That year, however, Zheng Zhengqiu and Zhang Shichuan directed Orphan Rescues His Grandfather, a milestone in early Chinese cinema. The movie brought audiences to tears. It tells the story of how a rich man’s grandson saved his grandfather and corrected an injustice committed against his mother--a typically Chinese theme. The movie drew attention to the educational role of movies, alongside a dramatic story. It tried to show ethical conflicts that reflected social reality, reflecting traditional culture while catering to the distinct tastes of the Chinese audience.

“When I was young, my craze for movie stars was no less than my granddaughter now. I once went to see the movie Orphan Rescues His Grandfather six times, successively,” said Li Zier. The 88-year-old grandmother from Shanghai still treasures her movie pictures and press clippings of leading actress Wang Hanlun. The influence of such movie stars had already leapt beyond the screen when Li was young, to radio, posters and advertisements in the streets.

Aside from movie stars, directors also played a vital role in achieving box office success. The movie Twin Sisters, directed by Zheng Zhengqiu, and Song of the Fishermen and Spring River Flows East, directed by Zheng’s student Cai Chusheng, all had name recognition and became popular.

In 1935, Song of the Fishermen received the Honor Award at the Moscow Film Festival. It was the first Chinese film to win an international award.

Starting in the 1930s, Chinese cinema entered an era of heroes. A large number of cultural elites began to engage themselves in the movie industry, helping to form cultural and artistic trends. Their style, which looked squarely at society and the desperate conditions of daily life, are connected with the films of Italian neorealism born 10 years later. French film historian Georges Sadoul held that neorealism came from Chinese films in the 1930s.

In addition to exploring their own cultural and traditional resources, Chinese filmmakers tried to learn foreign techniques and theories. They were inspired most by Hollywood techniques and the Russian theory of montage. Directors such as Wu Yonggang combined German Expressionism and French Avant-Garde with a typical Chinese style. The Goddess, the first film Wu directed with an emphasis on close-ups, was highly acclaimed as the peak of the silent film era.

In 1937, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out, disrupting the natural development of Chinese cinema. Patriotism and national salvation became the main cinematic themes. The theme song of the patriotic film Sons and Daughters in a Time of Storm, March of the Volunteers, became the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

Coming of Age

A soldier at death’s door suddenly awakens for one last look at the red flag, shouting to his fellow soldiers, “Hurry! You withdraw, I’ll cover the force…”--a typical scene in domestic films produced after the New China was founded in 1949. Almost all middle-aged Chinese moviegoers still clearly remember the details and lines from these films.