The first generation of Chinese directors generally refers to about one hundred film directors, represented by Zhang Shichuang, Zheng Zhengqiu, Dan Duyu, Yang Xiaozhong and Shao Zuiweng, who were active from the beginning of the 20th century to the end of the 1920s.
As the trailblazers of Chinese movies, they created the first batch of Chinese feature films despite the extremely crude and rough conditions as well as the absence of previous films and experiences as reference. Among those movies, a lot more or less expressed democratic and anti-feudalism thoughts as a result of influences of the May Fourth Movement in 1919, which boasted the birth of a new culture.
Nonetheless, the first generation of directors did not understand film well in the terms of artistic skills and expression. They usually approached movies with traditional operatic notions, as at that time, the directors were largely influenced by operas.
The shooting followed the method on opera stages, in which with the camera generally remained fixed on the same position throughout the entire movie. Much importance was attached to the portrayal of zigzagging plots and fierce conflicts. Also, the directors generally borrowed the structure and stage art from the opera mode. Consequently, the films have a large audience as the movies' appreciative value and taste largely echo that of the operas which were deeply rooted among the people.
The most prominent of the first generation of Chinese directors were Zhang Shichuang (1889-1953) and Zheng Zhengqiu (1888-1935), both of who contributed greatly to the development of Chinese film at the initial stage and presented a batch of representative works. However, the artistic pursuits of the two varied: Zhang insisted on the appreciative values in every detail, while Zheng thought movies should not only cater to the taste of the audience, but also influence the audience's artistic taste.
Generally speaking, Zheng was more strong-minded and better oriented in art. His movies are generally more narrative with a compact structure and intense operatic conflicts. "Sister Flowers," one of his late classic works, is a movie that suits both refined and popular tastes. The performance is simple yet exquisite, while the directing is natural and fluent. It was this combination that enabled the film to run for a record high 60-day long as nonstop features.
The birth of Chinese film
Film first came to China when some French movies were featured in East China'sShanghaiMunicipality on August 11, 1896 - less than half a year after its birth in the world. People at the time were astonished by the novel invention and thus named it "screened opera."
Film first came to China when some French movies were featured in East China'sShanghaiMunicipality on August 11, 1896 - less than half a year after its birth in the world. People at the time were astonished by the novel invention and thus named it "screened opera."
But Chinese began to make films in the autumn of 1905, when Ren Jingfeng, who learned the shooting skills in Japan, bought a French-made wood-covered camera and some films. He chose aPeking Operamasterpiece Ding Junshan performed by Tan Xinpei as the content of the movie. Thus Tan became the first film actor and Liu Zhonglun became the first film cameraman in Chinese history.
Although the film's skills and quality were limited, the fact that the first attempt of making film began with opera film boasts very symbolic meanings: it reflected that Chinese film was very well integrated with traditional Chinese art form even from the very first day.
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