Night in the City (1933 film)
Encyclopedia
Night in the City (also known as City Nights) was a 1933 Chinese silent film
.
(who would later go on to achieve lasting fame throughout the 1930s and 1940s) and starred actress Ruan Lingyu
and actor Jin Yan
. Highly acclaimed upon its release, particularly by leftist progressives for its social criticisms of city-life, the film is now considered a lost film
.
s. The daughter, played by Ruan Lingyu
, is forced to work at the docks. When it is learned that the slum's landlord is preparing to demolish the entire tenement, the daughter is forced to give up her body to her landlord's son in exchange for a delay in construction. By the end of the film, the daughter, her family, and the landlord's son all leave the city for what they hope will be a better life in the country.
's 1991 biographical film on Ruan Lingyu's life and career, Centre Stage
.
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...
.
Production background
Night in the City was the directorial debut of Fei MuFei Mu
Fei Mu was a major Chinese film director from the pre-Communist era.-Biography:Born in Shanghai, China, Fei Mu is considered by many to be one of the major film directors prior to the communist revolution in 1949...
(who would later go on to achieve lasting fame throughout the 1930s and 1940s) and starred actress 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 actor 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 :-...
. Highly acclaimed upon its release, particularly by leftist progressives for its social criticisms of city-life, the film is now considered a lost film
Lost 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...
.
Plot
The film tells the story of a poor family living in China's slumSlum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
s. The daughter, played by 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 :...
, is forced to work at the docks. When it is learned that the slum's landlord is preparing to demolish the entire tenement, the daughter is forced to give up her body to her landlord's son in exchange for a delay in construction. By the end of the film, the daughter, her family, and the landlord's son all leave the city for what they hope will be a better life in the country.
Preservation
Though lost, parts of the film were "recreated" for scenes in Stanley KwanStanley Kwan
Stanley Kwan is a Hong Kong Second Wave film director and producer.Kwan landed a job at the TVB after receiving a mass communications degree at Hong Kong Baptist College...
's 1991 biographical film on Ruan Lingyu's life and career, Centre Stage
Centre Stage
Centre Stage , also known as Actress and Yuen Ling-yuk, is a 1992 Hong Kong film, directed by Stanley Kwan.The film is based on a true story: the tragic life of China's first prima donna of the silver screen, Ruan Lingyu. This movie chronicles her rise to fame as a movie actress in Shanghai during...
.