A Study Of Cinema And Urban Development In Chongqing During The Anti-Japanese War (1937-1945)

After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression,Chongqing became the capital and the center of the rear area during the war,and the city’s economy,politics and culture moved towards a new stage of development.This also led to the development of Chongqing’s film industry,making Chongqing stand side by side with Shanghai and Hong Kong,representing the latest trend of anti-war films.As the main place for film screening,the cinema has played a key role as an important carrier of Chongqing’s economic,political and cultural activities.At the same time,cinema is also an important indicator to examine the degree of urban development in Chongqing.Therefore,the topic of this article is of great significance.This article consists of five chapters and is divided into three sections.The first section,the first chapter,examines the cinema and urban space and cityscape of chongqing during the war.Before the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan,there were specialized places in Chongqing to screen films,but they were small in number,small in scale,simple in furnishings,and concentrated in commercial blocks.After 1937,a large number of immigrants moved to Chongqing,and cinemas mushroomed in various districts of the city,not only in large numbers and large scales,but also in more beautiful buildings and more advanced projection equipment.According to the price of movie tickets and the different consumer groups,cinemas are divided into different grades,the first class is Cathay Grand Theatre,Xinchuan Grand Theatre,Andu Grand Theatre,the second class is the only cinema;the third class has the New Universal Cinema,the YMCA Cinema;and the second is the Daxinming Cinema and the Shangjiang Cinema.Cinemas of different grades have obvious differences in geographical location,external architectural decoration,internal projection equipment and viewing atmosphere.The second section,chapters II,III and IV,examines the economic,political,and cultural functions and activities of cinemas in Chongqing during the war.Although the various cinemas are different,they are more similar,that is,as part of the city,they are the embodiment of urban functions and a sign of urban development,and the different types of activities of cinemas represent the economic,political and cultural functions of the city.thereinto:The second chapter focuses on the economic function of cinemas in Chongqing and their activities.The daily business activities of cinemas and their interaction with the government in business activities are the embodiment of the economic functions of the city.The organization and management mode of the cinema reflects the management level of Chongqing enterprises during the war;the revenue of the cinema reflects the level of development of Chongqing’s entertainment industry and economy during the war;and the introduction of restrictive policies reflects the economic policies and operating environment of Chongqing during the war.The third chapter focuses on the political function of the Chongqing cinema and its activities.The meetings held in the cinema,the anti-war activities held,the fundraising and the management of cinema buildings,movie ticket prices,business hours,business operations and film themes by various departments of the Chongqing Municipal Government and the Film Inspection Institute vividly showed the city’s political function,which was also the most significant feature of the times.The meetings,antiwar activities and fundraising activities held by various party and government organs and social organizations with the help of cinemas not only achieve the purpose of the organizers,but also make the cinemas have political functions.In the face of the restrictive policies issued by government departments on cinemas,the choice of cinemas,appeals or direct protests,allows us to see the state of power in the implementation,and reflects the political function of cinemas from a deeper level.The fourth chapter focuses on the cultural function of cinemas in Chongqing and their activities.The main event of the cinema is the screening of films,which are screened in a variety of genres,ranging from classic love feature films to moraleboosting war films,as well as realistic educational films and humorous comedy feature films,imaginative science fiction films,and na?ve children’s films.The themes highlighted in these films and the values they promote reflect the cultural consciousness and official value orientation of Chongqing citizens during the war.In addition to being a film screening place,the cinema is also a propaganda place,and the slogans screened by various government agencies and units in the cinema convey policy information to the public on the one hand,and also import the official mainstream consciousness into the public on the other hand.In addition,the cinema is also an active cultural center,and many cultural figures use the space provided by the cinema to hold exhibitions,lectures and other matters,showing the development level of Chongqing’s cultural undertakings during the war.Films,slogans and diverse cultural activities with different themes together created a cultural atmosphere in chongqing during the war,making cinemas have a cultural function.The third plate,chapter five.The research will focus on the operators of cinemas and the audiences who watch movies.Cinema is a place that provides entertainment,and the operators and audiences of cinemas are active all year round,they are an integral part of cinemas and cities.The experience and vision of cinema operators determine the success or failure of cinema operations,and also represent some groups in the city.In wartime Chongqing,Xia Yunhu was the representative of this group,and his funding of artists,the operation of cinemas,and the establishment of film companies during the war helped many entertainment businesses get out of difficulties and promoted the development of the film industry.Although the process was arduous,it led to dissatisfaction and even entrapment,fortunately the outcome was good.Through Xia Yunhu,we can see that in the face of national disasters,an ordinary theater manager is responsible for the times.The audience is related to the survival of the cinema,and their every move in the cinema reflects the order and civilization of the city.Although it is not uncommon to evade tickets,occupy seats,make noise,and physically clash in the cinemas of Chongqing during the war,under the discipline of the police,the establishment of order and the dawn of civilization can also be seen.This article argues that during the period of the All-out War of Resistance,cinemas,as an integral part of Chongqing’s city,not only reflected the city’s development level and civilization,but also shaped the city’s characteristics of the times.Cinemas in wartime Chongqing are a microcosm of an era and a microcosm of the city.In the context of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression,the geographical distribution of cinemas broke the original pattern;economic,political,cultural and human activities,on the one hand,reflected the city’s economic,political,cultural and cultural scenes,and on the other hand,shaped the city’s urban style in this period.In the tide of the times,constantly change and adapt,promote urban development,improve the level of civilization.