Unfinished Comedy 1957

Two famous comedians from pre-Revolution days perform a series of sketches in a theatre for a group of Party cadres. The stage performances blend over into absurdist, self-contained fantasy episodes where the two comics allegorically parody Party propaganda and ideological orthodoxy.

夜来风雨声 1949

Dream of the Red Mansions 1944

Based on the famous 18th century Chinese novel with the same name. Set during the 1700s in China, a prominent family loses its good luck when one of the sons loses the jade chip that was embedded in his mouth.

Colorful 1943

Cold Mountain Night Rain 1942

At a hotel near Cold Mountain, travelers find a book titled Cold Mountain Night Rain in the library. The story goes: One stormy night, two officers escorting a young convict arrive at a house seeking shelter. The master, knowing the prisoner was a dutiful son, welcomes them. Later, a merchant and two travelers also arrive. During the night, a woman visits the convict but, impressed by his virtue, helps him escape. Meanwhile, a woman appears in the merchant’s room, but she vanishes when he calls for help. Later, the travelers rob the merchant, killing an officer, but are killed themselves after trying to assault the women. The convict escapes, and the merchant awakens near an ancient tomb, surrounded by officers and thieves. After finishing the story, a wise man reassures the travelers, saying the author used ghosts and gods to vent frustration with the world.

Princess Iron Fan 1941

The story was liberally adapted from a short sequence in the popular Chinese folk tale Journey to the West. Princess Iron Fan is a main character. Specifically, the film focused on the duel between the Monkey King and a vengeful princess, whose fan is desperately needed to quench the flames that surround a peasant village.

Sheng li si bie 1941

Mulan Joins the Army 1939

This movie is based on the famous Chinese folklore that is more than one and a half millennium old. The same folklore was what the Disney animation Mulan is based on, and similarly, it was what many Chinese movies/operas/plays based on.

The Angel 1939

This is one of the rare gems in early Chinese musical films that still exists today. Nancy Chan plays a naïve young woman who can sing and dance. Under the arrangement of her stepfather, she becomes a star and indulges in the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world before getting married to a wealthy heir in Nanyang. Yet her husband is cruel and unfaithful, leading her to divorce and return to her parents in Shanghai. She is set for a comeback to the stage. Her young daughter suffers from a serious illness. A remake of the Bu Wanchang’s silent film The Light of Maternal Instinct (1933), this film takes cues from Hollywood musicals, resulting in an elegant and lively fusion of camera movement and musical numbers. The film also reflects the harsh reality of China in the 1930s and the pathos of popular literature by combining morals, entertainment and social commentary to show that changes in the idea of femininity is a symbol of progress.

Wang Laowu 1937

Old Shanghai

Blood on Wolf Mountain 1936

Blood on Wolf Mountain tells the story of a village that is beset by a pack of wolves. Made just prior to the commencement of full-scale war with the Japanese, the film itself is often considered an allegory of conflict between China and Japan.

Little Toys 1933

Sister Ye lives in a rural village, where everyone makes traditional toys. When Sister Ye's husband dies of an unknown illness, and while Ye is attending to him, her son is kidnapped and sold to a wealthy lady in the city of Shanghai. Shortly after, the village is destroyed during an attack between rival warlords, forcing the villagers move to the city, where they continue to make toys. Ten years pass, and Ye's daughter Zhu'er has become a toy designer. While helping the Nationalist army at the rear, Zhu'er is killed in an attack by the Japanese. On New Year's Eve, Sister Ye is dressed in rags, sitting on the curb, selling toys. A young boy buys toys from her, and it is none other than her son, whom she does not recognize.