Beauty and Sorrow: A True Story of Ruan Lingyu

Author: Dai Yan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-08
Features: She, born into a poor family, with a brief life of twenty-five years, staged a dramatic play of life filled with melancholy and sorrow for us. She once had a vibrant youth, but she killed it when it was most alive; she once had a full life, but she suffocated it when it was most drunk; she once had natural, traceless performances, but she stopped when it was most natural. Men only saw her as a "mirage in the mirror and water," yet she wanted to rely on them. It seemed her life's mission was to find this reliance, and acting became merely a "hobby." If she couldn't find it, she would keep searching; if she still couldn't find it, she would keep searching. By the age of twenty-five, she decided to stop searching.
A slender and gaunt figure, a graceful demeanor, long and expressive eyes, the charm of "smoky gazes and alluring strides," a cheongsam with floral borders, high slits, and a checkered pattern. That was her external beauty. Her wholehearted dedication to the acting career, her portrayal more real than reality, her two expressive eyes that spoke volumes, her pure and transparent style, her genuine "acting talent," and her irreplaceable status in the film industry—that was her "actress beauty." Hope, disappointment, disappointment, hope—despite the despair in her emotional life, her figure remained noble and composed, her posture elegant and measured. That was her inner beauty—she possessed endless beauty.
Six years old, she lost her father and, together with her mother, worked as a maid in wealthy households, doing laundry, cleaning shoes, and scrubbing floors. She had no childhood, no joy, struggling on the brink of life and death from a young age, experiencing all the hardships of the world. In men's fantasies, she became a star, and on the path to stardom, she stepped into the realm of "mirage in the mirror and water." Men only saw her as a "mirage in the mirror and water," yet she took it seriously, treating the "mirage" as a real flower and the "water moon" as a real moon, mistaking men's opportunistic warmth for something she could rely on. She knew she shouldn't give her heart, but she couldn't force herself to become a person of insincerity—she had endless sorrow.
She was a legend in the history of Chinese cinema. At the age of twenty-five, she left behind the words "The spoken word is fearsome" and left this world. The writer Lu Xun wrote an article in her memory. She once shared the same level of fame with the renowned actress Hu Die. Mei Lanfang once regarded her as "China's Mary Pickford." She was praised as a "beautiful and pure film artist." She once soared to great heights, beloved by countless fans. Most of the roles she played seemed to end in tragedy. It seemed she had known her fate long ago, as if it was predetermined.
Recommended for the following groups to read this book:
Teenagers or adults, poor children or wealthy offspring, newcomers to the world or seasoned and cunning ones, sincere people or insincere ones, those who live for art or those who use art as a tool.