Social issues
Cai's "Song of the Fishermen" (1934) won China's first international film award. It was screened for 84 consecutive days. The theme song became an instant national hit. The most popular advertisement of the time said, "Few men live to be 80 years old while fewer films are screened for 80 days."
More sensational ads were written for "A Spring River Flows East" (1947), Cai's box-office hit. One said, "Do bring 12 handkerchiefs with you when coming to watch the film." Another called it "the Chinese version of 'Gone with the Wind'."
Exposing problems and "social darkness" was a major reason for the popularity of these films.
"People lived a hard life at that time, so did actors. They did not enjoy much respect, as today. Actually, most of them didn't have happy endings, especially the actresses," says Zhang Jiyue, a doctoral student of film at Shanghai University.
The most famous example is the death of famed actress Ruan Lingyu (see Shanghai Daily story on December 8). Ruan played the leading role in "New Women" (1934) directed by Cai.
The film was based on a true story of actress Ai Xia who was pretty and smart but committed suicide because of the rumors about her personal life. Unfortunately, life mimicked art. Ruan, just like her character, poisoned herself because of pressure, rumors and her own sad love life.
Sun Yu, another heavyweight in the second generation, also explored the same sad theme.
"Sun was romantic and crowned the 'Poet of the Silver Screen,' yet he concentrated on social issues and brought his thoughts to his films," says Zhang.
Political elements
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| Xie Jin [File Photo] |
The third generation came after the founding of New China. The period from 1949 to 1966 is called the "17-Year Period" in film.
At that time, Chinese cinema changed structurally as the creative center shifted from Shanghai to Beijing, the capital.
Xie Jin stands out as the most productive and influential director over a long period. His films were mostly based on social and historical events and the audience could easily identify with characters and situations.
Xie died very recently, on October 18, just a month before his 85th birthday. His masterpieces include "Woman Basketball Player No. 5" (1957), "Red Female Army" (1961), "Hibiscus Town" (1986) and "The Opium War" (1997).
Nowadays, the term "generations of directors" is not frequently used in the current period of market-driven economy. Varied investment channels and shooting methods give directors larger creative space and individuality.
The idea of a group or generation no longer makes much sense today and critics debate whether the term "generation" is relevant.
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