Shakespearean Films in the Republic of China Era
Li Weimin, Sichuan International Studies University
Between the 1920s and 1940s, adaptations of Shakespeare's plays into films were highly popular among Chinese audiences. Shanghai, the preeminent metropolis in the Far East, boasted a thriving film industry. Theaters such as Beijing, Guanglu, and Guangming were particularly enthusiastic about screening art films. Among them, Guanglu and Cathay Theatres were renowned for their "gentlemanly" atmosphere. These theaters screened a variety of Shakespearean films, both foreign and domestic, including “Julius Caesar,” “As You Like It,” “The Merchant of Venice,” “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “Henry VIII.”
Regarding the public screenings of Shakespearean films in China, contemporary publications such as “Liangyou Pictorial,” “Drama and Film Quarterly,” and “Yishi Daily” featured extensive articles. These articles introduced plot summaries, analyzed character personalities, promoted star-studded casts, praised the acting skills of the stars, and highlighted the attractiveness of the characters. Accompanied by large photographs, these publications warmly welcomed “Shakespeare’s arrival in China.”
The renowned translator Zhu Shenhao, while translating Shakespeare’s works, paid close attention to observing Shakespearean films. He praised the British actress Elisabeth Bergner’s portrayal in “As You Like It” for capturing the original work’s sweetness and liveliness. He also noted that the film adaptation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” accompanied by Mendelssohn’s music, was enchanting. Additionally, he remarked that the plot of “Hamlet” was highly dramatic.
During the Republic of China era, the most popular Shakespearean film among movie fans was “A Midsummer Night's Dream,” which was the first sound and color film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in China in 1936. Its release quickly made it a sensation in China, winning the favor of the public. For a time, large photographs of “A Midsummer Night's Dream” filled Chinese newspapers and magazines, with headlines like “Spicy and Sensational” and “A Tragedy of Blood and Tears” that piqued people’s desire to watch the film. The screening of the film became a major cultural event in the film industry that year. Newspapers extensively covered the premiere at theaters such as Shanghai’s Ping’an Cinema, with headlines like “Hollywood Musical: Shakespeare’s One-Act Play—Starring Big Names in A Midsummer Night's Dream.” They featured photographs from the film, recreating the poetic and romantic love scenes. Notably, while introducing the film, the publications also affirmed the themes of striving for free love and marital autonomy, as well as opposing the constraints of feudal families.
It is worth mentioning the public screenings of domestic Shakespearean films. In 1927 and 1931, the film industry adapted “The Merchant of Venice” and “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” into silent films titled “The Lady Lawyer” and “A Spray of Plum Blossom” respectively. The black-and-white silent film “The Lady Lawyer” is considered “the first film adapted from a Shakespearean play in the history of Chinese cinema.” Directed by Qiu Qixiang and Li Songfu in May 1927, and starring Hu Die and Li Pingqian, it premiered at the New Central Theatre in Shanghai and received widespread acclaim. Hu Die’s portrayal of Bao Qixia, who disguises herself as a male lawyer to argue in court, reflects the theme of women’s liberation through her brilliant female character.
“A Spray of Plum Blossom” in the 1930s deliberately crafted handsome and fashionable characters, featuring both modern women with masculine traits and literate soldiers. This allowed audiences to see the shadow of the ancient Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, who disguised herself as a man, while also reflecting the contemporary demand for the transformation of the “graceful lady” into a new woman. The movie employed an interpretive strategy of “punishing evil and promoting good,” loyalty in love, and the eventual union of lovers, allowing the audience’s desires and fantasies, as well as their sorrows and frustrations, to be indirectly realized, released, and alleviated through the viewing experience.
Published on March 6, 2025