had faith in man, always perfectible, and in human society. Sun Yu's
humanism--a humanism without naivete and fatalism--gives his works an
optimistic tone, even amidst tragedy."
While Sun Yu was associated with the left of his time, this does not
mean that he adhered to some kind of rigid party line in his work.
Leftist critics condemned his 1932 film, "Blood of Love Under the
Volcano," as "bourgeois individualism" for depicting a personal
conflict between the hero and the villain who had wronged his family.
Leftist critics also castigated "Daybreak" as "ineffective" when it
was originally released. The revolutionists depicted in the film were
part of the Northern Expedition in the 1920s, a coalition between the
Nationalist KMT and the Communists opposed to the warlords, not simply
the Communists as Mr. Kennedy's post stated. In his 1933 classic,
"Small Toys," Sun Yu includes as a central character a wealthy
student, sympathetically portrayed, who later becomes a prominent
capitalist. The claim that Sun Yu was assisted by the Left Wing Drama
League when making "The Big Road" is inaccurate since, as he pointed
out in his memoirs, he "never consulted anyone outside the studio"
during the writing of the script.
Sun Yu later suffered from the sea change that overtook China after
the 1949 revolution with the reaction to his biographical film about a
famous educator of the Qing Dynasty, "The Life of Wu Xun," released in
1951. Writes Li Cheuk-To: "The film attracted criticism from Mao
Zedong who penned an editorial in the 'People's Daily.' Not only did
this event mark the beginning of politics infringing upon academia, it
firmly established the domination of politics over film/culture in
Chinese society. No matter what the real motives were behind the
attack, the fact remained that the party established its authority to
control culture/ideology, and stifled the prospects for letting a
hundred flowers bloom. The effects were momentous." All of his works
were subsequently attacked and banned during the Cultural Revolution
and it was only with the end of this violently destructive period that
he was honored again in his country--too late, however, for him to
resume his directorial career.
Sun Yu's films, like those of other early Chinese filmmakers--
indeed, like virtually the entirety of Asian, Middle Eastern and Latin
American cinema during the first half of the 20th century--was unknown
in the Western world until comparatively recently. Distinguished
cineastes in the West like Luke McKernan, who posted his enthusiasm
for "Daybreak" here on a.m.s. some weeks ago, and archivist Paolo
Cherchi Usai, who has praised "Daybreak" as one of the greatest films
ever made, are among Sun Yu's many admirers. The new availability of
these films to a wider audience here should be a cause for rejoicing
among lovers of classic cinema. With their humor, romance and Taoist
vision of agrarian harmony contrasted with later violence, oppression
and corruption, Sun Yu's films are works of highly individual power
and artistry. Over the years, there has been a sorry tendency on the
part of some critics to denigrate the achievements of such Western
masters as D. W. Griffith, Abel Gance and Frank Capra by trying to
pigeonhole them with simplistic political labelling. It will be very
unfortunate if this same approach is now utilized to diminish the
artistic stature of one of their greatest Asian contemporaries by
reducing his complex artistic achievements, steeped in centuries of
Chinese tradition, to mere propaganda for some sort of party line.
And it is in order to counteract this kind of interpretation that I
have posted these observations concerning the remarkable silent film
classics of Sun Yu.
William M. Drew
Caleb Kennedy
Sun Yu and adding more information - it's a good reminder that not everyone
does their homework before posting, including me!
I readily admit that I know very little about Sun Yu, and not enough about
the political situation in which he made his films; for instance, I'm still
wondering how a film apparently critical of the Nationalists like Daybreak
could be made - where were the censors? And I still don't know what
relations Sun Yu had with the Communists or other left-wing directors. In
fact, I don't even know to what extent his films were personal creations, or
if they were 'studio products' made by teamwork like so many great American
'30s films.
But I do want to clarify some of my statements - my goal was just to post
some brief impressions of what I found interesting in the films, so people
would know they were out there, without going into much detail; so I said
many things hastily.
I assumed Sun Yu was a Communist supporter just from watching his films, but
this is certainly not meant to be a negative statement, just a neutral
observation. And I definitely didn't mean to imply that he was imitating
Soviet films! - since I don't know what films he saw or was influenced by;
nor would I suggest that he 'adhered to a party line.' And I don't know
enough to talk about the Chinese traditions in his work; but some things,
for instance the opposition between an idyllic, beautiful village life
versus the grimy, dangerous city, seemed like international traditions since
we see the same concepts in American silent films.
I don't call a film "Communist propaganda" to dismiss it, but just as a kind
of shorthand label so people know what to expect. Could all the great Soviet
films of the '20s and later be dismissed just by saying they're Communist? I
think a film's art can be distinct from its ideology; and we as the heirs of
Birth of a Nation should certainly be aware of that! For instance,
Dovzhenko's Earth is a movie I disagree with and think is dishonest and
often dull; but it still has a unique, groundbreaking style I think film
students should be aware of.
I really liked most of Daybreak, but in the last half-hour it just seemed to
turn from a realistic socially-conscious film into a remake of Sternberg's
movie Dishonored; I know it's a classic and many viewers love it, but I
thought it became less interesting. I've realized that the heroine wasn't
actually working for the revolutionaries, but she (and the film) are
certainly looking forward to the revolution to relieve the "suffering of the
people" - as the revolutionary army leader said, "We must fight this
revolution til the end. We must rid our nation of the oppressors." I just
assumed that they were Communist soldiers, if they talked like this.
Big Road alienated me from the start, unfortunately, and I preferred Little
Toys as a film responding to the Japanese invasion. I did like the second
half, though, as it became more of an adventure story. In any case, Big Road
had many elements that I think of as the 'classic Communist propaganda
model' (though some of these might also come from national tradition) -
- it was about a group of workers, following a leader/spokesman who was
always brave and true
- they were all happy to sacrifice themselves for the greater cause,
regardless of the cost
- they were eager to meet an impossible labor goal, such as "we can build
this road in three days"
- they had to be vigilant against 'sabotage' and treacherous people who were
helping the enemy
- the film held up young people as standard-bearers of 'good' values; older
people didn't have much place here
- it also seemed to have the concept of the 'people's instinct', that is,
that the collective proletariat will always have the correct judgments of
what to do.
I was recently watching Kino's release of "Animated Soviet Propaganda", a
six-hour set of short animated films including several silent pieces, some
strong, some weak, some mindblowing, but generally fascinating and
instructive for anyone interested in the subject:
http://www.kino.com/video/item.php?film_id=851
Anyway, there are some parts of Sun Yu's films I don't like, but I think
this is just a matter of personal taste. I'm sad when I read people who are
hostile to Griffith's films since he's one of my favorites, but I can
understand their reasons. And when I make critical mentions of films I see
here, I do so in the hope that just talking about an unknown movie, whether
I say good or bad things, will help make people curious about it.
Caleb