Paris at the beginning of summer or fall is the best time to appreciate its marvels. Enjoy! Please do concern…
No problem, staying with trusted friends and "family"... Will enjoy the pho... and have roamed quite a bit, so I usually have a good evaluation of environment, vibes, risks, and when to use Andy Lau like toothy stare-downs (see: A world without thieves) or tricks to deflect attention to decoys and go invisible -- but I've met more guardian angels and good people than huaidans. Paris is like all major cities -and other inhabited places- one that has its cons and pros :)
OK, I am back... It did take longer than hoped for to get that second part. For those who like me were away on other business and did not jump on the bandwagon on May 30 and would like some reminders of who was who, where was what, or missed the first part at the time, my "companion piece" still can be accessed here : https://kisskh.at/discussions/zi-chuan/123627-eternal-brotherhood-shooting-and-dates-location-and-more
(I have excuses for being tardy : have landed my "virtual spaceship" in Paris, to attend the 16th festival of Chinese movies, which features a selection from the early days of Chinese film making, such as 1927 The Romance of the West Pavilion in cinema concert ; delightful underrated movie Shadow Magic depicting the birth of Chinese cinema with the filming of the lost 1905 movie Dingjun Mountain ; the first color feature movie of the PRC : New Year Sacrifice ; the latest movie adaptation of The Dream of The Red Chamber ; the blockbuster Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants ; and a number of other movies in different styles, modern stories, regional stories, even a couple of beloved animation movies featuring Sun Wukong and Nezha, and VR movies, roundtable talks about the industry and adaptations, localization.... Several directors, and cast members are in attendance, among whom Hu Mei, Wang Chao, Liu Miaomiao. I can't attend everything, but don't regret since I have already seen several choices in the selection, and I am also enjoying the start of summer in the European capital, while trying to keep up with watching other movies and dramas online!).
The movie was screened during the 16th Chinese movie festival in Paris on Monday June 2, 16:00 at the Cinéma les 7 Parnassiens, and again on Monday June 9, 19:00 at the Pathé Les Fauvettes cinema. With French subtitles.
This is the first color feature film of the PRC. It has been restored in 4K by China Film Archive and shown at Cannes Classics festival in 2020.
The movie New Year Sacrifice (also known as "Blessings") is adapted from a famous short story by Lǔ Xùn 鲁迅 (1881-1936) titled 《祝福》[Zhùfú] "Blessings", adapted by Xià Yǎn 夏衍 and directed by Sāng Hú 桑弧 stage name of Lǐ Péilín (1916-2004). It stars Bái Yáng 白杨 as Xiang Lin Sao (Xiang Lin's wife), Wei Heling 魏鹤龄 as He Lao Liu , Li Jingbo 李景波 as Mr Lu 4th ; it was produced by Beijing Film Studio in 1956.
"Through the tragic experience of Xiang Lin Sao's life, "Blessings" reflects the social contradictions in China after the Revolution of 1911, deeply exposes the destruction and persecution of working women by the landlord class, reveals the cannibalistic nature of feudal ethics, and points out the necessity of thoroughly opposing feudalism." (Baidu ; translation from Chinese by me)
Synopsis : In the early years of the 20th century, in a mountain village, a young widow accepts to work as servant in a rich family in order to escape a forced remarriage. Caught back by her family, she is wed to He and has a son, named Ah Mao. After the death of her debt-ridden husband and her son falling prey to wolves, she returns to her former employers, but is viewed as a jinx by the villagers who forbid her to take part in the New Year sacrifice ritual ; she loses her mind. (adapted from the 16th Festival of Chinese movies in Paris program book in French)
The program page online also had the following interesting comment (originally in French) : "This is the first screen adaptation of a work by Lu Xun, after the establishment of the communist regime and the first PRC color feature film. At the time BAI Yang was a big star. Revealed at less than seventeen years old by SHEN Xiling's film: "Crossroads" 十字街头 (Shizi jietou, 1937), she would go on to have a successful career in movies, but also on stage at the theater. Her natural acting is particularly well suited to the role of the peasant woman she plays in this film. Playing alongside her, WEI Heling is also perfect in his role. This discreet and nuanced actor excels in playing roles of ordinary city people such as in the movie "Street Angels" 馬路天使 (Malu tianshi, YUAN Muzhi, 1937), or "This Life Of Mine" 我這一輩子 (Wo zheyi beizi, SHI Hui, 1950), but also roles as peasant, such as in "New Year Sacrifice".
Synopsis : The story takes place in a small village called Shujiachuan in northwest China, when alfalfa flowers are in full bloom. Lǐ Hán , a beekeeper from another province, set up camp here, raising bees and collecting honey, and had an ambiguous, hidden but strong emotional entanglement with Màimài, a local girl who often mowed grass nearby. Màimài was engaged, and a little boy named Sùsù shuttled back and forth between them, frequently creating disturbance, making it difficult to know where the relationship was going...
Adaptation from the short story 《花开时节》"Flowers in Bloom" by Shí Shūqīng 石舒清 Original title : 带彩球的帐篷 Dài cǎi qiú de zhàngpéng (Tent with colored balls) Starring: singer MòXīZǐ shī 莫西子诗 (also known as Mo Chunlin 莫春林) as Lǐ Hán; Ke Rong 帐篷 as Màimài Other Title: The Flower's Time /The Time of A Flower Director : Liú Miáomiáo 刘苗苗 screenwriters: Tian Yuan and Shi Shuqing Pre-released Oct.11, 2023 public release : May 25, 2024
About the director : Liú Miáomiáo 刘苗苗 born in 1962 in Guyuan, close to Yinchuan, Ningxia autonomous region of the PRC, is a graduate from the directing department of Beijing Film Academy where she studied 1978-1982. She was a peer of Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, and Tian ZhuangZhuang. She belongs to the fifth generation of directors in China. She started working as assistant director and screenwriter in 1984-1986 while trying her hand at directing herself with 1985 远洋轶事 (Ocean Anecdotes) ; in 1987 her movie 马蹄声碎 (Horseshoes sound/ "Women on the Long March", a war movie about eight female Red Army soldiers who find themselves separated from their main force during the Long March) was screened at the 11th Turin Film Festival in Italy, and in 1992, her 1993 released movie 杂嘴子 ("Chatterbox") won the gold medal at the Venice Mostra. In 1992, she became the director of the Ningxia film studios, while she went on to direct other movies : 1994 《家丑》 (Family scandal) which won the 2nd Beijing University Student Film Festival Best Story Film Award, and 1996 《家事》 (Family Problems), and 2000 movie 《黑色风景里的女人》(Woman in black scenery)
While also working as guest teacher 2004-2008 in Beijing at Beijing Daxue, Beijing Normal University, Beijing Film academy, she also worked as editor for movies by Feng Xiaogang ("A World Without Thieves" and "If You Are The One"), and directed her own movies : 2005 《拯救艾玛》 (Saving Emma) from a true story, and 《大山无言》 (Silent Mountains), 2006 《夜深人静》(In the Stillness of the Night), 2008 《小田进城》 (Xiaotian Enters the City). In 2013, she directed the romance movie film "Butterfly Love"《蝶之恋》 starring Ji Li and Jin Daoxinxin. In 2018, her romance movie "Red Flowers and Green Leaves" 《红花绿叶》won the most popular film in the premiere unit of the 2nd Pingyao International Film Festival and the Best Small and Medium Cost Feature Film Award at the 32nd China Film Golden Rooster Awards .
On May 25, 2024, her film "Tent with Colored Balls" was released in mainland China. The movies of Liu Miaomiao focus on the humanistic expression of the hometown theme, and her work has won domestic and foreign awards many times. (Information sourced from Baidu, iMDB, Sohu, Wikipedia, and 16th Festival of Chinese movies in Paris May 2025 program book page, added to photo section -- I have submitted a short version of this bio with accurate birth date and a portrait to MDL on June 1, 2025.)
This movie will be shown on Saturday May 31 and Friday June 6, in the 16th festival of Chinese movies in Paris, with French subtitles. Description in French and Chinese in the program as follows : https://www.festivalducinemachinoisdeparis.com/spip.php?article766 Director LIU Miaomiao / 刘苗苗 will be in attendance.
Very interesting review and you are such a great writer 😭😭. I wanted to write reviews sometimes but my english…
Thank you for liking! Don't let your feelings of having limited skills in English stop you from writing : from what I see, they are good enough and in using them, you would only improve continuously to reach the level you wish for :) Wishing you the best in enjoyment of dramas, c-movies and ZLY fandom.
(Me, I am just a multi fandom explorer and an old movie lover, currently in between a few flicks showing in the 16th Chinese movies festival that I am attending until next week in Paris, as a highlight of my vacation there. I reported about it in comments for "The Dream of the Red Chamber" directed by Hu Mei. Taking in some sights while also watching some other stuff on tablet, phone, or laptop. )
The official announcement of the key extension of the movie "Sunflower" is that the release date will be extended…
It is an interesting review, although I don't agree with the "teary" in the title. I was also surprised that among all the titles in the Feng Xiaogang filmography, the reviewer did not spot the link to "A World Without Thieves". But the picture of Gao Yuexiang, standing in thoughts and isolation on a high dangerous steel utility bridge over a railroad, is the one I was thinking of to illustrate that movie. The picture is cropped so it conveys less of the life and death choices open to desperate people like Gao Yuexiang, but she is not jumping, saved by her sense of motherhood even in separation. I am copying the picture into photo section, since it does not seem it was included before.
Watched it too. Zhao Liying always delivers solid performances in tough stories ; the resilience of the character she plays also comes from experience in life and acting although the character she played in "The Story of Xing Fu" was not as poor and desperate as Gao Yuexiang who sometimes reminds of the slave girl of "Princess Agents" in her dire straits. GYX is a light grey character with a low moral compass but a strong sense of faithfulness to those she protects, thinking of her daughter, like Hei Mei (played memorably by Lan Xiya, already noticed as prominent in "She and Her Girls", the biopic series about the mountain high school for girls - she is still playing support with as much brilliance as if she was lead).
The two struggle against the hurdles that keep the poor on the threshold of desperation, saddled with that backstory of going through prison for minor or more serious crimes while the gang that forced Hei Mei to break the law went scot free ...until the bloody retribution in the literally dying out gang in the end. Former ways of thieving are on the way of disappearing in a cashless society where Internet fraud replaces lock picking, and animal trafficking is on the rise while kids abducting is still a menace. Going to prison being also to make inmates reflect and reform, there is a clear goal, but former inmates insertion into society, as in most countries, is not easy, even with the sum allowed to start anew, and they are expected to fend for themselves or finding support in their families if they have one, even a bad one.
Deng Hong is not a typical prison warden, but does have some sympathy for the downtrodden women who become sisters in need, and is impressed by the more moral Hei Mei who instead of ripping off old relatives of their former prison cell enemy, goes to lengths to help them. Deng Hong has a back story that explains her sympathy : she was a baby saved from drowning by an escaped inmate and was raised by a police officer, as she tells her story in passing, not insisting. She genuinely wants her former inmates and charges to insert back and start afresh, away from law breaking.
There are a lot of ups and downs in the movie that depicts another side of city under world. But finally there is a happy end, where blood stains are aptly washed clean, while the former law breakers slate is wiped clean.
So, this is perhaps a tad over optimistic, not as realistic as a "Xiao Wu" pickpocket story told by Jia Zhangke in his famous independent movie, but "We Girls" also reminds of that underworld of ordinary people whose lives also contribute to building a country, shown over the years in movies such as "Platform", "Suzhou River" etc. and referring directly to the spirit of the famous Feng Xiaogang 2004 crime comedy "A World Without Thieves".
It is an interesting watch, indeed not depressing or boring, even thrilling, although there is not much humor in this one. I align with Sandrusca for rating this new movie.
This will be shown on Saturday June 7 as part of the 16th festival of Chinese movies in Paris, at the Cinéma Pathé Les Fauvettes, 58 avenue des Gobelins, Paris 13th (not far from the Parisian Chinese quarter in the 13th arrondissement).
The film was nominated for the Golden Goblet Awards at the 24th Shanghai International Film Festival in June 2021. Its lead star, Zheng Yunlong, won a Golden Angel award for the best new actor at the 17th Chinese American Film Festival in Los Angeles in November 2021. Zheng, a musical theater actor and singer, said at the premiere in Beijing that the movie is his first major silver-screen project, and he regards it as a gift to pay tribute to his mother, a former Peking Opera actress.
The movie is adapted from the Mao Dun Literature Prize winning novelist Wang Xufeng's novella Liu Lang Wen Ying (Orioles Singing in the Willows)－also the film's Chinese title.
The tale is set in the titular park, one of the 10 most renowned scenic spots, surrounding the iconic West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.
The veteran director Dai Wei 戴玮, with more than 40 galas under her belt at China Central Television, shifted her interest to the silver screen with the 2008 musical film "Ganglamedo", named after a popular Tibetan folk song, Snow Lotus. With other directorial efforts, including "Once Upon a Time in Tibet" (2011) and "Once Again" (2017), Dai has demonstrated her talent in the examination of women's status and psyche.
But her connection with "The Chanting Willows" started much earlier. "When I was studying in college, I was impressed by novelist Wang while reading her award-winning series Charen Sanbuqu (Tea Men Trilogy). Her language has a particular magic to make you feel that you could step into the fictional world and closely follow the characters," recalls Dai. When her executive producer recommended Dai to read Wang's Liu Lang Wen Ying, one of 10 novellas in the anthology Aiqing Xihu (Love Stories in West Lake), Dai was quickly hooked.
After getting financed and then interviewing more than 100 actors to select the cast, the movie started shooting－with its major scenarios filmed in West Lake area of Hangzhou, in the summer of 2021.
It links to a page mentioning that Dai Wei also wrote the score for May 2025 "A Stolen Life" movie directed by Zhao Fei 赵非. https://sino-cinema.com/tag/dai-wei/
-- The Chanting Willows movie is still available in full, with English subtitles, on YouTube, which has some interviews with Zheng Yunlong, an MV, and a trailer
The synopsis was changed to correct the previous erroneous one : rejoice! But my other additions for the director Ann Hu are still not taken into account despite following correct MDL addition procedure through https://kisskh.at/add/person/details MDL volunteer staff seems swamped and can't keep up with submissions...
Otherwise, I am sharing the Douban rating for this movie : 7.6 from about 7034 ratings (that's almost confidential, as audience number goes) : https://movie.douban.com/subject/1304489/ ; IMDb credited it with 7.1/10 from 833 ratings, and Rotten Tomatoes is rather evenly balanced between those who loved it and those who objected, recording, among other reviews, this one from Michel O'Sullivan, Washington Post, April 20, 2001 : "It's a film about film, and Hu's love of the medium's storytelling power shines through every frame.".
I'm just out from the opening of the 16th festival of Chinese cinema, where the movie was screened yesterday (and will be again, Wednesday May 28 and Thursday June 5).
Double subtitling in Chinese and French were a bit complicated to read because too close to bottom of screen, in the crowded cinema where the 380 seats were fully occupied, with a bunch of celebs and cinema directors, producers, or people involved in culture. Those guests made speeches before having a group photo prior to screening. Among those were director Hu Mei and actress Lin Peng, who played as Wang Xifeng (wife of Baoyu's cousin and niece of Madam Wang) the woman who ruled the financial affairs of Rongguo mansion.
I remembered fondly reading an easy version of the novel, a long time ago, and it did help following the convoluted web of characters in the story. The movie centered on Jia Baoyu ("Precious Jade") , spontaneous and innocent pleasures seeking adolescent, protected by his jade pendant (remnant of the magic stone of Nüwa, but that information was not much emphasized in the movie, except for the engraving and consequences of its loss), and Lin Daiyu, the orphan cousin he loved and wanted to marry someday, taken in by the Jia Matriarch of the Rong estate, residing in Rongguo Mansion. Daiyu henceforth lived there with her cousins Baoyu and Jia Xichun (who was originally from Ningguo mansion).
The mansions were large, adjacent family compounds in the capital. Although the capital is not named in the novel (and the first chapter insists that the dynasty is indeterminate), it is generally agreed that this is set in the Qing dynasty. The story is an allegory of corruption, through the portrayal of a sprawling cast of characters, many of which are cousins or close blood relations.
Then came the introduction of other girls, among whom Qin Keyi (the one who seduced her father-in-law, in a short nighttime scene where guards/servants lamented the man's behavior, glimpsed from the garden); Xue Baochai whose brother Xue Pan was a murderer (he killed a man to get the slave girl Xiangling). The Xue were intent on marrying Baochai into the Jia family for gaining status in exchange for money, while the Jia family through the machinations of Madam Wang, old Jia Zheng's wife, misappropriated the inheritance of Lin Daiyu to pay for luxury and offset some debts, before casting Daiyu off and tricking Baoyu to marry Baochai...
The power intrigues and exacerbated sentimentality were lightly touched upon in sometimes grandiose cinematic takes. The characters of Granny Liu and her grandson did appear too, but were not lingered on (they served as necessary contrast between princely city life in the mansions and rural life, not shown). The set was carefully, richly, and tastefully laid out, with many colors emphasizing details such as games ; strolling in Suzhou style gardens... The movie has the stately visit in the Daguanyuan (Grand View Garden) of the Rongguo mansion, of princess consort Yuanchun (sister of Jia Zheng who headed the other branch of the Jia clan in Ningguo mansion) , bringing with her imperial gifts and honor. There was also the other-worldly pink peach blossoms raining on Daiyu burying withered flowers, her and Baoyu reading poetry books, crossing arched bridges, Baoyu flying kites, personnel sleeping under the covered outer porches, because of the killing heat and vapor making Daiyu's cough worse, and more. The fantastic comes in with Baoyu's nightmares of drowning and visiting the Void, announcing the downfall of the mansions and of his hopes, and of course the ""sentient", "magic" jade stone pendant, that had begged to be sent to mortal realm to experience life, thus giving its other name to the novel (The Story of the Stone).
For those who are unfamiliar with the classic story, and lacking time to read or re-read the classic novel, there is an interesting 48 minutes animation+documentary video to get introduced to it and the author Cao Xueqin : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab0Fa8G845I
The movie wrapped in 2018, and introduced Zhang Miaoyi as Lin Daiyu, but drew harsh criticism centered on her portrayal of the sickly adolescent who comes out sometimes as peevish and was not beautiful enough, too bland, according to the taste of some audience, still faithful to the canon incarnation of the late Chen Xiaoxu in 1987! Actor Cheng Bian's Jia Baoyu conformed better to expectations. The main objections to young (then) Zhang Miaoyi are recorded in this post : https://dramapanda.com/2024/08/dream-red-chamber-movie-flopped-zhang-miaoyi-role-lin-daiyu-criticism.html. Perhaps there has now been too many adaptations of the long and sprawling novel, so audiences are jaded. Douban rating was low at 3.1 (https://movie.douban.com/subject/26924522/) from only about 21,000 ratings, ; and ImDB followed suit at 4.6/10 from 26 ratings, RottenTomatoes simply ignored the movie, while some lamented that director Hu Mei (famous for her almost classic movie biopic of Confucius) mangled the project, which in my opinion is too negative. I'd give it a passing 7, following the level of applause from audience in Paris, which was composed both of professionals, people interested in Chinese literature and movies, and simply curious naive newbies, a bit put off by having to crane their necks to try and read subtitles (in Chinese and French) at bottom of screen, over a sea of bobbing heads...
The cinema chosen for the purpose was not uncomfortable, despite being an Art Deco arthouse. Seats had been renovated, but still followed the historical almost flat parallel lines seating layout, with the screen placed high up over a stage. So it did feel a bit stuffy for so many people, and the lack of clear slope was unfortunate, especially since this was after all not a mobility impaired friendly theater (many steps and stairs without ramps). Paris is not really friendly to mobility impaired people anyway, be it public transport, rail stations, metro, official buildings, most buildings (despite ramps are supposedly mandatory for private buildings, but can become treacherous with width and lack of handrails). Besides which, since the municipality has vowed to make the city a hell for car drivers and force everybody to become pedestrians, the roads are bumpy and there are almost no parking spaces in the vicinity, even for handicapped people. Even taxi drivers complain, and the metro is a far cry in cleanliness, safety, and reliability, from those who are used to Chinese cities public transit. The state of roads can be a hazard to inexperienced bike or other wheel users. This cinema was not even the worst, as layout comes. For those who came early or wished to speak after (or during! the screening) there was a micro-café style bar with chairs, small round tables, and refreshments to be purchased, although not cheap. On the other hand, the independent cinemas such as Le Balzac are more friendly for the wallet in their policy for tickets. Prices are around 11€ or 9€ reduced when the major cinemas charge up to 15 or 20€.
The director is Ann Hu (also known for her award winning movie Shadow Magic, about the earliest days of Chinese movie making in 1902-1905). She also had a dyslexic daughter, raised in part in China and in the USA where she was based since 1977 working in finance before switching career to film making in the late 1990s after meeting famous director Chen Kaige in 1987. She wrote the script, inspired by her experience. I added a biography for her, so hopefully it will be possible to link this new entry with this, her latest movie.
The movie is one of the historical first generation Chinese film directors, "Dan Duyu (但杜宇; 1897–1972), also romanized as Dan Do-yu, was a Chinese film director and cinematographer who directed more than 30 films from 1922 to 1952. He was married to film actress Yin Mingzhu (who starred in his 1927 film The Cave of the Silken Web)." The HK movie data base further informs with the titles and cast/crew details of 21 movies he filmed from 1925 to 1952 ("Cave of Silken Web 盤絲洞" being the second in that list), and adds these biographical details : "Dan Duyu, also known as Ren Zuling, Daan Do-Yue. Painter of distinction before entering the film industry. Established Shanghai Film Co 1920. Migrated to HK 1937. Died 1972." (Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Duyu ; ImDB; https://hkmdb.com/db/people/view_utf.mhtml?id=655&display_set=eng)
"Yin Mingzhu (Chinese: 殷明珠; 1904–1989), also known as Pearl Ing, was a Chinese actress. Mingzhu was most famous for her role as an actress but was also an investor and production coordinator specifically during her time off camera in the 1930s." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_Mingzhu) She was a famous beauty in Shanghai, who met the director Dan Duyu and started working with him when she was 17. In 1921, she joined Duyu's Shanghai Shadow Play Company, where she starred in the (lost?) movie Sea Oath, in which she was praised for her performance as a first time actress. However, her career almost ended there when her mother forbid her from making any more films, but in 1925, after a three year hiatus from sets, her mother gave in and allowed Pearl (translation of her Chinese first name) to star in Duyu's "philosophical film", "Some Girl" 重返故鄉 (also known as "Return Home or " Back Home From City"). Yin Mingzhu had married a Frenchman, but after he deserted her, going back to his country, she eventually divorced, and married Dan Duyu in 1926, having fallen in love with him. She starred in about half of the 30 movies directed by Dan Duyu, but most are believed to be lost films. Their daughter Judy Dan appeared in many American films.
This movie is a testament to the beauty of actresses and the taste for movies in Shanghai in the late 1920s.
"It was thought to be a lost film until 2011, when an original copy of The Cave of the Silken Web was discovered in the archives of the National Library in Mo i Rana, Norway. The film was presented at the 2013 Films from the South festival in Oslo. Roughly three-quarters of the film is preserved, the first reel and a section in the middle is lost. The Norwegian copy has retained the original Chinese intertitles, but includes additional jokes in Norwegian written for the local audience."
Since the Wikipedia page links it, I was delighted to sit and watch this relic, which goes back to a long lost time, in the birth year of my mother ;) Of course, I always appreciate stories inspired by Journey to the West, and the Norwegian intertitles added to interest, since it is one of the (several) languages I read and am familiar with. It was fun watching the magic of the camera allowing Sun Wukong to "take the form" of one of the Spider beauties to infiltrate the demonic cave and save the monk. Early FX.
I have followed the procedure to add the info about director and cast, but it looks like MDL has trouble keeping up with the "flood of submissions" submerging staff... So, until they get ready for addition and changes, the info is exclusively on my comments here.
I have no idea why and how the unrelated comments below landed on this page which is about a famous ancient movie of 1905, much referred to, but impossible to screen, mute and of course more "archaeological" than else.
Based on an episode in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and starred Tan Xinpei. The film consisted of a 42 minutes recording of a Beijing opera performance of the Battle of Mount Dingjun and constitutes the first Chinese film ever made.
It remains a relic, and I would have found it as interesting to watch as the documentary movies filmed at the time by foreigner teams such as those of Albert Kahn (which i did watch), perhaps did watch Dingjun Mountain too in a former incarnation... Awarding it a rating of 2/10 is just crazy. It was a feat to film that movie and to keep a copy for so many years for those interested in film history or simply History !
I can't claim to have seen it since the only copy was destroyed in a fire in the late 1940s, during the war of aggression by Japan, and only one still remains, but just to correct that incredible and offensive score mocking a historical and almost mythical relic, I awarded it a 10 here. More about the movie here : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingjun_Mountain_(film)
To know more about the History of Chinese cinema which started with this lost movie, you could check this page : https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d774e3241444d34457a6333566d54/index.html , only regretting this interesting illustrated summary and timeline swept quickly away the "golden age from the 1920s to 1930s", from which many movies, silent or not, many musical, can still be admired both as relics of bygone times and for the acts, plots, cinematography. I greatly admired works from directors such as Sun Yu, Fei Mu etc, but also found it endearing to sample even partial copies of movies that were thought lost such as this one : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cave_of_the_Silken_Web_(1927_film) enjoying the Norwegian inserts of "titles" (subtitles did not exist yet for mute movies) since this is one of the languages I also read fluently ; it makes the experience quite special.
This movie is delightful and deservedly won praise when it was shown. Being familiar with the history of Chinese cinema and the story of the famous 1905 early movie Dingjun Mountain, directed by Ren Qingtai (任慶泰) a.k.a. Ren Jingfeng (任景豐), who was assisted by his cinematographer Liu Zhonglun (劉仲伦), I found it endearing to see these pioneer's life and hopes be portrayed in this movie, including the photograph taking of Empress Ci Xi, and the risks of handling the earliest film strips. What a pity that only a still remains from the first known relic...
Writer, producer and director Ann Hu's 35mm debut Shadow Magic (2000) won both the Chinese Academy Award and Presidential Award in China for Best film among other international prizes. The film premiered at the 2000 Sundance film Festival and released by Sony Classics in 2001.
CORRECT SYNOPSIS (the first one above was totally erroneous, there was no "intern" involved) : "Beijing, 1902: an enterprising young portrait photographer named Liu Jinglun, keen on new technology, befriends a newly-arrived Englishman who's brought projector, camera, and Lumière-brothers' shorts to open the Shadow Magic theater. Liu's work with Wallace brings him conflict with tradition and his father's authority, complicated by his falling in love with Ling, daughter of Lord Tan, star of Beijing's traditional opera. Liu sees movies as his chance to become wealthy and worthy of Ling. When the Shadow Magic pair are invited to show the films to the Empress Dowager, things look good. But, is disaster in the script? And, can movies preserve tradition even as they bring change?"
Ann Hu / Hú Ān 胡安 born 胡小平 (Hú Xiǎopíng) in 1956, grew up in Beijing. After finishing middle school, she was assigned to work as a waitress but studied by herself in view of passing college entrance examination, when those exams resumed in 1977. She next studied English at Beijing International Studies University in 1977 and came to the USA in 1979 to study at New York University as one of the earliest students to go to the United States after the Cultural Revolution. She stayed there as a businesswoman, working in an international company, shifting carer to study film making at NYU Film School after meeting Chen Kaige in 1987.
In 1992, she wrote and directed her first film, "Old Stories of Mountains and Rivers" 《山河旧话》 In 2000, her film "Shadow Magic" 《西洋镜》 was released in mainland China, and she won the 37th Taiwan Golden Horse Film Award for Best Cross-Media Adapted Screenplay. In 2005, the film "Still Beautiful" 《美人依旧》 directed by her was released. On December 4, 2020, the family inspirational film "Confetti" English title of 《五彩缤纷》("Colorful"), inspired by her struggle to help her dyslexic daughter, written and directed by her was released in mainland China. It was also shown abroad in 2021.
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Will enjoy the pho...
and have roamed quite a bit, so I usually have a good evaluation of environment, vibes, risks, and when to use Andy Lau like toothy stare-downs (see: A world without thieves) or tricks to deflect attention to decoys and go invisible -- but I've met more guardian angels and good people than huaidans. Paris is like all major cities -and other inhabited places- one that has its cons and pros :)
For those who like me were away on other business and did not jump on the bandwagon on May 30 and would like some reminders of who was who, where was what, or missed the first part at the time, my "companion piece" still can be accessed here : https://kisskh.at/discussions/zi-chuan/123627-eternal-brotherhood-shooting-and-dates-location-and-more
(I have excuses for being tardy : have landed my "virtual spaceship" in Paris, to attend the 16th festival of Chinese movies, which features a selection from the early days of Chinese film making, such as 1927 The Romance of the West Pavilion in cinema concert ; delightful underrated movie Shadow Magic depicting the birth of Chinese cinema with the filming of the lost 1905 movie Dingjun Mountain ; the first color feature movie of the PRC : New Year Sacrifice ; the latest movie adaptation of The Dream of The Red Chamber ; the blockbuster Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants ; and a number of other movies in different styles, modern stories, regional stories, even a couple of beloved animation movies featuring Sun Wukong and Nezha, and VR movies, roundtable talks about the industry and adaptations, localization.... Several directors, and cast members are in attendance, among whom Hu Mei, Wang Chao, Liu Miaomiao. I can't attend everything, but don't regret since I have already seen several choices in the selection, and I am also enjoying the start of summer in the European capital, while trying to keep up with watching other movies and dramas online!).
This is the first color feature film of the PRC. It has been restored in 4K by China Film Archive and shown at Cannes Classics festival in 2020.
The movie New Year Sacrifice (also known as "Blessings") is adapted from a famous short story by Lǔ Xùn 鲁迅 (1881-1936) titled 《祝福》[Zhùfú] "Blessings", adapted by Xià Yǎn 夏衍 and directed by Sāng Hú 桑弧 stage name of Lǐ Péilín (1916-2004). It stars Bái Yáng 白杨 as Xiang Lin Sao (Xiang Lin's wife), Wei Heling 魏鹤龄 as He Lao Liu , Li Jingbo 李景波 as Mr Lu 4th ; it was produced by Beijing Film Studio in 1956.
"Through the tragic experience of Xiang Lin Sao's life, "Blessings" reflects the social contradictions in China after the Revolution of 1911, deeply exposes the destruction and persecution of working women by the landlord class, reveals the cannibalistic nature of feudal ethics, and points out the necessity of thoroughly opposing feudalism." (Baidu ; translation from Chinese by me)
Synopsis : In the early years of the 20th century, in a mountain village, a young widow accepts to work as servant in a rich family in order to escape a forced remarriage. Caught back by her family, she is wed to He and has a son, named Ah Mao. After the death of her debt-ridden husband and her son falling prey to wolves, she returns to her former employers, but is viewed as a jinx by the villagers who forbid her to take part in the New Year sacrifice ritual ; she loses her mind. (adapted from the 16th Festival of Chinese movies in Paris program book in French)
The program page online also had the following interesting comment (originally in French) : "This is the first screen adaptation of a work by Lu Xun, after the establishment of the communist regime and the first PRC color feature film. At the time BAI Yang was a big star. Revealed at less than seventeen years old by SHEN Xiling's film: "Crossroads" 十字街头 (Shizi jietou, 1937), she would go on to have a successful career in movies, but also on stage at the theater. Her natural acting is particularly well suited to the role of the peasant woman she plays in this film. Playing alongside her, WEI Heling is also perfect in his role. This discreet and nuanced actor excels in playing roles of ordinary city people such as in the movie "Street Angels" 馬路天使 (Malu tianshi, YUAN Muzhi, 1937), or "This Life Of Mine" 我這一輩子 (Wo zheyi beizi, SHI Hui, 1950), but also roles as peasant, such as in "New Year Sacrifice".
You can read the text of the original story in English translation here : https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/20245602/lu-hsun-the-new-years-sacrifice
There is also a musical version of 1978 with lyrics of the Yue opera style songs on screen (but no translation in English) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEWYL9ul_zs
Lǐ Hán , a beekeeper from another province, set up camp here, raising bees and collecting honey, and had an ambiguous, hidden but strong emotional entanglement with Màimài, a local girl who often mowed grass nearby. Màimài was engaged, and a little boy named Sùsù shuttled back and forth between them, frequently creating disturbance, making it difficult to know where the relationship was going...
Adaptation from the short story 《花开时节》"Flowers in Bloom" by Shí Shūqīng 石舒清
Original title : 带彩球的帐篷 Dài cǎi qiú de zhàngpéng (Tent with colored balls)
Starring: singer MòXīZǐ shī 莫西子诗 (also known as Mo Chunlin 莫春林) as Lǐ Hán; Ke Rong 帐篷 as Màimài
Other Title: The Flower's Time /The Time of A Flower
Director : Liú Miáomiáo 刘苗苗
screenwriters: Tian Yuan and Shi Shuqing
Pre-released Oct.11, 2023 public release : May 25, 2024
About the director : Liú Miáomiáo 刘苗苗 born in 1962 in Guyuan, close to Yinchuan, Ningxia autonomous region of the PRC, is a graduate from the directing department of Beijing Film Academy where she studied 1978-1982. She was a peer of Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, and Tian ZhuangZhuang. She belongs to the fifth generation of directors in China. She started working as assistant director and screenwriter in 1984-1986 while trying her hand at directing herself with 1985 远洋轶事 (Ocean Anecdotes) ; in 1987 her movie 马蹄声碎 (Horseshoes sound/ "Women on the Long March", a war movie about eight female Red Army soldiers who find themselves separated from their main force during the Long March) was screened at the 11th Turin Film Festival in Italy, and in 1992, her 1993 released movie 杂嘴子 ("Chatterbox") won the gold medal at the Venice Mostra.
In 1992, she became the director of the Ningxia film studios, while she went on to direct other movies : 1994 《家丑》 (Family scandal) which won the 2nd Beijing University Student Film Festival Best Story Film Award, and 1996 《家事》 (Family Problems), and 2000 movie 《黑色风景里的女人》(Woman in black scenery)
While also working as guest teacher 2004-2008 in Beijing at Beijing Daxue, Beijing Normal University, Beijing Film academy, she also worked as editor for movies by Feng Xiaogang ("A World Without Thieves" and "If You Are The One"), and directed her own movies : 2005 《拯救艾玛》 (Saving Emma) from a true story, and 《大山无言》 (Silent Mountains), 2006 《夜深人静》(In the Stillness of the Night), 2008 《小田进城》 (Xiaotian Enters the City).
In 2013, she directed the romance movie film "Butterfly Love"《蝶之恋》 starring Ji Li and Jin Daoxinxin.
In 2018, her romance movie "Red Flowers and Green Leaves" 《红花绿叶》won the most popular film in the premiere unit of the 2nd Pingyao International Film Festival and the Best Small and Medium Cost Feature Film Award at the 32nd China Film Golden Rooster Awards .
On May 25, 2024, her film "Tent with Colored Balls" was released in mainland China.
The movies of Liu Miaomiao focus on the humanistic expression of the hometown theme, and her work has won domestic and foreign awards many times. (Information sourced from Baidu, iMDB, Sohu, Wikipedia, and 16th Festival of Chinese movies in Paris May 2025 program book page, added to photo section -- I have submitted a short version of this bio with accurate birth date and a portrait to MDL on June 1, 2025.)
You can listen to the song "Don't Be Afraid" by Mo Zixishi on this video recording of a 2020 performed for CCTV and posted in 2021 on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fts5QsDQaVU, and some other ones like 《妈妈的歌谣》https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSQIpguXPOk
The movie can be streamed without subtitles on this link : https://w.mgtv.com/b/649768/20960392.html?lastp=v_progdtl
Don't let your feelings of having limited skills in English stop you from writing : from what I see, they are good enough and in using them, you would only improve continuously to reach the level you wish for :)
Wishing you the best in enjoyment of dramas, c-movies and ZLY fandom.
(Me, I am just a multi fandom explorer and an old movie lover, currently in between a few flicks showing in the 16th Chinese movies festival that I am attending until next week in Paris, as a highlight of my vacation there. I reported about it in comments for "The Dream of the Red Chamber" directed by Hu Mei. Taking in some sights while also watching some other stuff on tablet, phone, or laptop. )
I was also surprised that among all the titles in the Feng Xiaogang filmography, the reviewer did not spot the link to "A World Without Thieves". But the picture of Gao Yuexiang, standing in thoughts and isolation on a high dangerous steel utility bridge over a railroad, is the one I was thinking of to illustrate that movie. The picture is cropped so it conveys less of the life and death choices open to desperate people like Gao Yuexiang, but she is not jumping, saved by her sense of motherhood even in separation. I am copying the picture into photo section, since it does not seem it was included before.
The two struggle against the hurdles that keep the poor on the threshold of desperation, saddled with that backstory of going through prison for minor or more serious crimes while the gang that forced Hei Mei to break the law went scot free ...until the bloody retribution in the literally dying out gang in the end. Former ways of thieving are on the way of disappearing in a cashless society where Internet fraud replaces lock picking, and animal trafficking is on the rise while kids abducting is still a menace. Going to prison being also to make inmates reflect and reform, there is a clear goal, but former inmates insertion into society, as in most countries, is not easy, even with the sum allowed to start anew, and they are expected to fend for themselves or finding support in their families if they have one, even a bad one.
Deng Hong is not a typical prison warden, but does have some sympathy for the downtrodden women who become sisters in need, and is impressed by the more moral Hei Mei who instead of ripping off old relatives of their former prison cell enemy, goes to lengths to help them. Deng Hong has a back story that explains her sympathy : she was a baby saved from drowning by an escaped inmate and was raised by a police officer, as she tells her story in passing, not insisting. She genuinely wants her former inmates and charges to insert back and start afresh, away from law breaking.
There are a lot of ups and downs in the movie that depicts another side of city under world. But finally there is a happy end, where blood stains are aptly washed clean, while the former law breakers slate is wiped clean.
So, this is perhaps a tad over optimistic, not as realistic as a "Xiao Wu" pickpocket story told by Jia Zhangke in his famous independent movie, but "We Girls" also reminds of that underworld of ordinary people whose lives also contribute to building a country, shown over the years in movies such as "Platform", "Suzhou River" etc. and referring directly to the spirit of the famous Feng Xiaogang 2004 crime comedy "A World Without Thieves".
It is an interesting watch, indeed not depressing or boring, even thrilling, although there is not much humor in this one. I align with Sandrusca for rating this new movie.
Excerpts from an article by Xu Fan | China Daily | Updated: 2022-03-23 (https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202203/23/WS623a8ac5a310fd2b29e52bf3.html) :
The film was nominated for the Golden Goblet Awards at the 24th Shanghai International Film Festival in June 2021. Its lead star, Zheng Yunlong, won a Golden Angel award for the best new actor at the 17th Chinese American Film Festival in Los Angeles in November 2021. Zheng, a musical theater actor and singer, said at the premiere in Beijing that the movie is his first major silver-screen project, and he regards it as a gift to pay tribute to his mother, a former Peking Opera actress.
The movie is adapted from the Mao Dun Literature Prize winning novelist Wang Xufeng's novella Liu Lang Wen Ying (Orioles Singing in the Willows)－also the film's Chinese title.
The tale is set in the titular park, one of the 10 most renowned scenic spots, surrounding the iconic West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.
The veteran director Dai Wei 戴玮, with more than 40 galas under her belt at China Central Television, shifted her interest to the silver screen with the 2008 musical film "Ganglamedo", named after a popular Tibetan folk song, Snow Lotus. With other directorial efforts, including "Once Upon a Time in Tibet" (2011) and "Once Again" (2017), Dai has demonstrated her talent in the examination of women's status and psyche.
But her connection with "The Chanting Willows" started much earlier. "When I was studying in college, I was impressed by novelist Wang while reading her award-winning series Charen Sanbuqu (Tea Men Trilogy). Her language has a particular magic to make you feel that you could step into the fictional world and closely follow the characters," recalls Dai. When her executive producer recommended Dai to read Wang's Liu Lang Wen Ying, one of 10 novellas in the anthology Aiqing Xihu (Love Stories in West Lake), Dai was quickly hooked.
After getting financed and then interviewing more than 100 actors to select the cast, the movie started shooting－with its major scenarios filmed in West Lake area of Hangzhou, in the summer of 2021.
-- There is also a review here : https://sino-cinema.com/2022/04/16/review-the-chanting-willows-2021/ with a long synopsis, full cast and crew, assessment for 6/10 by author "Derek ELLEY 艾德礼, who has been writing about Chinese (and international) cinema since the early 1970s" : https://sino-cinema.com/2022/04/16/review-the-chanting-willows-2021/
It links to a page mentioning that Dai Wei also wrote the score for May 2025 "A Stolen Life" movie directed by Zhao Fei 赵非. https://sino-cinema.com/tag/dai-wei/
-- The Chanting Willows movie is still available in full, with English subtitles, on YouTube, which has some interviews with Zheng Yunlong, an MV, and a trailer
But my other additions for the director Ann Hu are still not taken into account despite following correct MDL addition procedure through https://kisskh.at/add/person/details
MDL volunteer staff seems swamped and can't keep up with submissions...
Otherwise, I am sharing the Douban rating for this movie : 7.6 from about 7034 ratings (that's almost confidential, as audience number goes) : https://movie.douban.com/subject/1304489/ ; IMDb credited it with 7.1/10 from 833 ratings, and Rotten Tomatoes is rather evenly balanced between those who loved it and those who objected, recording, among other reviews, this one from Michel O'Sullivan, Washington Post, April 20, 2001 : "It's a film about film, and Hu's love of the medium's storytelling power shines through every frame.".
Double subtitling in Chinese and French were a bit complicated to read because too close to bottom of screen, in the crowded cinema where the 380 seats were fully occupied, with a bunch of celebs and cinema directors, producers, or people involved in culture. Those guests made speeches before having a group photo prior to screening. Among those were director Hu Mei and actress Lin Peng, who played as Wang Xifeng (wife of Baoyu's cousin and niece of Madam Wang) the woman who ruled the financial affairs of Rongguo mansion.
I remembered fondly reading an easy version of the novel, a long time ago, and it did help following the convoluted web of characters in the story. The movie centered on Jia Baoyu ("Precious Jade") , spontaneous and innocent pleasures seeking adolescent, protected by his jade pendant (remnant of the magic stone of Nüwa, but that information was not much emphasized in the movie, except for the engraving and consequences of its loss), and Lin Daiyu, the orphan cousin he loved and wanted to marry someday, taken in by the Jia Matriarch of the Rong estate, residing in Rongguo Mansion. Daiyu henceforth lived there with her cousins Baoyu and Jia Xichun (who was originally from Ningguo mansion).
The mansions were large, adjacent family compounds in the capital. Although the capital is not named in the novel (and the first chapter insists that the dynasty is indeterminate), it is generally agreed that this is set in the Qing dynasty. The story is an allegory of corruption, through the portrayal of a sprawling cast of characters, many of which are cousins or close blood relations.
Then came the introduction of other girls, among whom Qin Keyi (the one who seduced her father-in-law, in a short nighttime scene where guards/servants lamented the man's behavior, glimpsed from the garden); Xue Baochai whose brother Xue Pan was a murderer (he killed a man to get the slave girl Xiangling). The Xue were intent on marrying Baochai into the Jia family for gaining status in exchange for money, while the Jia family through the machinations of Madam Wang, old Jia Zheng's wife, misappropriated the inheritance of Lin Daiyu to pay for luxury and offset some debts, before casting Daiyu off and tricking Baoyu to marry Baochai...
The power intrigues and exacerbated sentimentality were lightly touched upon in sometimes grandiose cinematic takes. The characters of Granny Liu and her grandson did appear too, but were not lingered on (they served as necessary contrast between princely city life in the mansions and rural life, not shown). The set was carefully, richly, and tastefully laid out, with many colors emphasizing details such as games ; strolling in Suzhou style gardens... The movie has the stately visit in the Daguanyuan (Grand View Garden) of the Rongguo mansion, of princess consort Yuanchun (sister of Jia Zheng who headed the other branch of the Jia clan in Ningguo mansion) , bringing with her imperial gifts and honor. There was also the other-worldly pink peach blossoms raining on Daiyu burying withered flowers, her and Baoyu reading poetry books, crossing arched bridges, Baoyu flying kites, personnel sleeping under the covered outer porches, because of the killing heat and vapor making Daiyu's cough worse, and more. The fantastic comes in with Baoyu's nightmares of drowning and visiting the Void, announcing the downfall of the mansions and of his hopes, and of course the ""sentient", "magic" jade stone pendant, that had begged to be sent to mortal realm to experience life, thus giving its other name to the novel (The Story of the Stone).
For an idea of the movie : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_cEBn4Drnk (1 minute trailer)
For those who are unfamiliar with the classic story, and lacking time to read or re-read the classic novel, there is an interesting 48 minutes animation+documentary video to get introduced to it and the author Cao Xueqin : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab0Fa8G845I
The movie wrapped in 2018, and introduced Zhang Miaoyi as Lin Daiyu, but drew harsh criticism centered on her portrayal of the sickly adolescent who comes out sometimes as peevish and was not beautiful enough, too bland, according to the taste of some audience, still faithful to the canon incarnation of the late Chen Xiaoxu in 1987! Actor Cheng Bian's Jia Baoyu conformed better to expectations. The main objections to young (then) Zhang Miaoyi are recorded in this post : https://dramapanda.com/2024/08/dream-red-chamber-movie-flopped-zhang-miaoyi-role-lin-daiyu-criticism.html. Perhaps there has now been too many adaptations of the long and sprawling novel, so audiences are jaded. Douban rating was low at 3.1 (https://movie.douban.com/subject/26924522/) from only about 21,000 ratings, ; and ImDB followed suit at 4.6/10 from 26 ratings, RottenTomatoes simply ignored the movie, while some lamented that director Hu Mei (famous for her almost classic movie biopic of Confucius) mangled the project, which in my opinion is too negative. I'd give it a passing 7, following the level of applause from audience in Paris, which was composed both of professionals, people interested in Chinese literature and movies, and simply curious naive newbies, a bit put off by having to crane their necks to try and read subtitles (in Chinese and French) at bottom of screen, over a sea of bobbing heads...
The cinema chosen for the purpose was not uncomfortable, despite being an Art Deco arthouse. Seats had been renovated, but still followed the historical almost flat parallel lines seating layout, with the screen placed high up over a stage. So it did feel a bit stuffy for so many people, and the lack of clear slope was unfortunate, especially since this was after all not a mobility impaired friendly theater (many steps and stairs without ramps). Paris is not really friendly to mobility impaired people anyway, be it public transport, rail stations, metro, official buildings, most buildings (despite ramps are supposedly mandatory for private buildings, but can become treacherous with width and lack of handrails). Besides which, since the municipality has vowed to make the city a hell for car drivers and force everybody to become pedestrians, the roads are bumpy and there are almost no parking spaces in the vicinity, even for handicapped people. Even taxi drivers complain, and the metro is a far cry in cleanliness, safety, and reliability, from those who are used to Chinese cities public transit. The state of roads can be a hazard to inexperienced bike or other wheel users. This cinema was not even the worst, as layout comes. For those who came early or wished to speak after (or during! the screening) there was a micro-café style bar with chairs, small round tables, and refreshments to be purchased, although not cheap. On the other hand, the independent cinemas such as Le Balzac are more friendly for the wallet in their policy for tickets. Prices are around 11€ or 9€ reduced when the major cinemas charge up to 15 or 20€.
Full program of the festival here : https://www.festivalducinemachinoisdeparis.com/
Page in French for the movie here : https://www.festivalducinemachinoisdeparis.com/spip.php?article770
(Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Duyu ; ImDB; https://hkmdb.com/db/people/view_utf.mhtml?id=655&display_set=eng)
"Yin Mingzhu (Chinese: 殷明珠; 1904–1989), also known as Pearl Ing, was a Chinese actress. Mingzhu was most famous for her role as an actress but was also an investor and production coordinator specifically during her time off camera in the 1930s." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_Mingzhu) She was a famous beauty in Shanghai, who met the director Dan Duyu and started working with him when she was 17. In 1921, she joined Duyu's Shanghai Shadow Play Company, where she starred in the (lost?) movie Sea Oath, in which she was praised for her performance as a first time actress. However, her career almost ended there when her mother forbid her from making any more films, but in 1925, after a three year hiatus from sets, her mother gave in and allowed Pearl (translation of her Chinese first name) to star in Duyu's "philosophical film", "Some Girl" 重返故鄉 (also known as "Return Home or " Back Home From City").
Yin Mingzhu had married a Frenchman, but after he deserted her, going back to his country, she eventually divorced, and married Dan Duyu in 1926, having fallen in love with him. She starred in about half of the 30 movies directed by Dan Duyu, but most are believed to be lost films. Their daughter Judy Dan appeared in many American films.
This movie is a testament to the beauty of actresses and the taste for movies in Shanghai in the late 1920s.
Since the Wikipedia page links it, I was delighted to sit and watch this relic, which goes back to a long lost time, in the birth year of my mother ;) Of course, I always appreciate stories inspired by Journey to the West, and the Norwegian intertitles added to interest, since it is one of the (several) languages I read and am familiar with. It was fun watching the magic of the camera allowing Sun Wukong to "take the form" of one of the Spider beauties to infiltrate the demonic cave and save the monk. Early FX.
I have followed the procedure to add the info about director and cast, but it looks like MDL has trouble keeping up with the "flood of submissions" submerging staff... So, until they get ready for addition and changes, the info is exclusively on my comments here.
Based on an episode in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and starred Tan Xinpei. The film consisted of a 42 minutes recording of a Beijing opera performance of the Battle of Mount Dingjun and constitutes the first Chinese film ever made.
It remains a relic, and I would have found it as interesting to watch as the documentary movies filmed at the time by foreigner teams such as those of Albert Kahn (which i did watch), perhaps did watch Dingjun Mountain too in a former incarnation... Awarding it a rating of 2/10 is just crazy. It was a feat to film that movie and to keep a copy for so many years for those interested in film history or simply History !
I can't claim to have seen it since the only copy was destroyed in a fire in the late 1940s, during the war of aggression by Japan, and only one still remains, but just to correct that incredible and offensive score mocking a historical and almost mythical relic, I awarded it a 10 here. More about the movie here : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingjun_Mountain_(film)
To know more about the History of Chinese cinema which started with this lost movie, you could check this page : https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d774e3241444d34457a6333566d54/index.html , only regretting this interesting illustrated summary and timeline swept quickly away the "golden age from the 1920s to 1930s", from which many movies, silent or not, many musical, can still be admired both as relics of bygone times and for the acts, plots, cinematography. I greatly admired works from directors such as Sun Yu, Fei Mu etc, but also found it endearing to sample even partial copies of movies that were thought lost such as this one : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cave_of_the_Silken_Web_(1927_film) enjoying the Norwegian inserts of "titles" (subtitles did not exist yet for mute movies) since this is one of the languages I also read fluently ; it makes the experience quite special.
Writer, producer and director Ann Hu's 35mm debut Shadow Magic (2000) won both the Chinese Academy Award and Presidential Award in China for Best film among other international prizes. The film premiered at the 2000 Sundance film Festival and released by Sony Classics in 2001.
CORRECT SYNOPSIS (the first one above was totally erroneous, there was no "intern" involved) :
"Beijing, 1902: an enterprising young portrait photographer named Liu Jinglun, keen on new technology, befriends a newly-arrived Englishman who's brought projector, camera, and Lumière-brothers' shorts to open the Shadow Magic theater. Liu's work with Wallace brings him conflict with tradition and his father's authority, complicated by his falling in love with Ling, daughter of Lord Tan, star of Beijing's traditional opera. Liu sees movies as his chance to become wealthy and worthy of Ling. When the Shadow Magic pair are invited to show the films to the Empress Dowager, things look good. But, is disaster in the script? And, can movies preserve tradition even as they bring change?"
The movie has a fuller Wikipedia page : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Magic#cite_note-1
The director also has an interesting story :
Ann Hu / Hú Ān 胡安 born 胡小平 (Hú Xiǎopíng) in 1956, grew up in Beijing. After finishing middle school, she was assigned to work as a waitress but studied by herself in view of passing college entrance examination, when those exams resumed in 1977. She next studied English at Beijing International Studies University in 1977 and came to the USA in 1979 to study at New York University as one of the earliest students to go to the United States after the Cultural Revolution. She stayed there as a businesswoman, working in an international company, shifting carer to study film making at NYU Film School after meeting Chen Kaige in 1987.
In 1992, she wrote and directed her first film, "Old Stories of Mountains and Rivers" 《山河旧话》
In 2000, her film "Shadow Magic" 《西洋镜》 was released in mainland China, and she won the 37th Taiwan Golden Horse Film Award for Best Cross-Media Adapted Screenplay.
In 2005, the film "Still Beautiful" 《美人依旧》 directed by her was released.
On December 4, 2020, the family inspirational film "Confetti" English title of 《五彩缤纷》("Colorful"), inspired by her struggle to help her dyslexic daughter, written and directed by her was released in mainland China. It was also shown abroad in 2021.
Douban page : https://www.douban.com/personage/27515319/