Love and Duty
Encyclopedia
Love and Duty is a 1931 silent film
from China
directed by Bu Wancang
and starring Ruan Lingyu
and Jin Yan
.
expatriate
, S. Rosen-hoa ("Ho Ro-se"), who had married a Chinese engineer, Love and Duty became one of the first films produced by the leftist Lianhua Film Company
.
The film was very popular for its day, in no small part due to the pairing of Ruan, who was already a darling of the Shanghai
film industry
, and Jin Yan, a Korean
-born actor who was one of the major leading men in early Chinese cinema.
, until a complete print was discovered in Uruguay
in the 1990s. Since its rediscovery, it has made the rounds in film festivals and Chinese cinema retrospectives around the world.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
directed by Bu Wancang
Bu Wancang
Bu Wancang was a prolific Chinese film director and screenwriter active between the 1920s and the 1960s. He is also known by his Cantonese name, Baak Maan Chong, and his English name, Richard Poh. He was born in Anhui.-Career:...
and starring Ruan Lingyu
Ruan Lingyu
Ruan Lingyu , born Ruan Fenggen , was a Chinese silent film actress. One of the most prominent Chinese film stars of the 1930s, her death at the age of 24 led her to become an icon of Chinese cinema.- Career :...
and Jin Yan
Jin Yan
Jin Yan was a Korean-born actor who gained fame in China during that country's golden age of cinema, based in Shanghai. His acting talents and good looks gained him much popularity in the 1930's. He was dubbed "The Emperor of Cinema" and "The Rudolph Valentino of Shanghai".- Filmography :-...
.
Production history
Based on a novel by a PolishPoles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
, S. Rosen-hoa ("Ho Ro-se"), who had married a Chinese engineer, Love and Duty became one of the first films produced by the leftist Lianhua Film Company
Lianhua Film Company
The Lianhua Film Company was one of two major production companies based in Shanghai, China during the 1930s, the other being the Mingxing Film Company.-Names:...
.
The film was very popular for its day, in no small part due to the pairing of Ruan, who was already a darling of the Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
film industry
Film industry
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...
, and Jin Yan, a Korean
Korean people
The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:...
-born actor who was one of the major leading men in early Chinese cinema.
Plot
The story tells the story of Yang Naifan (Ruan Lingyu) who runs from her arranged marriage to be with her true love, Li Zuyi (Jin Yan). The film details the poverty she must endure for breaking with tradition.Rediscovery
For many years the film was believed lostLost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
, until a complete print was discovered in Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
in the 1990s. Since its rediscovery, it has made the rounds in film festivals and Chinese cinema retrospectives around the world.
External links
- Love and Duty at the Melbourne International Film FestivalMelbourne International Film FestivalThe Melbourne International Film Festival is an acclaimed annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1951, making it one of the oldest in the World....
- Love and Duty profiled at the XVth EACS-Conference from the University of Heidelberg
- "A Century Of Chinese Cinema"