Before and After: An Alternative Scan of Early Chinese Cinema

Author: Zhang Wei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: A Tryst with Shadows is a distinctive work. It discusses nearly a hundred Chinese and foreign films that I mostly watched decades ago (some of which I even starred in). Now, having the chance to revisit them, I feel particularly close to them. The author has put in hard work collecting literature and also has unique perspectives, so he avoids repeating what others say. I learned many materials for the first time, and reading it is both enjoyable and enlightening. I believe scholars, experts, and movie lovers will all enjoy this book. As time passes, the faces of early Chinese cinema (1905–1949) have become increasingly blurred. A Tryst with Shadows uncovers film documents from this period, from newspapers, magazines, books to manuals, photographs, posters, and advertisements. It meticulously sifts through these "frozen films," delving into the hidden corners to vividly and engagingly present many unknown facts in Chinese and foreign film history. It also deeply explores the cultural connotations of early Chinese cinema and its interactive relationships with literature, art, and music, filling gaps in the history of early Chinese cinema and providing strong testimony to the century-long journey of Chinese cinema. The author has long been dedicated to organizing the history of Chinese cinema, with rigorous scholarship and remarkable achievements. This book is his latest research. Anyone interested in Chinese cinema must read it. A Tryst with Shadows is a distinctive work. It discusses nearly a hundred Chinese and foreign films that I mostly watched decades ago (some of which I even starred in). Now, having the chance to revisit them, I feel particularly close to them. The author has put in hard work collecting literature and also has unique perspectives, so he avoids repeating what others say. I learned many materials for the first time, and reading it is both enjoyable and enlightening. I believe scholars, experts, and movie lovers will all enjoy this book. As time passes, the faces of early Chinese cinema (1905–1949) have become increasingly blurred. A Tryst with Shadows uncovers film documents from this period, from newspapers, magazines, books to manuals, photographs, posters, and advertisements. It meticulously sifts through these "frozen films," delving into the hidden corners to vividly and engagingly present many unknown facts in Chinese and foreign film history. It also deeply explores the cultural connotations of early Chinese cinema and its interactive relationships with literature, art, and music, filling gaps in the history of early Chinese cinema and providing strong testimony to the century-long journey of Chinese cinema. The author has long been dedicated to organizing the history of Chinese cinema, with rigorous scholarship and remarkable achievements. This book is his latest research. Anyone interested in Chinese cinema must read it.