In August 1896, the French screened "Western film dramas" at the tea house of "Another Village" in Xuyuan, Shanghai, which was regarded as the official introduction of films to China. Since then, by the end of the 1920s, Shanghai had more than 100 film companies as an important center for the development of Chinese films. Due to the large amount, often mixed fish and dragons, mud and sand, so many movies are lackluster. It was in this context that The United China Film Company, founded in 1930 and headquartered in Hong Kong, established the "Lianhua" branch in Shanghai in 1931 with a novel attitude, and set up several shooting branches including Beiping. Then, under the impetus of the left-wing literary and art movement in the 1930s, "Lianhua" strived to "reform the national film style of gods and monsters, superstition, viciousness, and killing" and "advocating art, promoting culture, inspiring the wisdom of the people, and saving the film industry", and created many good works, some of which are excellent works. Among them, "Fishing Light Song" became the first film awarded by Chinese films at international film festivals.
A camera on the roof of Yongan Company
Sun Yu, who was widely known for directing the film "The Legend of Martial Arts", can be called the elder of "Lianhua". In 1929, sun Yu's second year in the film industry, he was writing the film script "Wild Grass Idle Flowers" for the Shanghai Minxin Film Company. At that time, Li Minwei, the manager of "Minxin", was struggling with the lack of funds for filmmaking, when he suddenly received a synopsis of the movie "Spring Dream in the Old Capital" sent from Beiping by Luo Mingyou, the general manager of the North China Film Company and one of the three founders of the Hong Kong-based Lianhua Film Company. Luo Fuxin said that he hoped to make a joint venture with "Minxin" to shoot the film. Sun Yu read the synopsis of the story and felt that it was good, so he proposed himself to Li Maosui and was willing to serve as the director of the film. After that, Luo Mingyou went to Shanghai to discuss the details of cooperation with Li Minwei. At the same time, Luo also read the script of the "Wild Grass Idle Flower" split-lens film script that Sun Yu had just completed, expressed his appreciation, and finally decided to jointly shoot these two films with "Minxin". For Luo, because only a few theaters in Shanghai had audio projectors at that time, and none of the theaters operated by Luo had sound equipment, it was possible to achieve a win-win situation by joining hands with "Minxin".
After signing the contract, Li Minwei, general manager of "Minxin", director Sun Yu, photographer Huang Shaofen, actor Ruan Lingyu and other 14 people went to Beiping in December 1929 to shoot the location of "Spring Dream of the Old Capital". It is the cold winter season, and the north is particularly cold. However, everyone withstood the cold with high creative enthusiasm, and after two months of intense shooting, they returned to Shanghai in March of the following year. After that, it took another two months to shoot the interior. The entire film was completed in May 1930 and released in Nanjing and Shanghai. Originally wanted to make a preview for "Spring Dream of the Old Capital" in the name of "joint production of North China Film Company and Minxin Film Company", at this time Luo Xiangli proposed that a new company could be established for further cooperation. Li agreed, so when "Spring Dream of the Old Capital" was officially released, it was titled "Produced by Lianhua Film Company". Because the film exposes the moral corruption and decay of life at the upper level to a certain extent, and the artistic treatment is serious and serious, it also plays the following advertising slogan: "The revolutionary army of reviving the national film, the vanguard against the imported films, the burning rhinoceros of the warlord era in Beijing, and the mirror of china's family life." The language may be exaggerated, but the key is to play the banner of "reviving the national film", which has the meaning of the call and the effect of inspiring the deaf. This film was indeed a blockbuster and a hit, breaking the box office record of domestic films at that time.
Lianhua No.1 Studio
Subsequently, Sun Yu, who had been standing for many years, completed the second film after the founding of Shanghai "Lianhua" in the summer and autumn of this year, that is, "Wild Grass and Idle Flowers" written and directed by him. The film tells the story of a rich young man with high musical attainments, Huang Yun, who is dissatisfied with the decadent life of the upper class, angrily leaves home and rents a carpenter's family in a shantytown to engage in creation. He discovered that Lilian, a carpenter's daughter and flower girl, had a talent for singing, so he carefully cultivated her. Later, Lilian became famous in one fell swoop and became engaged to Huang Yun. The Huang family knew and obstructed, but Huang Yun was unswerving, and finally combined with Lilian, who was regarded as a "wild grass idle flower" but of high quality, and the two began to struggle and live together. Ruan Lingyu plays the intelligent, hard-working, innocent and pure Lilian in the film. Previously, she had played a slut in "Spring Dream of the Old Capital", and the two roles were in great contrast, but she played very successfully and was well received by the audience. Huang Yun was played by Jin Yan, who was only twenty years old at the time. The image of a brave, optimistic, and energetic young musical talent he has created has won him a good reputation. "Wild Grass idle flowers" was acclaimed in that year, and it was inseparable from the bold exploration of art. Sun Yu once recalled that at that time, the camera lens "from the roof of Yong'an Company, bird's eye view of nanjing road, Zhejiang intersection tram track staggering, cars and horses mixed up, as the background of the event, overprinting subtitles, and then the subtitles 'melted' into the overprinting of the two sisters with tearful smiles, holding bouquets, peddling zhangwang's close-up scenes in the crowd of people coming and going", is an example. Another example is the integration of film interludes and theme songs into the film, which really made the audience experience a full of freshness at that time.
Nie Er joined "Lianhua"
The initial success has greatly increased Luo Mingyou's confidence. While establishing a large joint management system in 1931, he also visited the Japanese, San Francisco, Hollywood, and European film industries to open up overseas markets. Development is inseparable from talents, at that time he recruited directors such as Shi Dongshan, Cai Chusheng, Wu Yonggang, Shen Fu, etc., Cai Chusheng left the star film company and joined "Lianhua". In addition to Ruan Lingyu and Jin Yan, the actors also have Lin Chuchu, Chen Yanyan, Wang Renmei, Li Lili, Zheng Junli, Jiang Junchao, Liu Qiong, etc.; the photographers include Huang Shaofen, Zhou Daming, Yao Shiquan, etc. In this year, Sun Yu wrote the film script "Free Soul", the original name of the script was "Blue Blood and Yellow Flowers". Set against the backdrop of the struggle of the Seventy-two Martyrs of Huanghuagang in Guangzhou against the Qing Dynasty, the film tells the story of a young man in a circus who experienced tempering and growth in the anti-Qing struggle led by Sun Yat-sen, and finally made a heroic sacrifice. The progressive significance of such films at the time was obvious.
Ruan Lingyu
At that time, the Mingyue Song and Dance Society founded by Lai Jinhui was performing in the Nanyang Islands and many places in China, and "Lianhua" saw the opportunity and absorbed it in time and changed its name to Lianhua Song and Dance Class. Nie Er, who was only 20 years old at the time, was the violinist of this song and dance class. In addition to the aforementioned Wang Renmei and Li Lili, there are also Xue Lingxian, Hu Di, Bai Hong, Yu Siyong, Ying Yin, etc., who were only fifteen or sixteen years old at the time, and some were even younger. At that time, Sun Yu and a colleague shared a pavilion in Dapengfang, which is now Changde Road and Beijing Road Junction, not far from the Lianhua Song and Dance Class, where Nie Er, Jin Yan, Wang Renmei, Li Lili and others often met to talk about the art of heaven and earth, and the pavilion became a lively small salon. In Sun Yu's impression, Nie Er was full of revolutionary passion, usually studying composition and reading progressive books, and in his leisure, he was a lively and humorous "big child" full of youthful vitality. It is precisely because of the relationship, exchange and understanding with these young people that after the September 18 incident, Sun Yu wrote a film script with anti-imperialist content with anti-imperialist content, "Wild Rose". The film tells the story of Xiao Feng, a poor but stubborn fisherman girl in the suburbs of Suzhou, who often plays a game of fighting and catching enemies with her friends, which gives rise to patriotic ideas. At this time, an art student Jiang Bo came to the countryside to sketch and noticed the brave and youthful Xiao Feng. Later, Xiaofeng unfortunately lost her relatives, and she lived with Jiang Bo and the latter's two poor friends. Four optimistic young people were fearless and inspired each other, and finally answered the call on the streets of Shanghai to join the Northeast Volunteer Army and march forward with a high song. The fisherman's daughter Xiaofeng in the film is Wang Renmei, who was only 6 years old at the time. Director Sun Yu commented on Wang Renmei: "With her unique body shape and a pair of large and bright eyes, she boldly and fiercely created a new type of innocent and lively, toned and brave girl image, which greatly impacted the morbid beauty of the 'Heart-holding Xizi (Shi)' style performed by some female 'stars' at that time." Sun Yu also used the 20-year-old "newcomer" Zheng Junli in this film to play Xiao Li who painted a big street advertisement. Sun Yu said: "Wang Renmei has practical experience in song and dance performance, zheng Jun has the theoretical knowledge to participate in the progressive drama club, both of them have taken the main role when they first appeared on the screen, and achieved good results." ”
Wang Renmei
There is no timidity, only enthusiasm
The achievements of the "Lianhua" in Shanghai are obvious to all, even in the "128" Japanese artillery fire, they, like other colleagues, have filmed news documentaries such as "History of the War of Resistance Against Japan" and the anti-Japanese feature film "Going to the National Disaster Together" and other progressive films. Of course, they also paid a heavy price for this, such as the destruction of a branch of the "Lianhua" factory by the Japanese artillery. But this does not stop Lianhua's determination to make progressive films, such as the 1933 film "Morning of the Metropolis", written and directed by Cai Chusheng, which reflects the darkness of the old era and the growth of new forces through the tragedy of a family. Another example is the film "Tianming", written and directed by Sun Yu, borrowing the mouth of a female textile worker arrested for assisting the revolutionary army of the Northern Expedition, before Tianming was shot, shouting out the cry of "the revolution (the revolution) cannot be killed". These all reflect the inner voice of ordinary people at that time from a certain level. The most highlight is the film "Fishing Light Song" written and directed by Cai Chusheng and starring Wang Renmei this year. This film vividly portrays the hard-working fishermen of the East China Sea, under the exploitation and oppression of the fishing bully. The film was screened for 84 consecutive days at the Shanghai Jincheng Grand Theatre (now the Huangpu Theatre), setting a record for the highest number of consecutive screening days for Chinese and foreign films in Shanghai. The theme song of the film, written by An E and composed by Ren Guang, uses a poignant and melodious and heart-stirring tune to make the film have a shocking effect. The record, sung by Wang Renmei, also sold well throughout the country.
Sun Yu's film "The Great Road" was also launched in this year. The film tells the story of a group of strong, brave, united and optimistic road construction workers who defied all difficulties and obstacles, and led the rural masses to oppose hegemony and resist Japan. The film portrays the heroic image of the road construction workers played by Jin Yan, Zhang Yi, Zheng Junli and others who "have no timidity, only enthusiasm; no selfishness, only unity; no way to retreat, only a heart to move forward" (the Chinese language in the instruction manual of "The Great Road"). Nie Er's musical talent is vividly played in this film. In the film, the prologue song "Pioneer of the Road" composed by Sun Shiyi and the theme song "The Song of the Great Road" composed by Sun Yu were composed by Nie Er. "Carrying the burden forward, the freedom road is almost finished" of the "Road Song", sonorous and powerful, the rhythm is exciting, and it makes people feel steeply increase their strength when they listen to it. Speaking of which. There is also a story here, according to Sun Yu's recollection, because the theme song of "The Great Road" was sung by the road construction workers in the middle and long-range scenes when pulling the big iron, and there was no close-up and specific shots, so it could be recorded synchronously without a tape recorder. However, the prologue "Pioneer" is a close-up of Golden Flame's "singing", which must be recorded simultaneously on the film. But "Lianhua" did not have this recording condition at that time. Finally, thanks to Nie Er's "strongest brain", "he used a spring music beat machine to guide Jin Yan and the actors who played the road worker at the same time, when filming the exterior scene of the explosion of the mountain and building the road by the Taihu Lake, he followed the rhythm of the beater and sang "Pioneer of the Road". At that time, the sun was scorching, sweat was pouring down, Nie Er and we were running on the slopes and roadsides, and photographer Qiu Yiwei... After filming all the singing locations, he returned to Shanghai at EMI Records to record "Pioneer" and "The Song of the Great Road" at the same rhythm with a music beater, and finally the newly established Dentsu Film Company was responsible for recording and editing the pronunciation on the film." It can be seen how difficult and difficult it is for the birth of a good film. For example, in 1934, the Kuomintang Central Propaganda Committee set up the "Film Industry Steering Committee" and set up the "Central Film Censorship Committee" and the "Script Review Committee", which suddenly set up many obstacles to the creation of films at that time, such as "severe sanctions" for films that "advocated class struggle". In this regard, the strategy adopted by "Lianhua" is to adhere to the principle of anti-imperialist and anti-feudal general direction, avoid direct conflict with the authorities, and use diversified methods to create in order to bypass the obstacles set by the "Film Censorship Committee".
Stills from the film "The Great Road"
The sorrow and joy of "Lianhua"
1935 was a mix of tragedy and joy for "Lianhua". Happily, from February 25 to March 2 of this year, the International Film Festival was held in the Soviet Union, and China selected and sent a total of seven films, including "Fisherman's Song" and "Dalu" produced by Lianhua. At the end of the film festival, a total of ten films from six countries were selected to win the award, and "Fisherman's Song" was listed among them. This is also the first time that a Chinese film has won honors in the international film industry.
"Fisherman's Song" won the Honorary Award of the Moscow International Film Festival
However, less than a week after the return of "Fisherman's Song", Ruan Lingyu, a 25-year-old star of the "Lianhua" generation who was superbly acting, approachable, and loved by friends and friends, especially the audience, committed suicide by poisoning in the early morning of March 8 because she could not bear the cruel persecution of the evil forces in the old society. This incident caused shock to the whole society, and Lu Xun also wrote an essay "On the Fear of People's Words" with a sad and indignant mood. On the day of Ruan Lingyu's funeral, Shanghai citizens lined up to visit the Wanguo Funeral Home on Jiaozhou Road, which lasted for three days and no less than hundreds of thousands of people.
Another great tragedy is that on July 17 of this year, 23-year-old Nie Er unfortunately drowned on the Japanese coast. The song he composed for the theme song of the film "New Woman", directed by Cai Chusheng and lyrics by Sun Shiyi, has also become a "no song" left by him to Lianhua. Nie Er's last work before going abroad was the theme song written by Tian Han and composed by him in the movie "Children of the Wind and Clouds", that is, the famous "March of the Volunteer Army" that became famous and later became the national anthem of the People's Republic of China. Therefore, Nie Er's death is not only the biggest loss of "Lianhua", but also the huge loss of the entire Chinese nation. Fortunately, his music is still inspiring the people to move forward.
In 1937, with the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, especially after the August 13 Incident, "Lianhua", like many of its peers, was forced to shut down. After that, everyone went to the streets and used various forms such as live newspaper dramas and short dramas to plunge into the torrent of vigorous anti-Japanese salvation.
Column Editor-in-Chief: Huang Wei Text Editor: Xu Yunqian Title Image Source: The photo of this article is provided by the author. The caption is a still from the movie "Fisherman's Song"
Source: Author: Lu Qiguo