Written by 丨 Wang Yiping
Celebrity suicide has always been the focus of public attention. From Zhang Guorong to Shirley, the suicide of popular stars can always trigger a huge whirlpool of public opinion. As a projection of popular desire, celebrity suicide undoubtedly means the disillusionment of imagination. More importantly, the suicide of popular stars often becomes a signal of the times, alerting the public to the spiritual crisis and social contradictions hidden in this era.
On March 8, 1935, Ruan Lingyu committed suicide, which was undoubtedly an explosive news. This year, Ruan Lingyu was a popular movie star, at the peak of her career, and the left-wing classic film "New Woman" was released in January of the same year. She is a sad woman on the screen, the mistress of businessman Tang Jishan, who was sued by her ex-husband Zhang Damin for "adultery". The day before the trial, Ruan Lingyu committed suicide by taking medication.
Ruan Lingyu's death unsurprisingly triggered an uproar in public opinion, and the spearhead was pointed at the unscrupulous media, at Zhang Damin and Tang Jishan, at the decadent feudal patriarchy, to the movie, to Ruan Lingyu's weakness. At the same time, the film company can't wait to promote the film with the gimmick of "Ruan Lingyu's legacy", and the drama in the theater is based on Ruan Lingyu's gossip and anecdotes, and it is in full swing. In addition to a few suicide notes and sporadic materials, Ruan Lingyu's own voice was drowned out in the tide of history. Ruan Lingyu's death became a mark of the times.
Meanwhile, in China in 1935, the left-wing film movement was in full swing. As an emerging city, Shanghai enthusiastically embraced modernization, and the Kuomintang-Communist Civil War was in a state of stalemate, two years before the beginning of the War of Resistance Against Japan. 85 years later, when we re-examine, as a female star, what does Ruan Lingyu mean for the present? In the torrent of the times in the 1930s, how was the star Ruan Lingyu born? What is the warning significance of Ruan Lingyu's death at that time and now?
Looking back at the moment: What does Ruan Lingyu mean?
In 1992, Guan Jinpeng's biographical film "Ruan Lingyu" was shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Berlin Film Festival. In the film, Maggie Cheung, who plays Ruan Lingyu, won the berlin film festival award for this film, which is also the first time that a Chinese actor has won an award at three major film festivals in Europe. The film revolves around Nguyen LingYu's career and emotional life, with one line playing Maggie Cheung as Nguyen Ling Yu telling her private life, and the other line focusing on Maggie Cheung, who plays Nguyen Ling Yu, showing how she plays Nguyen Ling Yu and interspersing Maggie Cheung's own views on Nguyen Ling Yu.
In the movie "Ruan Lingyu", Maggie Cheung played Ruan Lingyu.
Therefore, this is not only a film about Ruan Lingyu, but also a film about Maggie Cheung. The director builds a line between two female stars across the era, first building Ruan Lingyu and then breaking Ruan Lingyu. On one side is the 90s, on the other side is the 30s; on the other side is Maggie Cheung, on the other side is Ruan Lingyu. The two eras are very different, and the two stars are also different, but in some moments, Maggie Cheung becomes Ruan Lingyu, and Ruan Lingyu is resurrected in the video.
In "Ruan Lingyu", there is such an impressive scene: in the movie "New Woman" starring Ruan Lingyu, the heroine Wei Ming died in anger, and Guan Jinpeng tried to recreate the scene when this scene was filmed. Under his imagination, Ruan Lingyu, who was filmed after this scene, could not play the scene and cried loudly on the bed with a bed sheet covered. However, after Guan Jinpeng's own voice shouted "stop", Maggie Cheung still did not stop crying with her head covered.
Guan Jinpeng tried to recreate the filming scene of "Wei Ming's Death" in "Ruan Lingyu".
Here, the boundary between the real and the virtual is clearly confused. In Kwan Kam Peng's imaginary Ruan Lingyu, she cannot play from the fictional character "Wei Ming"; and when Maggie Cheung plays the imaginary Ruan Lingyu, she is also trapped in it. So, in this scene, is it Ruan Lingyu or Maggie Cheung who can't play? And it was Wei Ming who cried loudly, or Ruan Lingyu? Therefore, what the movie "Ruan Lingyu" shows is undoubtedly a postmodern vision, an interpretation strategy of deconstruction and reconstruction.
In this way, Ruan Lingyu's image is gradually plumped under the layers of inlays, but it is once again reverted to an imagination under the analysis of layers. As James mentions in his discussion of nostalgic films, nostalgic films "recreate the feeling and form of an artistic object unique to a bygone era, trying to awaken a sense of yesterday associated with these objects." Here, Nguyen Ling Ngoc became a 30-year-old relic, a personified symbol of old Shanghai. Through Ruan Lingyu, the two eras are connected, and Ruan Lingyu herself becomes a nostalgic melancholy.
In addition, in the discussion of later generations, Ruan Lingyu is no longer just a legendary female star of the old era. In different contexts, the three words "Ruan Lingyu" take on different tasks and give rise to completely different meanings. She has become a banner of resistance under women's discourse, a symbol under national discourse, a propaganda tool under ideology, and a projection of desires in consumer society.
As a result, in the love triangle with Tang Jishan and Zhang Damin, Ruan Lingyu became a victim of feudal male power. The modern feminist vision gives Ruan Lingyu's suicide a "rebellious" color. Through Ruan Lingyu, we re-examine the 1930s from a different female perspective than before, see marriage, love and sex under the change of the times, and see the shackles of the times of female stars.
When the country is in trouble, the female body is forced to bear the metaphor of politics. Therefore, under the discourse of nationalism, the oppressed person played by Ruan Lingyu on the screen and the female star Ruan Lingyu have become a beautiful and miserable silhouette and symbol of the invaded and oppressed Chinese nation.
When the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression ended and New China was founded, the left wing became orthodox, and Ruan Lingyu's poor origins became the certification mark of the proletariat. Star Nguyen Ling-yu became a realistic embodiment of a series of roles she played in the film, and her death was attributed to persecution by the news media with a Kuomintang background. She became an art worker with advanced ideas, a victim of the dark old society.
After the reform and opening up, the development of the commodity economy, female stars under the consumer society have once again become the object of desire projection. Ruan Lingyu's former residence has become a scenic spot, and the Ruan Lingyu Monument is a humanoid statue of Grace Na. Ruan Lingyu became a female star again, becoming a free promotional business card, a female body that could be commercialized.
Humanoid sculpture on the Nguyen Ling Ngoc Monument.
Behind all this, in all kinds of discussions and imaginations about Ruan Lingyu, what is the real Ruan Lingyu? Behind a suicide note and several silent films, is this female star just a beautiful silhouette living in the past? When the time goes back to the 1930s, how was the star Ruan Lingyu born?
Gaze of History: The Image of a Woman Chosen by the Times
Ruan Lingyu entered the film industry in 1926 and became famous by the 1930s. In the early days, Ruan Lingyu's screen image was mostly a modern girl who was "charming and spicy". For example, in the "Love and Obligation" released in 1931, Ruan Lingyu, who was 21 years old at the time, almost starred as a young and beautiful female student; in "A Cut of Plum", she left a heroic and sassy image. Ruan Lingyu's screen image at this time is mostly a beautiful girl and a fashionable urban girl who is closer to her own image temperament, which to some extent reflects the embrace of modern life in Shanghai at that time.
Ruan Lingyu in student clothes in "Love and Obligation".
Almost at the same time, with the background of the times such as the 918 Incident and the 128 War, Ruan Lingyu's Lianhua Film Company launched the "National Film Revival" movement, calling for the boycott of "imported films", combined with the left-wing background of "Lianhua" itself, the two trends of "patriotism" and "left-wing" converged. In this context, Ruan Lingyu's screen image began to change on the basis of "sexiness".
Released in 1931, "Peach Blossom Weeping Blood" tells a cross-class love tragedy, Ruan Lingyu played by the peasant girl and the young master of the landlord's family fell in love and became pregnant and gave birth, but could not break through the door of the difference, died in depression. This film is undoubtedly the embodiment of the left-wing trend, and the young girl played by Ruan Lingyu also has a strong tragic color. In Ruan Lingyu's interpretation, it still maintains a bright and lively background. In the 1992 biographical film "Ruan Lingyu", Maggie Cheung, who played "Ruan Lingyu", once described Ruan Lingyu's image in this film with "riot to the bone".
Ruan Lingyu and Golden Flame in "Peach Blossom Weeping Blood".
In 1933's "Gadgets", Ruan Lingyu's screen image was completely transformed into a sad woman at the bottom. In this film, Ruan Lingyu plays a craftsman in rural Zhejiang who flees to Shanghai with her daughter after a foreign invasion. The daughter grew up to join the revolution and unfortunately died; at the same time, under the squeeze of modern machine production, the heroine's "small business" could not be sustained, and eventually lived on the street.
In this film, Ruan Lingyu is completely transformed into an "anti-imperialist" bottom woman. Ironically, while countering aggression, the heroine, who has not yet entered the modern era, is also involved in the ranks of anti-capitalism and anti-modernity. The creators of the film also seem to be aware of this far-fetched setting, so the college students who fell in love with the heroine in the first half of the film went to Germany to study under his encouragement and set up factories after returning home to achieve the goal of a strong country. It is this factory founded because of "patriotism" that becomes the last straw that overwhelms the heroine.
In this film, we can clearly perceive the influence of the trend of the times on film creation and even the image of stars. On the other hand, under the multiple influences of various trends, creators inevitably fall into paradoxical confusion. Ruan Lingyu's film life, in turn, reflects this complex situation of the times. In this period, although Ruan Lingyu has not left behind the "beautiful" character; but under the sexy appearance, this actress has begun to endure all the hardships in the movie like a sea of rivers and become a container of the times.
Stills from the movie "Gadgets", the second from the left is Ruan Lingyu.
This tragic role brings more possibilities to Ruan Lingyu's screen life, and to some extent it has become a kind of shackle. In 1933, Ruan Lingyu took the initiative to play the role of Zhou Shuzhen, who symbolized the "revolution" in "Three Modern Women" written by Tian Han. It is precisely because of this initiative that Ruan Lingyu on the screen has ushered in new possibilities. She is no longer just a sympathetic and tragic woman, but also a progressive woman who rises up to resist. This transformation, especially in 1934's The Goddess.
Ruan Lingyu plays a prostitute and mother, Ruan Lingyu, in this film. Sister-in-law Ruan makes a living from sex work and raises her son alone, but is bullied and insulted by the bully Zhang Zhizhi, and because of her status as a prostitute, her son is dropped out of the school. Under the circumstances of various tragedies, Ruan Zhizhi couldn't bear it anymore and confronted Zhang Zhizhi with a positive theory, but accidentally killed Zhang Zhizhi in the fight.
After the film was released, it was positively affirmed by left-wing critics, and Ruan Lingyu in the film once again became a tool for social expression. On the surface, the film attributes the various unfortunate reasons of the heroine to social injustice, but in the specific plot setting, the bully Zhang Zhizhi is undoubtedly an all-round villain, and in various coincidences, he has become the main creator of the heroine's life tragedy. The criticism of the so-called "social injustice" is briefly tasted in the film. The heroine played by Ruan Lingyu has thus become a functional "rebel".
Stills from the movie "Goddess".
Under the trend of the times and the strategy of the film company, "Star Ruan Lingyu" was born. She becomes a projection of the imagination, and the viewer sees in her modernity, progress, and sadness. On the other hand, Ruan Lingyu outside the play does not have much initiative in role selection, she not only participated in a large number of left-wing films, but director Fei Mu, who is regarded as a representative of "petty bourgeoisie", has also cooperated with her many times. The "National Style" in which she participated can even be said to be a political propaganda film by the Kuomintang authorities. The times have shaped the "star Ruan Lingyu" that we know as "Ruan Lingyu", and Ruan Lingyu herself is just a female image that just happened to be selected by the times.
The Conundrum Across the Ages: Who Killed the Star?
The birth of star Ruan Lingyu began from the moment she stepped onto the big screen; the fall of the star happened off the screen. The combined efforts of film companies, audiences, media, and readers have contributed to the birth of stars, who in turn must inevitably sacrifice part of their private lives to satisfy the voyeurism of the media and the public. Celebrities and public opinion "love and kill each other", public opinion can win a star, but also can kill a star. Behind public opinion, there is a more complex face of the times.
The film "New Woman", released in January 1935, became the last peak of star Ruan Lingyu and became the beginning of the fall of stars. The film is the debut of the well-known left-wing director Cai Chusheng, based on the real story of another left-wing female star and writer Ai Xia. Ai Xia committed suicide in February 1934, and the cause of suicide is mysterious. After Ai Xia's death, tabloids reported on various gossip and anecdotes about her private life. Cai Chusheng, as Ai Xia's former friend, decided to use this as a background to shoot "New Woman" for Ai Xia.com. Ruan Lingyu is the heroine of this movie.
Ai Xia (1912-1934), who had joined the Nanguo Society organized by Tian Han and others, was deeply influenced by left-wing ideas. In 1931, he entered the film industry and acted as an actor in a star film company, starring in films such as "Spring Silkworm" and "Daughter of the Times", and wrote and acted in "Modern - Women". He died by suicide in 1934 at the age of 22.
In "New Woman", the heroine Wei Ming, played by Ruan Lingyu, is a single mother who was abandoned by her husband and went to Shanghai alone to become a music teacher and writer. On the one hand, Wei Ming lost her job in retaliation after rejecting Dr. Wang's pursuit; on the other hand, although the novel she wrote was selected by the publishing house, the publisher only valued her beautiful appearance and the fashionable title of "female writer", and the staff of the publishing house even tried to sexually harass her.
It happened that Wei Ming, whose daughter was seriously ill and had lost his financial resources, had no choice but to "sell his body", but the "guest" he received was Dr. Wang. Wei Ming committed suicide by taking drugs in grief and indignation, and Dr. Wang contacted the tabloids, and the "secret history of female writers" became the headlines for a while. Wei Ming, who was rescued, saw all this, vowed to take revenge, and finally died in grief.
Tabloid in The New Woman
After the release of the film, some commentators accused Wei Ming of his character's weakness, such as the comment published in the "Declaration" directly pointed out that Wei Ming's role "has new ideas but in fact lacks rational judgment". However, the greater dispute between the film and the critics stems from the satire and criticism of the "tabloids" in the film, which the press is strongly dissatisfied with. In his memories of the 1960s, the film's director, Cai Chusheng, referred to the dissenting newspapers as "yellow tabloids" and accused them of targeting The New Woman's choreographer and main actor, Ruan Lingyu.
What came out of the strong opposition was actually the Shanghai Press Association, which even included reporters from major newspapers such as the "Declaration". Corresponding to the accusations received in the film, Ruan Lingyu is facing the "adultery" accusations of her ex-husband Zhang Damin at this time, which are widely reported by the media large and small. Cai Chusheng believes that the media's "pursuit" of Ruan Lingyu is a continuation of the storm of "New Woman", and even so, the snooping on the private lives of celebrities is to some extent the work of the mass media.
In the report on Ruan Lingyu's peach-colored news, everything that Wei Ming experienced in "New Woman" was repeated in Ruan Lingyu. When Ruan Lingyu chose to commit suicide and embarked on the same path as Ai Xia and Wei Ming, the focus of the report naturally shifted from inside the play to outside the play. For example, the "Big Evening News" pointed out that the plot of "New Woman" induced Ruan Lingyu's suicide, while "Female Voice" juxtaposed Ruan Lingyu with Ai Xia, accusing the two of being too addicted to love and material life, and "Women's Monthly" also published a similar view. And this kind of voice is almost the same as the criticism of wei ming, the heroine of "New Woman", mentioned above.
"New Woman" set photos, the second from the left is director Cai Chusheng, and the second from the right is Ruan Lingyu
In this process, whether it is Ai Xia, Wei Ming in "New Women", or Ruan Lingyu; whether it is a movie role or a star, they seem to be the protagonists of public opinion, and in essence they become a tool for critics to achieve social expression. In other words, the statement that "people are fearful" will point the finger at the media and public opinion. Public opinion is only the carrier of social ideological trends, and the "manipulators" behind public opinion are the real culprits. Behind the public opinion storm of "Ruan Lingyu's death", it is the paradox of the times.
On the one hand, the mass media's frantic voyeurism on the lives of celebrities is on the surface an extreme development of modern voyeurism, but it contains the dislocation between the modern in form and the antiquated in thought. Modern mass media provide a more convenient path for "expression", but the content of expression itself is pre-modern. The public is obsessed with the fashion of modern girls on the screen, but the star himself should be "pure", virtuous wife and mother, and even anti-modern.
On the other hand, left-wing ideologies have influenced the strategies of film companies, the content production of film creators, and even the personal image of stars. However, the film itself is a product of modern society, and from its birth it is inevitably branded with "capital", and "stars" are to some extent naturally inseparable from "material life". In other words, the very existence of cinema and stars repulses the claims of the "left." When the heroines of left-wing films are not "progressive" enough, when movie stars make the same suicidal choices as movie heroines, they inevitably receive the same accusations.
Ruan Lingyu's remains.
"Female star Ruan Lingyu" is shaped. She is portrayed as a beautiful modern girl, a miserable woman at the bottom, a brave rebel and a victim of public opinion. Inevitably, she was drawn into the tide of the 1930s, into modern urban life, into the patriotic upsurge of the masses, and the courageous and progressive left-wing revolution. In this process, "Star Ruan Lingyu" and "Individual Ruan Lingyu" were forced to merge, and when Ruan Lingyu chose to commit suicide, "Star Ruan Lingyu" also died. Even so, today, 85 years later, "star Ruan Lingyu" still can't get rid of the fate of being "shaped".
Compared with Ruan Lingyu, the current stars no longer rely on the studio, and the public's voyeurism on the stars does not need to go through the media. On the surface, the star himself has gained more initiative in the construction of self-image; however, the star has begun to choose to actively "be shaped", "human design" has become the mask of the star in real life, and the boundary between the real and the virtual is completely blurred. Celebrities tailor beautiful masks for themselves to strictly satisfy a more precise audience. Behind the strictness and precision is the paranoia and conservatism of the times, and how is this different from 85 years ago?
Resources:
Cheng Jihua: "Ruan Lingyu 50th Anniversary Festival", Film Art, No. 03, 1985.
Sha Dan, "Jade Man Yong Tips: Ruan Lingyu's Tragic Performance and Visual Politics", Art Review, No. 03, 2011.
"Criticism of Shanghai Newspapers After the Performance of 'New Woman'", Lianhua Pictorial, Vol. 5, No. 5, 1935, pp. 25-26.
Liu Lei, "Gender, Media, symbols: Ruan Lingyu in Public Discourse", Shandong Women's College Journal, No. 03, 2017.
Cai Chusheng: "Remembering the "New Woman" in the March 8th Festival", Film Art, No. 03, 1960.
Yi Wei: "Ruan Lingyu's Perspective on Suicide", Female Voice, 1935, vol. 3, No. 11, pp. 1-3.
Zhan Mingxin: The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism, Life, Reading, and New Knowledge Triptych Bookstore, 1997.
Edited by Yu Yaqin Dong Muzi
Proofreading 丨He Yan