On The Interactive Relationship Of Early Chinese Film And Literature

This paper aims to do ontological research on early Chinese movies from the perspective culture, aesthetic psychology and received psychology, and the "early" here means the period from late 19th century to early 1930s. It also aims to dig out helpful elements for the healthy development of modern movies through the emphasis on the popularity, publicity and entertaining aspect of movies. The development of early Chinese movies is deeply indebted to the influence novels, This aticle put the emphasis on the movies from 1905 to 1931, popular novels have dominant influence to the development of movies. The first one summarizes the influence- of the modern popular literature especially popular novels toward the development of early Chinese movies. The influence of modern popular novels can be best illustrated by the emphasis of entertaining aspects of movies, which is the nature of public culture. This kind of movies is popular as they're fit for the taste and aesthetic psychology of the public. While the influence of the new literature is mainly shown on the mental enlightenment, which enables movies emphasize the utility and social and educational function more.The reason why the research is unfolded from cultural perspective is because the inner feature of movies is not only the significant component of culture, but also is a kind of striking and meaning expression of culture. The culture loaded in public literature and art is sourced from the moral conception and value people accept through long-term moral enlightenment and education. It represents the universally accepted moral criteria of lower class in the society very well.Apart from the influence of ethnic culture that is the inner and deep reason, the outer factors like society, politics and economy toward the development of early Chinese movies can also not be neglected. Influence from four aspects will be mentioned here: 1) the demand for movies of the city dwellers 2) the development of early news, magazines and printing, and the establishment of the system payment to author 3) the talent pool for the creation of popular literature and movies provided by Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province whivh are famous for their profound and knowledgeable geniuses 4) the influence of revolution in the fiction field initiated by Liang Qichao and western cultureThe paper can be divided into four chapters. Chapter One and Two are the summaryof the creation of love movies and knight-errant movies under the influence of popular novels and the analysis of the inner and cultural psychology of the public. Chapter Three dicusses the relation of the literature and the movie.In Chapter One, First, the general institution of the love movies influenced by love story. Then, The first peak is shown in the "unofficial historical movies" advocated by Tianyi Movie Company. They draw multitude materials from legends, anecdotes, classical literature and so on. Besides that, they also adapt and shoot the works of Sch ool of Butterfly like Xu Zhenya, Zhou Shoujuan, Bao Tianxiao and so on. However, movies made by Stars, Shenzhou and Great Wall Movie Companies are set in social reality. The films involve sociall issues like women, love, marriage, family ethnic and morality, which is in line with the themes of new literature which are equality, liberty, science and democracy advocated in the May 4th New Cultural Movement.The romances inherit he "Prince and Princess" story-telling pattern in ancient vernacular novels and tell realistic and modern new love stories in this way, which is very interesting and entertaining, thus they win the market, the reader and the audience. First of all, all romances focus on "emotion", especially all sorts of "emotion" between young man and young girl. The description on this theme suits the taste of Chinese people, as China is an emotion-valuing country. The influence of Confucius and the system of traditional Chinese culture that values emotion, family and morality can not only be traced in classical literature, but also in people's traditional aesthetic taste and psychology. The aesthetic ideal in Chinese tradition considers amiability and harmony as beauty. Meanwhile, it holds strong emotion be controlled by etiquette, and tells people to be polite. The character of Chinese people is introverted, reserved, quiet and easy-going with a little feminization. Chinese people are good at self-discipline and self-control. For the above reasons, people's "emotion" in the movies all dyes a color of grieve and resentment. The public town-people who are deeply influenced by tradition Chinese culture not only enjoy the love story, but also appreciate the plot and the structure. They like constructing the movies and novels according to the development of the story, which is inseparable from their linear thinking. The main characters created by this sort of novels are modals and symbols of Chinese aesthetic ideal that is the blend of beauty and kindness. The "happy ending" in both novels and movies is also an important factor for the popularity of the works, asthe "happy ending" confirms with Chinese aesthetic ideal, the unity of sense and reason, and the harmony of the ideal and reality. This also has much to do with the interpretation of "Yuan" by the theory of university knowledge in classical philosophy, which holds "the unity of heaven and human" and "round universe and square earth". The romances are created according to the taste of the public middle and lower citizens from the aesthetic perspective.Besides these transcendental cultural factors, These romantic and love fictions are closely related to the reality with strong sense of time, which are mainly presented in the following aspects: First, during the social changes, the writings reflect the citizen's cultural attitudes as well as the alteration of concept of value. The reason has two points: One is the influence on our fiction of modern time produced by western literature, and the great impact of the western concept of culture and value, such as longing for love, freedom, promotion of democracy and human nature on the Chinese traditional cultural concept. The other point is the portrayal of characteristics and image of figure. It appears the figures with dual personality, monk and widow who are different from traditional "fine lady" and "talented gentleman". The external images of man and woman have been displaced by the focus on the main characteristics of conduct, appearance, disposition, intelligence, in which conduct is of most importance. On the depiction of character's image, the personality and mentality have been paid more attention, and sacrificing spirit and repentance of consciousness are added in the works under the in western literature. Finally, these romantic fictions mirror the reality of society and draw a picture of the lives of middle and lower class.Chapter 2 ,Although swordsmen movie started from " Beautiful Women Demon", the early prosperity of swordsmen film was closely linked with " Ancient Garment" film's upgrading. After experiencing short time's steps of imitation, it came into the course of nationalism. These films had succeeded in adapting and showed those fictions on the screen, which were the classic fictions such as "The Water Margin or the Outlaws of the Marsh", "The Case of Shi Gong", " The Story of Hero and Heroin", and the new writings of swordsmen fiction by Bu Xiaosheng from Ping Jiang, Gu Mingdao and so on. Moreover, they also extracted materials from the traditional drama, new-adapted and civilized drama, and folk story, in which " The Burning of Hong Lian Temple" was of the most popularity. These swordsmen films which are popular with people have the aspect in psychology of aesthetic appreciation, includingexpressing effect, compensating effect, putting into effect, loosing effect; as well as the social and historical reason. But the most important is the cultural element: first, chivalry culture is analyzed from the development and the cultural mentality, characteristics of chivalry. Secondly, it is clarified form the angle of "Martial Arts", and then the unique atmosphere of fighting life in the swordsmen world are explained. Next is the thorough analysis on the traditional cultural elements such as Confucianism (as loyal, filial, reputation, right) (like cause and effect turning, character, theme, structure), Taoism (wandering hero, outlook of value, outlook on life). Finally the traditional cultural elements presented by legendary pattern.Chapter 3 put an emphasis on the relationship of the literature and the movie. The influence of the literature to the movie was manifested in five ways. First, the production method which was dominented by the realism; Second, the narration fashion of subaudition; Third, pursuing the integrity and the unification of the story as the narration characteristic; Forth, manifest the character's fate which was based on the histrionic; Fifth, the thoughts' tendency which full of philosophic theory and moralization. The influence of the movie to the literature was manifested on the content is put the women in the films as their object, or choose their datum from the movie storys; on the structure fashion is learn the look and looked from the films; on the production skill is breaking the continuity of the time and the space, exhibiting the dribs and drabs of the life. Besides, they also using the montage, the voiceover and rhythm comport the modern city life.