EN
“There was arguably no greater aspect of Chinese society where these shifting perspectives were more pronounced than concerning the role of women. Historically, Chinese society had operated on a conservative model of gender roles in which a woman’s ostensible purpose was to strive to be a “virtuous wife and good mother” (贤妻良母) – A model that was effectively continued under China’s Nationalist government which promoted the virtues of marital monogamy and child rearing while cracking down on vices like prostitution and gambling.
Many of the creative voices working within China’s film industry, however, saw another story: One in which education and moral character were more important to good citizenship than tradition for tradition’s sake. Filmmakers like Sun Yu, Wu Yonggang, and Cai Chusheng began to incorporate these ideas directly into their work, crafting female-centric stories that expanded beyond archetypal gender roles and instead focused on the woman workers, artists, farmers, athletes, soldiers, warriors, wives, and mothers who were as integral to modern society as their male counterparts. China’s leftist cinema movement ultimately helped revolutionize the role of women in Chinese society, reinforcing the government’s obligations towards gender equality that, within a few short decades, would culminate in Mao Zedong’s famous 1968 pronouncement that, ‘Women hold up half the sky.’”
Spectacle Collective
“It is impossible to discuss the film without reference to Ruan Lingyu’s suicide, a horrific case of life imitating art which occurred shortly after the release of the film. (Ruan’s final film, 國風 [National Customs or National Style], was released posthumously). Already a target of the Chinese gossip press and under a great deal of strain in her personal life, Ruan Lingyu was harrassed relentlessly by media in the wake of the film’s release, who were extremely displeased with their negative portrayal therein (and had in fact already forced extensive cuts to the film). These mounting burdens led her to take an overdose of barbiturates; like her fictional counterpart Wei Ming, the pressures around Ruan Lingyu consumed her. Even then, she might have survived, had her partner not stalled for hours before taking her to hospital, for fear of bad publicity. One of her suicide notes reportedly contained a line that read, ‘Gossip is a fearful thing’. She was only 24.”
Silents, Please!
