King of Film and Stage Tian Han: A Patriotic, Aesthetic, and Romantic Life

Author: Zhang Yaojie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-01
Features: Tian Han (1898-1968) was a loyal and brave cultural warrior of the working class, as well as the founder of China's revolutionary film and drama movement and a pioneer of the reform movement in traditional Chinese opera. He was also an outstanding organizer and leader of early revolutionary music films in China. With a prolific body of work, Tian Han was one of the most versatile master figures in the history of modern Chinese culture and arts, embodying multiple identities as a playwright, traditional Chinese opera writer, film screenwriter, novelist, lyricist, poet, literary critic, and activist. The title of "King of Film and Drama" was well-deserved for Tian Han. The seventy-year life of Tian Han, rich in romantic and legendary tragedy and joy, itself serves as a microcosm of the history of China's film and drama development and a mirror of the history of modern Chinese culture and arts. This book approaches the subject from a comprehensive perspective, standing at the height of the times, blending self-narration, side narration, and third-party narration, autobiography and biographies, discussions and analyses into one volume. It objectively and dialectically, truthfully, and comprehensively recreates the life of Tian Han. The book places Tian Han within the broader context of historical development and the background of the times, organically integrating a series of film and drama works he created throughout his life, major events, historical encounters, turbulent changes, family love, complex and ever-changing life realities, spiritual demeanor, and human nature. It analyzes Tian Han's profound critique of the old world and his pursuit of a beautiful ideal for the new society. The author strives to delve into Tian Han's inner world, bringing the reader close to a real, vivid, rich, and three-dimensional "King of Film and Drama," fully showcasing Tian Han's artistic,,,. The novelty of this book lies in its scientific and exploratory approach, organically combining a biography with academic research, and deeply revealing Tian Han's romantic aesthetic philosophy. "Roaming the Jianghu to Rally Loyalty, Loving the Nation and Theater with Devotion, Prioritizing the Nation in Composing the National Anthem, and Forging a Tragic Soul with Aesthetic Romanticism" perfectly encapsulates the life of Tian Han.