New Women
| 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 |
|
Production
company |
|
|
Release date
|
February 2, 1935 |
|
Running time
|
106 min |
| Country | China |
| Language |
Silent film Written Chinese intertitles |
New Women (Chinese: 新女性; pinyin: Xīn nǚxìng) was a silent Chinese film released in early 1935 in Shanghai by the Lianhua Film Company. It is sometimes translated as New Woman. The film starred Ruan Lingyu (in her penultimate film) and was directed by Cai Chusheng.
New Women was itself based upon the life of another Chinese actress, Ai Xia, who had committed suicide in 1934. The film remains one of Ruan Lingyu's better known works, in no small part due to her own suicide shortly after the film was released.
A print of the film is currently maintained by the China Film Archive.
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 Aying, 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.
...
Wikipedia