Shen Nu (1934)
Genre: Drama
Duration: 85 minuten
Alternative titles: The Goddess / 神女
Country:
China
Directed by: Yonggang Wu
Stars: Tian Jian
IMDb score:
7,7 (2.748)
Releasedate: 7 December 1934
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Shen Nu plot
Shen Nu is the story of a woman who is forced by a gambler to work as a prostitute in order to earn enough money to raise her son. When the woman tries to enroll her son in a school, she is sued by the other parents. This is due to the fact that she is a prostitute. As a result, her son is refused by the school. But when she kills her boss, the gambler, she is charged with murder and has to give up her son.
Reviews & comments
Spetie
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- 38871 messages
- 8145 votes
Very nice silent film and also by far the oldest Chinese film I saw.
Although the “talkies” were all the rage in 1934, apparently a silent film was still made every now and then. The story, on the other hand, is surprisingly sharp and strong and you should definitely not expect any sweetness here. The acting is strong, especially Lingyu Ruan really excels here. Asians often act a bit more subdued than Westerners and that fits very well here. Furthermore, the images are clear, the camera work is nice and neat and the story is not disturbed by too many pieces of text in between.
So little to notice. Fascinating cinema, which still stands 80 years later, as befits the better films.
4.0*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Onderhond
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- 87592 messages
- 12835 votes
Best to do.
Quite a few collections of free movies are being made and distributed in Corona times, so when a lot of Chinese classics were bundled, I thought it would be interesting to catch up a little. I may watch a lot of films from China, but the classical side of the country remains largely unknown to me (probably because I let myself be guided by Western sources for classics in general).
Here too, I immediately noticed how serene this film actually is. Western classics are often quite busy, this one is a lot more subdued. It remains a style that suits me much better, especially with dramas. I also liked the soundtrack, although I suspect that it is a more recent composition. I always find it a bit difficult, but it certainly suited the film very well.
I just found the drama itself a bit tame. Fairly typical socially engaged situations that are told a little too flatly. As a result, it gets a bit boring after a while and the film also takes too long. The style may be okay, but on the level that it can really carry a film it just isn't for me.
But otherwise a positive surprise, maybe I'll pick up a few more soon.
2.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Dievegge
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- 3166 messages
- 8191 votes
China was five years behind because it was still in the silent era when they were already making talkies in Hollywood. Still, this is a true classic. The title literally means goddess, but is also a euphemism for prostitute. One hundred thousand women practiced this profession in Shanghai.
The gracious Ruan Lingyu plays a woman with a double life. During the day she raises her son, but at nine o'clock at night, dressed in a cheongsam and large earrings, she takes a rickshaw downtown to lure customers as a street daisy. The actress says a lot with her body language. When she climbs the stairs, you can see that she is tired. In close-up she shows a range of emotions.
Her villain is her pimp, a bully with a brimmed hat and bling bling. Secondary characters range from gossip aunts to a teacher who shows understanding. The boy also plays his role well.
During the intertitles, an ancient relief of a woman suckling her child is shown. The school gate and the bars symbolize the separation between the fallen woman and civil society. A beautiful image is when she is rocking her baby while the pendulum of the pendulum makes a similar movement. It is a plea for social tolerance. Despite his origins, the son gets a chance for a better future. Yet it hurts that the woman herself gets no mercy. This daring drama never gets boring .
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