Aesthetics and Themes In Films Of The First Three Generation Of Chinese Filmmakers

Aesthetics and Themes In Films Of The First Three Generation Of Chinese Filmmakers

Paper Work Assignment
Aesthetics and Themes In Films Of The First Three Generation Of Chinese Filmmakers
Ernesto Gonzales
Jacobs University Bremen

Aesthetics and Themes In Films Of The First Three Generation Of Chinese Filmmakers

Abstract
Taking into account the fact that the year 1979 is considered probably the biggest turning point in the
Chinese cinema (Semsel, 1990, p. xvi), this paper focuses on the main aesthetic and thematic features used in the films of the first three generations of Chinese filmmakers, which were all released before
1979. The films chosen for the analysis of their aesthetics and thematic features are “Twin Sisters”, by
Zheng Zhengqiu, “Song Of The Fishermen”, by Cai Chusheng, and “Two Stage Sisters”, by Xie Jin.
Each of these filmmakers belong to the first, second and third generation of Chinese filmmakers, respectively. China is a country that has gone profound changes throughout its history, be it political or social. For instance, one clear example of this is how the Cultural Revolution partially stopped the release of more movies by the third generation. Hence, this paper will try to also look for relationships between the aesthetics features used in these films and the main influences carried by the environment of their times, always aiming at showing how these relationships are reflected in the movies individually.

Aesthetics and Themes In Films Of The First Three Generation Of Chinese Filmmakers

Aesthetics and Themes In Films Of The First Three Generation Of Chinese Filmmakers

China is one of the very few in the world that has been able to maintain its traditional cultural expressions from the past in its modern society, and without a doubt, Chinese cinema does take a whole load of that Chinese culture and tradition. The beginnings of Chinese cinema were indeed very difficult since there were scarce technological filming resources and little knowledge about the art; they approached movies with operatic ideas (Jeff, n.d.), which usually translated into steady shots with the camera and recurrent themes. However, these operatic ideas are what conform the core concept of
Chinese cinema: the Shadowplay. “When film initially came to China, it was called a shadowplay.
People simply spoke of going to see a shadowplay. This tells us that film is derived from drama” (Bao
Tianxiao, 1973). This is the reason why, and it is well stated in Semsel 's Chinese Film Theory, shadowplay, as an aesthetic concept, it is a fundamental concept that summarizes the overall understanding of Chinese films. (Semsel, 1990, p. 193). This concept was exploited in many Chinese films for political propaganda. This usually led to have films about the low-class struggle to survive, the rich being the bad guys while the humble being the good ones, etc. Therefore, in terms of thematic content, according to Semsel 's Chinese Film Theory, the use of the film as a social education tool has always been a prominent feature in Chinese film theory. During the beginnings of Chinese cinema the film was thought that it ought to “depict life, educate society, and enlighten the people”. However, it later shifted from the moral education to the political one (Semsel, 1990, p. xiv).

Nonetheless, it was in the beginnings of Chinese cinema that one of the founding fathers of
Chinese cinema rose up during the time frame which would later be called the first generation of
Chinese filmmakers: Zheng Zhengqiu. And from then on, Chinese filmmakers began to understand and

Aesthetics and Themes In Films Of The First Three Generation Of Chinese Filmmakers increase their repertoire of filming techniques but still made use of the opera up to a certain extent.
However, during this process, several political and social issues did affect in some way or another the development of Chinese cinema making it have those concerns embedded in the way of thinking of the filmmakers of those times, and hence, embedding them in its film productions. In the following paragraphs, I will present the selected works of filmmakers from the first three generations before
1979 and discuss the aesthetics and themes of their work trying to relate them to the social and political situation of their time.

The first work to analyze is “Twin Sisters” by Zheng Zhengqiu. As stated before, he is considered one of the fathers of Chinese cinema. Although his main ideas expressed through his films, and an article written by him named “How to step on the progressive road?, where he states he goes from being a liberal to a left-wing intellectual (Laikwan Pang, 2002, p. 49), are about criticism towards the injustices done to low-class people, promoting women 's rights among other liberal ideals, one could infer from his films that his pedagogic ideals lay mostly on the center, politically speaking. He claimed
“As a film director, I always consider pedagogy essential in my films... I never changed this principle throughout my filmmaking career” (Laikwan Pang, 2002, p. 48). However, as we will see later by analyzing one of his works, the endings of some of his works portray the reconciliation of classes
(Twin Sisters and Romance of a Fruit Peddler, for instance).

Although it is aesthetically a somewhat primitive, “Twin Sisters” has a very significant social theme embedded in its script. The movie has been filmed with steady shots; the filming camera would never follow a character if this is out of the camera scope. Even though color films were starting to crop up, Zhengqiu still made use of the black-and-white film, which comes into play really well with the dramatic style of the film.

Aesthetics and Themes In Films Of The First Three Generation Of Chinese Filmmakers

Regarding the movie thematics, I will start by talking about the plot. The film portrays two sisters who are separated from birth. One of them is taken to Shangai by her dad while the other is left with her mother. The latter receives a life of wealth while the former a life of hardship. This plot already reveals that one recurrent theme used by Zhengqiu in this film is the rich/poor contrast and portraying them both with contrasting personalities. Nevertheless, it is important to point out the fact that Er Bao and Da Bao, the sisters, are played by only one actress. Since this is a fact of the film that could have been verified even before watching it, it can be inferred that the message Zhengqiu intended to convey was a person 's behavior under two different contrasting environments: in a wealthy situation and in poverty.

One important thing to point out is that most of “Twin Sisters” 's essence is found on its script while the image aesthetics is clearly something not developed. As summarized in Semsel 's Chinese
Film Theory, it is usually assumed that in terms of understanding cinematic form, the Chinese focus deeper on the story, whereas Westerners focus deeper on the image (Semsel, 1990, p. 196). Clearly, this is a characteristic that Zhengqiu followed and applied to his work. Even though in the introduction I stated that usually most Chinese filmmakers from the first generation did not succeed on creating successful films because of their lack of knowledge about the filming arts, Zhengqiu was an exception.
“Generally speaking, Zheng (Zhengqiu) was more strong-minded and better oriented in art. His movies are generally more narrative with a compact structure and intense operatic conflicts” (Jeff,
n.d.).

The next work to analyze is “The Song of the Fishermen”, by Cai Chusheng. This is a filmmaker who belongs to the second generation of Chinese filmmakers, a generation characterized by

Aesthetics and Themes In Films Of The First Three Generation Of Chinese Filmmakers the realism embedded in their films. Nonetheless, he is also characterized for his prominent sense of nationalism. Chusheng was a committed political activist and one of the greatest advocates of social realism, which is the reason why he innovates in style and have political aesthetics (Jeff, n.d.). Also, after the Japanese attack, he became more of a leftist filmmaker. For instance, two of his films, “The
Song of the Fishermen” and “New Women” reflect class struggle and a feminist promotion, respectively. On a side note, although the second generation is also recognized for having made the transition from silent to talking films, “The Song of the Fishermen” happens to be a silent movie.

Although it does not have many shooting techniques, “The Song of the Fishermen” does have drama features in its aesthetics, which enhances the message of the plot. The film narrates the story a poor fisherman 's wife and her children, son and daughter, who are also twins, Hou and Mao. The wife becomes the wet nurse of He Ziying, son of the owner of many fishing boats. When Hou and Mao grow up, they also become fishermen. However, since He Ziying went abroad to study in order to improve his father 's fishing business, the twins could not compete He 's fishing business, as it was industrialized and very profitable. Therefore, they are forced to leave to Shanghai and sing on the streets so that they can make a living. While being in there, the twins and He Ziying learned terrible things that happened to their death parents in the past. In the end, they end up restarting their fishing business together. Readily, it can be noticed that the low-class struggle for surviving in the society is of the main themes, just as the previous film analyzed paragraphs above. However, it can be pointed out a difference between this and the previous film; He Ziying, a wealthy person, is not portrayed as mean and egotistical in this film. This is a clear example of why Chusheng 's films carried a “clear-cut artistic characteristics, complicated and moving plots, and detailed portrayals of the characters” (“Cai

Aesthetics and Themes In Films Of The First Three Generation Of Chinese Filmmakers
Chusheng -- Ceaseless Explorer of Film Arts”, n.d.). Regarding the aesthetics, besides the fact that, as in “Twin Sisters”, the camera is always steady and does not follow the characters, the most prominent feature is that it is a black-and-white silent movie with several soundtracks and with Chinese intertitles.
It is obvious that a silent movie demands an over emphasis on the body language, gestures and facial expression from the actors as we are not able to perceive anything through their voices, which are all great achievements of this film. It is actually possible to grasp much of the essence of the movie even without being able to read Chinese. For instance, in minute 231, only by the acting it may be seen how the twins look at He Ziying 's industrialized way of fishing and perceive a pessimistic attitude from the twins since they realize they will not be able to compete with that.

Finally, the last work to analyze is “Two Stage Sisters” by Xie Jin, a filmmaker who belongs to the third generation. His works show his social concerns and liberal ideas about China. Nonetheless, just as his colleagues did back in those times, he had to go through several obstacles, bans and punishments because of the Cultural Revolution. For example. Although it may seem that he could also be positioned in the center because of “Two Stage Sisters” also ends in a reconciliation of classes, as it is well-known that, in spite of one of the sisters being rich and the other humble, they end up reconciling with each other. However, in an interview, Jin claims the following:

“I was forced to change the script. Today I admit that the first part of Two Stage Sisters seems more or less well done, but the second part seems weak to me. I couldn 't finish it the way I would have liked. If I could redo the second part now, it would improve the entire film.” (Da Huo 'er, 1989).

Therefore, one cannot really assume he, just as Zhengqiu, Chusheng was on the center.
1 Minute 23 of the “Song of the Fishermen” from the Archive.

Aesthetics and Themes In Films Of The First Three Generation Of Chinese Filmmakers

One of Chusheng 's most notable social concerns were the injustices done by the society to women, and this concern shows that he was critical about the traditions in China during those times. In the same interview mentioned above, he mentioned that he has perceived by his own how women were treated under feudal oppression. For instance, he said that his widowed grandaunt was not allowed to married another man. Then, he adds “What could she do in a widowhood that was going to last for 60 years?
What could she do with her desires and natural needs?”. This kind of rhetoric questions demonstrate a very liberal thinking that, even nowadays, it is still considered taboo in many societies. Much of this thinking is reflected in his films, such as “Woman Basketball Player No. 5”,”Two Stage Sisters”, among others.

“Two Stage Sisters” is a film about two girls, Chunhua and Yuenhong, who are very close friends ever since they met because of Yuenhong 's mother Xing, a Yue Opera teacher. Xing takes Chunhua with her and he daughter for her potential in performing Opera. During the tough times of the Sino-Japanese war, Xing dies and the Opera troupe master sends both Chunhua and Yuenhong to Tang, an Opera
Theater manager in Shanghai. Tang starts to court Yuenhong. Then, she turns out to be greedy and materialistic and accepts Tang 's proposal. While the “sisters” start living their lives separately, Chunhua meets a leftist journalist Jiang. She suggested that Chunhua should shift her performances to more
“progressive” Operas. The Kuonmintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) did not like Chunhua 's work.
Therefore, they sent Tang, Yuenhong 's partner, to sue her and destroy her reputation. Tang forces
Yuenhong to testify against Chunhua, but she fainted during the trial. Tang ends up in Taiwan escaping from the Revolution and Yuenhong, abandoned by him, goes to live in the countryside. Eventually,
Chunhua is able locate Yuenhong and mutually reconcile after all they have passed.

Aesthetics and Themes In Films Of The First Three Generation Of Chinese Filmmakers
The film does not only portrays liberal ideals criticizing the rich class and develops a complex plot for conveying them, but also it fusions earlier Chinese filmmaking traditions with western filmming techniques. The film mainly not only reflects this criticism by the change in Yuenhong 's personality due to her great economic situation, but also through the Kuonmintang 's intentions to suppress their opposition, such as Chunhua 's performances in the film. According to University of Honk Kong professor, Gina Marchetti, Jiang, the leftist journalist Chunhua met in the film, symbolizes the “spirit of May Fourth2 and its hope for the emancipation of women”. She also states that in general, the onstage world of the film has a parallel track to the back-stage drama of the film (Gina Marchetti, 1989).
Here we can notice an traditional Chinese element that is over-emphasized not only by the plot itself, but also by the opera as a form of drama because of the performances of Chunhua and Yuenhong. A great deal of the film contains disjointed episodes, choral interludes, major leaps in time and distance and other features which resemble those of opera (Gina Marchetti, 1989). As mentioned in the previous analysis of the other films, opera has, and still is to some extent, part of the core of many Chinese films.
All of this is connected to western techniques; in several scenes, following the style of famous German poet and theater director Bertolt Brecht, Jin makes use of the distance as a way to put the characters ' lives in perspective and let the spectators reflect on the characters from a third person point of view
(Gina Marchetti, 1989).

Semsel asserts in his Chinese Film Theory that Chinese film theory shifted its focus from the theoretical study of the script to film ontology, which has to do with nature of film representation, portrayal of images, aesthetic functions of shots and the sound effect of film (Semsel, 1990, p. xvii).
This assertion refers to the films produced after 1979, which is a well-known turning point for Chinese cinema, however, we can see that filmmakers started to focus a little more in the aesthetics of the image
2

The May Fourth Movement (MFM) was anti-imperialist Chinese political movement organized mainly by students through demonstrations and protests

Aesthetics and Themes In Films Of The First Three Generation Of Chinese Filmmakers and sound effects as new generations came up. A great example of this is the “Two Stage Sisters”.
Always, nonetheless, without leaving the drama and the social issues as part of the essence of the films.

In a nutshell, we have delved to some extent into the intricacies of the selected works from three
Chinese filmmakers each belonging to each of the first three generations. Throughout the analysis, one of the main thematic expressions, by means of drama, that kept coming up in almost every film discussed was the social concern about the low-class struggle to survive and the unfair way women were treated back then. One possible enhancer of this social concern and sense of nationalism expressed in the movies was probably the Sino-Japanese war, another possible enhancer was the strict censorship of the government towards those filmmakers that would not produce films victimizing the low-class people and criticizing the rich class. Nonetheless, the underlying message of every of these films made use of certain film making aesthetics in order to make a statement. Opera was always present in these aesthetics. However, as generations were passing, the set of aesthetics features of each of these movies were less composed of opera features and started to contain some other new features from abroad. In my opinion, filmmakers discovered that mixing operatic features with other techniques enable them to improve conveying their messages to the public.

Aesthetics and Themes In Films Of The First Three Generation Of Chinese Filmmakers

Bibliography
Semsel, George S., et. al (eds.) (1990). Chinese Film Theory. A Guide to the New Era. New York:
Praeger Publishers.

Jeff. (2003). The First Generation of Chinese Directors. In China Culture. Retrieved Feb 8, 2013, from http://www1.chinaculture.org/library/2008-01/18/content_66346.htm. Cai Chusheng -- Ceaseless Explorer of Film Arts. Retrieved Feb 8, 2013. from http://www1.chinaculture.org/library/2008-01/18/content_38439.htm Pang, Laikwan. (2002). Building a New China in Cinema: The Chinese Left-Wing Cinema Movement,
1932-1937: The Chinese Left Wing Cinema Movement, 1932-1937. Lanham, MD: Rowmand &
Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Marchetti, Gina. (1989). Two stage sisters: The blossoming of a revolutionary aesthetic. Retrieved Feb
8, 2013, from http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/onlinessays/JC34folder/2stageSisters.html

Huo 'er, Da. (1989). Interview with Xie Jin. Retrieved Feb 8, 2013, from http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/onlinessays/JC34folder/XieJinInt.html Bao Tianxiao. (1973). A reminiscence of Chuanyinglou. Rev. ed. Hong Kong: Dahua Press, 1973.

Bibliography: Semsel, George S., et. al (eds.) (1990). Chinese Film Theory. A Guide to the New Era. New York: Praeger Publishers. Jeff. (2003). The First Generation of Chinese Directors. In China Culture. Retrieved Feb 8, 2013, from http://www1.chinaculture.org/library/2008-01/18/content_66346.htm. Cai Chusheng -- Ceaseless Explorer of Film Arts. Retrieved Feb 8, 2013. from http://www1.chinaculture.org/library/2008-01/18/content_38439.htm Pang, Laikwan. (2002). Building a New China in Cinema: The Chinese Left-Wing Cinema Movement, 1932-1937: The Chinese Left Wing Cinema Movement, 1932-1937 Marchetti, Gina. (1989). Two stage sisters: The blossoming of a revolutionary aesthetic. Retrieved Feb 8, 2013, from http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/onlinessays/JC34folder/2stageSisters.html Huo 'er, Da. (1989). Interview with Xie Jin. Retrieved Feb 8, 2013, from http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/onlinessays/JC34folder/XieJinInt.html Bao Tianxiao. (1973). A reminiscence of Chuanyinglou. Rev. ed. Hong Kong: Dahua Press, 1973.