Beginning to Think, Preparing to Watch, and Starting to Write on Chinese Film

Beginning to Think

p19 

Do not try to write about the WHOLE movie

What interests you?

p20 

Film as an art form

Film and technology

Film as industry

Subject matter and meaning

p23

Film as construction

Silent dialogue: talking back to the movies

p25

Prepare what to look for 

Taking notes (first or second viewing)

p27

Abbreviations of film terms

Cinema and the Nation-People, 1930-49

A "Golden Age" Period

p58

Three phases

p62 

State censorship

p63-69

Leftist film

The Goddess

(The Goddess, dir. WU Yonggang, 1934, video source: Youtube)

The making of the national anthem

p71

Hollywood domination

p73 

Transition to sound

Recommended reading:

p101-3

Spring in a Small Town

 

(Spring in a Small Town, dir. FEI Mu, 1948, video source: Youtube)

Conclusion: in the name of the nation-people

p111

A series of radical transformations:

Artistic

Conceptual

Ideological

Political

Consider it historically

Coming attractions:

New Year's Sacrifice (dir. SANG Hu, 1956, on reserve in the Fine Arts Library)

Stage Sisters, dir. XIE Jin, 1964, photo source: Goddess, Two Stage Sisters

Screenings of Stage Sisters:
Thursday September 5th at 5 pm in CB336
Friday September 6th at 1 pm in CB339 

On reserve in the Fine Arts Library after Thursday's screening
First response due Monday September 9th by 8 pm on this blog
Comment to two responses due Monday Sept. 9th by 10 pm here