Image China: Chinese Film Art: 1945—1949

Author: Ding Yaping
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Publishing Date: Not available
Features: This book is the first attempt to study the history of Chinese film culture and art in the 1940s. Currently, there are no specialized works on this topic. The post-war films of the 1940s emerged from the soil of post-war Chinese society while benefiting from the realistic tradition and the cultivation of popular thought championed by the emerging film movement in the 1930s. In the 1930s, numerous film artists strove to place themselves in the tide of the times, seeking the position of film in society and the people. They reflected the fate of the lower classes and the suffering of the people, depicted and illustrated the nation's peril, and expressed the ideals of resisting Japan and the people's revolution. The full outbreak of the "July 7th" War profoundly shook the creative hearts of filmmakers. As they moved toward the documentary and popularization of war films, they adapted to the needs of wartime propaganda to varying degrees, altering their gradually maturing artistic personalities. Driven by a sense of national consciousness and the push of the national war, they quickly shifted to patriotic calls for resisting Japanese aggression. Although war is more powerful than any artistic or social trend in driving change, it, in a sense, slowed the artistic development of the entire national film industry. However, the attention and grasp of the real-life situation of the Chinese people and the conscious pursuit of the times in wartime films can still be seen as a continuation of the trajectory of the emerging film movement in the 1930s. At the same time, they serve as the prelude to the development of post-war films. Post-war films, brought to the forefront of culture and history, are rich in artistic tension, striving to find new growth points for film art. Yet their foundation remains the pursuit of a prominent popular character, always inspired by the times. Their achievements still lie in the correspondence and dialogue between the filmmakers and the era they lived in. It can be said that the post-war films, like a flourishing landscape adorned with flowers, fully demonstrate their vitality and richness in the plasticity of historical continuity and spiritual evolution. This is precisely the result of grasping and expressing the times through the thought of popularism, a product of its era. How to present the life of the times authentically, concretely, and meticulously on the screen, how to artistically capture and reflect the overall environment of an era, and how to explore creative approaches under the guidance of new spiritual and humanistic values and film consciousness, while establishing a new height for their works—these aspects show clear historical differences between post-war films and those of the 1930s. Just as the 1930s became an active and glorious period in film history, first and foremost, due to the Chinese society shaped by the "September 18th" and "January 28th" incidents, the post-war films of the 1940s also developed in synchronization with and interaction with the era of the liberation war from 1945 to 1949. However, when we delve into the specific connotations and laws of film development during this period, meticulously sort out the different trends and evolutionary trajectories of the times and society, and strive to understand how these important intervening factors inevitably combined with the film environment and development trends, we discover the profound humanistic and historical artistic content and constructive artistic historical significance of post-war films. That is: the unity of deep popular awareness in humanistic thought and open dialogue in artistic creation under specific historical conditions. The overall characteristics and constructive significance of post-war films lie in their extremely close connection with reality, their sincere and straightforward attitude in facing life, their sympathy for the lower classes; their irresistible humanitarianism in critiquing social injustice and irrationality, and their direct confrontation with the real situation and status of the people in turmoil and crisis; their return to the reality of individual survival, delving into deeper, broader, and pervasive cultural realms, and avoiding the constraints of certain models and frameworks in their diverse backgrounds of experience and perception, recognition, and understanding. Between the fleeting brilliance of post-war films and the rise of the emerging films of the 1930s, although both share local realistic roots, the new critical spirit and the complex content of popular consciousness added by the 1940s films actually demonstrate the awakening and elevation of the essence of film as an art, as well as the importance and necessity of a broad dialogue between film and the times in a changed world.
Afterword: Several years ago, I had the privilege of passing the exam and becoming the first doctoral student in film studies in China, studying under the renowned film historian and researcher at the Chinese Academy of Arts and Sciences, Professor Li Shaobai. I learned film history and theory, focusing on the history of Chinese cinema. This book is my doctoral dissertation. On November 11, 1996, the dissertation was passed with a defense, becoming the first official film doctoral dissertation to be successfully defended in China. Recently, the dissertation was included in the "Nineteen-Ninety-Five" project of the Chinese Academy of Arts and Sciences and received publishing subsidies. Now, as this book is published, I reflect on the many strict teachings of my teacher and the complex yet warm flavors of my academic journey, my heart filled with gratitude and nostalgia. I extend my deepest thanks once again to Professor Li Shaobai; at the same time, I express my gratitude to the late Mr. Shen Gao-sheng, as well as to Professors Zhang Boqing, Wang Renyin, Lu Hongshi, and Bu Jian, for their support and assistance in my doctoral studies and the writing of this book. Currently, there are no specialized works on the history of Chinese film culture and art in the 1940s, and the attempt made in this book may have shortcomings. I sincerely welcome the readers' criticism and guidance.
Author
June 18, 1998