The Chinese Mirror

《The God of Peace》(1926)

    This popular 1926 film was released at a time warlordism was still plaguing China, and while warlord politics nominally ended in 1928 with the downfall of the most powerful warlords (provincial governors with their own armies), the aftereffects left China a legacy of years of economic and political instability.  Warlordism being a major topic of public concern in the mid-1920s, it is no wonder its direct and indirect effects were a popular topic for Chinese filmmakers to tackle.  We have already discussed 1925's《The Person in the Boudoir Dream》and《Battle Exploits》, and 1926's《Join the Army and Live》, all of which unfolded against the background of civil war, and 1926's《Midnight Lovers》, in which a major plot line was a demobilized soldier's difficulties in transitioning to civilian life.

    In this film writer/director Hou Yao employed a dream sequence, a device he returned to in the following year's《Romance of the West Chamber》, and which in this case resulted in a major character taking matters into her own hands.

Heping zhi Shen (1926) 和平之神 (The God of Peace)

    Minxin.  Silent.  12 reels.  Premiered October 2, 1926 at the Palace Theater in Shanghai.  Producers:  Sun Yingsheng, Li Minwei.  Direction and Screenplay:  Hou Yao.  Assistant directors:  Xu Gongmei, Xin Yi.  Cinematography:  Liang Linguang.  Chinese program notes:  Hou Yao.  Western language program notes:  Zhu Weiji.  Chinese intertitles:  Dong Yuyi.  Western language intertitles:  Fan Zhuyun.  Still photography:  Li Xijin.  Cast:  Xu Yingying (Lin Suwei), Li Dandan (Lin Cuiwei), Fang Xin (Ling Yunfei), Xu Weisan (Zhong Guoxiong), Yi Yin’ao (Lin Renwang), Xing Shaomei (Su Minji), Zhang Baochu (Tian Zhongxiu), Xin Yi (Guo Ce), Xie Yingbo (Fang Zhongren), Zhu Weiji (Lin Shijia), Lin Chuchu (Su Ruolan), Huang Yueru (Su Ruomei), Zhang Xixi (Yu Xianjue), Yan Shanshan (Hua Mulan).

    Frequent, nearly constant, civil warfare during the warlord era inflicts great suffering on the common people.  The military governors (warlords) of two provinces reach a secret agreement to negotiate a peace pact, and Zhong Guoxiong, governor of province A, assigns one of his best young officers as an envoy to Fang Xin, governor of province B, to work out an agreement.  Before leaving, young officer Ling Yunfei goes to say goodbye to his fiancee Lin Suwei.  Although saddened by his departure, Suwei understands the vital importance of his mission, and urges him to accomplish it honorably, then return as early as possible.  Although the governor of province B desires peace, a prowar faction led by one of his lieutenants, Su Minji, has a spy at Governor Zhong's headquarters, who informs Su's faction of Ling Yunfei's secret mission, and without their governor's knowledge they have the envoy intercepted and placed under house arrest in the Su mansion.  When there are no communications concerning possible negotiations, the governor of province B reluctantly allows war preparations to go forward.  Meanwhile, with no news from Ling, Governor Zhong decides to dispatch another representative to province B, and this time he sends Lin Shijia, Suwei's elder brother.  But on the eve of his departure, Shijia falls from his horse and injures a leg, so cannot go.  Suwei volunteers to go in his place, but her father dismisses this. Almost sick with worry about her missing fiancee and the growing likelihood of civil war, Suwei falls into a fitful sleep that night, during which she dreams of the legendary Chinese woman warrior Hua Mulan.  Inspired by that heroine's example, she rises, and with the aid of her younger sister Cuiwei, dresses herself in one of her brother's uniforms, mounts his horse, and leaves late at night for province B.  But again Su Minji learns of Suwei assuming the mission, and as soon as she crosses the border into province B, she is also detained and placed under house arrest. 

[right, although as a patriot she deplores her father's treason, a filial daughter (Lin Chuchu) still pleads that his life be spared]

    But Su Minji has a daughter, Ruolan, who has a deep sense of righteousness and a desire for peace. 
One day, in the garden of the house where Suwei is being held, she sees Suwei pleading with her guards, and overhears the prisoner say that she was sent as a peace envoy and that war is imminent. Deciding to take a personal role, Ruolan brings wine to the guards, and encourages them to drink up and enjoy themselves.  While they are busy drinking, she exchanges clothes with Suwei, allowing the captive to escape, the by-now drunken guards paying little attention to who is leaving the compound.  Suwei hurries to the governor's headquarters, but unfortunately is arrested by military police before she gets there.  But when she is taken before the police commander for interrogation, it turns out he is an old friend of Ling Yunfei, as well as being in sympathy with the peace mission, so he has Ruolan, Suwei and Yunfei taken before Governor Fang.  When he sees the envoys' documents related to their mission, the governor realizes how his subordinate Su Minji has been obstructing the peace process, and angrily threatens him with a pistol.  But Ruolan pleads successfully that her father's life be spared.  The two provinces reach agreement on a truce, and with their mission successful, Yunfei and Suwei happily return home to prepare for their wedding. 

《Better Go Home》(1926)

Buru Gui (1926) 不如归 (Better Go Home)

     Guoguang.  Direction:  Yang Xiaozhong.  Screenplay:  Chen Zhiqing, adapted from the novel of the same title by Japanese author Tokutomi Roka [Tokutomi Kenjirō] (1868-1927).  Cinematography:  Liao Enshou, Yu Maoting.  Sets:  Hong Jingling.  Cast:  Wang Fuqing (Fang Shaoshan), Shen Huaying (Yao Mengxian of the Fang family), Fang Furen (Mrs. Fang), Yang Mu (Mrs. Yang), Yan Gongshang (Yao Junwu), Jin Xuejun (Mrs. Yao), Zhou Wensu (Yao Lingxian), Yang Jianjian (Yao Mali), Zhou Wenjun (Sixth Daughter Yao), He Zhigang (Jiangcheng), Zhou Kongkong (Li Yao), Ni Zhenzhen (Li Yuying), Yang Jun (Dr. Lu).  Also:  Huang Yunzhen (servant, uncredited).

[A young officer receives word of his wife's rumored unfaithfulness; Wang Fuqing, right, with Huang Yunzhen] 

   Yao Mengxian, daughter of Lieutenant General Yao Junwu, lost her mother in childhood.  When she reaches marriageable age, her father has her married to Fang Shaoshan, a young officer and scion of the well-to-do Fang family of Beijing.  Her mother-in-law, a woman convinced no girl is good enough for her son, is cool to Mengxian.  When the head of the Fang family dies, his widow really displays her hostility to her daughter-in-law, criticizing for little or no reason, and blaming the younger woman for everything that goes wrong.  The Fang scion, stationed at a distant post, is unaware of what happens at home during his absence, because his mother doesn't show her abuse when he returns for visits, and his young bride doesn't tell him.  The one member of the family who treats Mengxian with respect is Jiangcheng, Fang Shaoshan's younger cousin, and himself an officer.  Mother Fang uses the friendship to plant rumors that the two are having an affair, rumors which eventually reach Shaoshan.  Angry and upset, he stops visiting home, or even writing to his wife.  In her sorrow at his rejection, Mengxian falls ill.  When Jiangcheng is assigned to the same military post as Shaoshan, the two have a serious discussion about home life, in which his cousin tells Shaoshan about Mother Fang's mistreatment and conniving to drive the couple apart, and of Mengxian's illness.  Shaoshan immediately applies for leave to return home, but before he can leave their unit is ordered into battle, during which Jiangcheng is killed.  The battle won, Shaoshan hurries back to Beijing, but arrives too late to see Mengxian before she dies.

《Join the Army and Live》(1926)

Congjun Meng (1926) 从军梦 (Join the Army and Live)

literal English title:  A Dream of Joining the Army

    Guangya Film Co. (Hong Kong).  B&W.  Silent.  Premiered  February 5, 1926 at the Jurufang Theater in Hong Kong.  Direction: Chan Kwun-chiu (Mandarin:  Chen Junchao).  Principal cast:  Lu Juefei, Zhong Xiaqing.

    The Guangya Film Company was a joint venture cooperation started by 10 entrepreneurs, with the aim of "critiquing society in order to awaken the people's conscience [and thereby] rescue them from vulgarity and decadence, which would then be a "positive force in social construction."  The company made five films.  This film was screened with a slapstick comedy short titled《A Thief Comes Unstuck》, and while these were well-accepted by those who attended, the release was in the midst of the Guangdong-HK General Strike, which effectively ended Hong Kong as a filmmaking venue for several years. Shortly after, the Guangya Company moved to Guangzhou, but ceased operations before making any more productions.

    Despite the film's title, which would seem to be a paean to military service, it was actually an expose of the curse of warlordism, told against the background of the common people's longing for peace, and advocated disbanding the warlord armies (a Chinese government objective) and converting to farm workers the large number of demobilized soldiers that would result.  

《Battle Exploits》(1925)

    Although not one of our award winners for 1925, this film from that year also deserves attention. We don't know how popular it was with audiences, but it was very timely, as it dealt with a topic of considerable concern in China at the time, i.e. warlordism.  (For background, consult the excellent Wikipedia article on the subject.)  By 1925 the fledgling Chinese Republic, begun with such high hopes, had suffered through nearly a decade of  continuous civil conflict, with warfare going on somewhere in the country during that time.  The central government seemed powerless to stop it, and those suffering most (as in all wars) were the civilians, and that was the movie's focus.  For in spite of its title, this was not a war movie in the usual sense, but rather a look at how war affects the ordinary people who are charged with fighting it, in this case two love stories related against the background of war.  
     From the film historian's standpoint, the film is notable for its casting, which included major stars of the time as well as several future marquee names starting out in small, even uncredited, roles.  In addition, the male and female leads, Wang Yuanlong and Zhang Zhiyun, played both pairs of lovers, a dual-role casting device which later became commonplace, but was innovative at the time.

Zhan Gong (1925) 战功 (Battle Exploits)
alt. English title:  Amid the Rattle of Musketry

    Da Zhonghua.  Silent, with Chinese and English intertitles.  9 reels.  Premiered May 9, 1925 at the Palace Theater in Shanghai.  Producer:  Lu Jie.  Director:  Xu Xinfu.  Screenplay:  San San.   English Captioning:  Su Gongjuan.  Cinematography:  Jingguangfu+.   Cast:  Wang Yuanlong (Wang Yihua/Zhu Zhuofu), Zhang Zhiyun (Zhang Yijun/Tong Yihan), Li Minghui (Wang Lihua), Hu Die (Hu Cuiying), Tang Jie (Tang Zigang), Zhao Chen (Zhao Xiaowei).
(+indicates the transliteration of a foreign name, which is unknown.)   

    Wang Yihua, scion of a noble family, and his girlfriend Tong Yihan are in love.  One day, when Yihua and his younger sister Lihua are visiting relatives in the countryside, he meets Zhang Yijun, a woman who dresses in male clothing.  The two strike up a friendship.  The siblings return to the city, and soon thereafter Yijun shows up.  She and Yihua renew their friendship, which upsets his girlfriend Yihan.  
     When their girls school holds a benefit musical performance to help people in a disaster-stricken area, Lihua and Yihan take the stage to perform.  Yihua and Yijun attend, as do Yihua's old friend Zhao Xiaowei and his friend Zhu Zhuofu.  When they are introduced before the performance, Yijun and Zhuofu appear somewhat surprised.  

[a volunteer parts from his lover; Zhang Zhiyun, left, Wang Yuanlong, right.  Click on any picture to enlarge.]

     Afterwards, Yihua and Yijun grow even closer.  But when war erupts, Yihua bids Yijun and his family farewell and joins the army.  Zhuofu also enlists, and the two leave for the front lines.  Before they leave, Yihua writes to Yihan, breaking off their relationship. 

 

    [lower right, a call to service; Wang Yuanlong, right]

    When Yihua returns from the battlefield, and his father asks about Zhuofu, the son sadly tells of how an artillery shell exploded near them, and when Yihua awoke in the hospital he could learn nothing of Zhuofu.  When she hears this, Yijun turns pale and looks horrified.  That evening, Yihua proposes to Yijun, but she sadly tells him she cannot, for she is already married to Zhuofu.  He had become a drunk, and abandoned her in the countryside.  After that, she had dressed as a man to make herself less attractive to another man who was harassing her, and finally fled the countryside for the city.  She tells Yihua, "I can only be your friend, not your wife". 
     At that time, Zhu Zhuofu, having lost a hand and a foot, crawls into the house.  When he sees Yihua and Yijun together, he makes to leave.  But Yijun stops him and brings him back, saying, "As you are today, do you really want to leave me again"?  
     At this point, Lihua brings Yihan in to welcome Yihua back.  It turns out his sister had interrupted Yihua's breakup letter to Yihan, and she has been waiting for him faithfully.  Yihua realizes where his true happiness lies, and both couples are reunited.

[This picture does not fit in with the above narrative, but I have included it anyway.  The Chinese source for this labels it a still from the movie, but since it was by no means a comedy, it was Hu Die's first movie appearance -- in a supporting part -- and the two wounded soldiers (Zheng Xiaoqiu, left, and Gong Jianong, right) were in uncredited minor roles, it was more likely an outtake of clowning around on the set.]

Retro Review:《The Big Road》(1935)

In the history of Chinese motion pictures, one filmmaker who cannot be ignored is Sun Yu; nor can his 1934 classic "Da Lu"大路  ("The Big Road", sometimes billed as "The Highway").  While it shares the summit of Chinese silent film with two other 1934 films, "Shen Nü" 神女("Goddess") and "Yu Guang Qu" 渔光曲 ("Song of the Fishermen"), "Da Lu" differs from them in a major regard:  it is a "male film ".  With a cast headed by Jin Yan, China's most popular male star of the 1930s, it included such popular and well-known actors of the day as Zheng Junli, Luo Ming, Zhang Zhizhi and Han Lan'gen.  It was an all-out celebration of male strength and virility.  It is interesting to note that the male heroes all had names
very similar to the screen names of the actors portraying them:  Jin Yan:Jin Ge, Zhang Junli:Zhang Jun, etc.  [above right, laboring for national defense:  left to right, Luo Peng, Jin Yan, Zhang Yi]