Wild Rose (1932)

Born March 21, 1900, in Chongqing, Sichuan province, Sun Yu earned prominence for his films of the 1930s and 1940s. Controversial in their time, many are now considered classics of early Chinese cinema. After graduating from Beijing’s Qinghua University, Sun went to the United States, where he studied drama at the University of Wisconsin. He later took cinematography and film editing courses at the New York Institute of Photography and theater courses at Columbia University from Cecil B. DeMille’s mentor David Belasco. In 1926 he returned to China where he directed his first film, A Romantic Swordsman (1929). Sun is credited with raising the artistic quality of Chinese cinema using the new filmmaking techniques he had learned abroad.

Despite its ties to the KMT, Lianhua seems to have tolerated Sun’s leftist political views. His best known films, such as Big Road (1934) and Little Toys (1933), contain patriotic, anti-Japanese themes, and a scene in Wild Rose shows the heroine leading village children in military training. Sun was part of a newly formed group of socially conscious actors and directors united in the common belief that cinema ought to promote social progress and improve people’s lives. However, unlike the far-left radicals, Sun was not a member of the Communist Party, nor did he advocate the violent overthrow of the KMT government. Instead, his films expressed outrage over social injustice and advocated sweeping social reform, including revolt against the Japanese. Even though Sun Yu shared many of the Communists’ ideals, his films were not openly critical of the KMT government. When the CCP came into power in 1949, the director and his films (Wild Rose among them) fell out of favor.

Wild Rose’s starring actress, Wang Renmei, marked a departure from the delicate, mannered actresses who had previously dominated the Chinese screen. Nicknamed “Tiger Cat” for her natural, athletic acting style, Wang was perfectly cast in Wild Rose as the barefoot country girl who inspires a band of Shanghai revolutionaries. Her first starring role, the part was written specifically with the 17-year old in mind. Born December 1914, in Changsha, Hunan province, Wang became one of the most popular film actresses of her day. Her refreshingly realistic portrayal of the carefree goose girl taken under the wing of a sophisticated Shanghai artist was perceived as Wang simply playing herself. Chinese audiences at the time often did not distinguish between an actress and the roles she played and, in the 1930s, admired those who seemed to portray their “true selves” on screen. Praised for her athletic body as well as her attractive features, Wang embodied the spirit of the “modern beauty,” who was far more active and robust than her delicate 1920s counterpart. When Wang married her Wild Rose co-star Jin Yan, the confluence of Wang’s professional and private life added to her popularity.

Our evening will be hosted at CHAI Living Gallery. They kindly provide the venue, equipment, a discount on the menu AND specially prepared popcorn for RAS members to enjoy while watching the movie.