New Women
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The New Women | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Cai Chusheng |
| Produced by | Luo Mingyou |
| Written by | Sun Shiyi |
| Starring | Ruan Lingyu Wang Naidong Zheng Junli |
| Cinematography | Hong Weilie |
| Distributed by | Lianhua Film Company |
| Release date(s) | 1934 |
| Running time | 106 min |
| Country |  China |
| Language | Silent film Written Chinese intertitles |
| IMDb profile | |
New Women (Chinese: 新女性; pinyin: Xīn nǚxìng) was a silent Chinese film made in 1934 in Shanghai by the Lianhua Film Company. It starred Ruan Lingyu and was directed by Cai Chusheng.
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[edit] Synopsis
The film deals with an educated and modern young woman, Wei Ming (Ruan Lingyu), living in 1920s Shanghai. As the film begins, Wei Ming is working as a music teacher for a school, even as she harbors dreams of becoming a writer. In the film's opening scene, Wei Ming meets a friend, Yu Haichou (Zheng Junli) and an old schoolmate, Zhang Xiuzhen (Wang Moqiu), now named Mrs. Wang, on a trolley-car.
Wei, Mrs. Wang, and Yu return to Wei's apartment, where Wei receives a phone call from the film's antagonist, the lecherous Dr. Wang( Wang Naidong), who is also Mrs. Wang's husband. He insists on picking Wei up, even as she ignores his call. As Mrs. Wang leaves, Wei is informed by Yu that one of her books has been accepted for publication. Wei's excitement, however, is soon contrasted as a flashback reveals that the publishing company has only selected her manuscript because she is a young woman. Unaware of this fact, Wei shows Yu a toy she has bought for her young daughter, a product of a failed marriage. She tries to flirt with Yu, but he ignores her advances.
Soon, Dr. Wang has picked Wei Ming up and they are on their way to a western-style dancehall. As Wei Ming sits in the car, a flashback is shown on the window of how she met Dr. Wang, a western educated Ph.D. and a member of the board at Wei Ming's school.
As Wei Ming and Dr. Wang enter the dance hall, the film contrasts scenes of their dancing with images of Wei Ming's neighbor, Li Ai-ying, a factory worker who leads her fellow workers in learning patriotic songs. With the night winding down, Dr. Wang tries to harass Wei Ming who firmly rejects him. As she flees, she winds up meeting Li and they re-enter their building together. In the mail is a letter from Wei Ming's sister. Wei Ming's daughter, who had been living in the countryside with her aunt, must now come to the city due to financial troubles.
The film then cuts to the young daughter and her aunt on a train bound for Shanghai. The young girl asks about her mother, as she coughs ominously.
Back in Shanghai, the situaiton has become dire. Dr. Wang has convinced the principal of the school to fire Wei Ming and the bills have begun to pile up. Li Ai-ying asks Wei Ming to compose the music for a song, entitled The New Women for her. Wei, however, has other issues to deal with, including the worsening sickness of her daughter. Soon, things have reached a breaking point. Wei Ming is offered help from both her publisher as well as a newspaper reporter, but both make advances on her, which she rejects. Unable to pay for medicine for her child, and with no employment, Wei Ming aggrees to become a prostitute. Her first client, coincidentally is Dr. Wang, who flaunts his new-found power over her. Wei, disgusted with herself, runs back to her apartment, with Dr. Wang in hot pursuit. Back in the apartment, Wang and Li come to blows with the effiminate Wang becoming quickly incapacitated. In the middle of this brawl, Mrs. Wang bursts through the door and accuses Wei Ming of seducing her husband.
With no money, Wei Ming's daughter succumbs to pneumonia. Distraught, Wei Ming attempts to commit suicide, mutch to the chagrin of both Li Ai-ying and Yu Haichou. In the hospital, both Li and Yu try to convince Wei that she needs to continue living. As the film ends, Wei Ming cries out that she wants to live. A newspaper obituary announces her death is shown while a gang of Li Ai-ying's workers march in step.
[edit] Cast
- Ruan Lingyu as Wei Ming, the heroine
- Wang Naidong as Dr. Wang, Wei Ming's suitor and primary antagonist
- Zheng Junli as Yu Haichou, Wei Ming's friend
- Wang Moqiu as Mrs. Wang, Wei Ming's former schoolmate, now married to Dr. Wang
- Yin Xu as Li Ai-ying, Wei Ming's neighbor, a factory worker
- Chen Sujuan as Wei Xiaohong, Wei Ming's daughter
[edit] Reception
New Women soon became one of the most popular films of its time. This was in no small part due to the fame of the starring actress, Ruan Lingyu, who suffered under the tireless gaze of the media. Not long after the premier of the film, Ruan committed suicide herself, in a moment of reality copying art.
[edit] Reputation
Today, the film's reputation has become firmly established as one of the classic examples of 1930s Chinese film.
In Stanley Kwan's 1992 biopic of Ruan Lingyu, Centre Stage, there is a re-enactment of the film's climactic final scene.
