馬路天使 (1937)

Curiosità

Street Angel, also known as Street Angels, is a 1937 left-wing Chinese film directed by Yuan Muzhi (袁牧之) and released by Mingxing Film Company. Starring popular Chinese actor Zhao Dan (赵丹) and iconic Chinese singer Zhou Xuan (周璇), the story is set in the slums of Shanghai, chronicling the lives of a band of downtrodden underclass outcasts: a tea house singer, a trumpet player, a newspaper hawker, and a prostitute. By blending elements of romance, comedy and melodrama into the storyline, the characters find themselves in a variety of difficult situations as they try to navigate the hardships of the city during the 1930s.

Production

Produced by Mingxing Company, the film was framed and photographed in Shanghai. Director Yuan Muzhi used much of the city of Shanghai itself, such as Shanghai's grand colonial buildings, as well as the neon street lights of the 1930s. These visual features serve to contrast the succeeding display of areas of Shanghai marked by narrow streets and neighbourhood poverty.

During the 1930s, Chinese filmmakers were inclined to view cinema as a Western invention; consequently, filmmakers in China felt the need to incorporate indigenous and cultural elements that would be deemed more appropriate for Chinese audiences, which they achieved primarily through the inclusion of Chinese soundtracks.

As one of the early sound films in China, Street Angel is often praised for its innovative use of music, as well as its unique mix of melodrama and comedy. One sequence in particular, where Xiao Chen and his friends attempt to act as barbers, reveals a moment of slapstick or physical comedy in the otherwise dolorous third act.

The film also features several significant musical interludes. Two original songs featured in Street Angel are "Song of the Four Seasons" (四季歌) and "The Wandering Songstress" (天涯歌女), both composed by He Luting, with lyrics by Tian Han. He Luting adapted the scores from two urban folk ballads from Suzhou, "Crying on the Seventh Seven Day Cycle" (哭七七) and "One Who Knows Me Well" (知心客) respectively.

"The Wandering Songstress" was derived from tanci (a traditional story–telling performance originating in Suzhou). It combined traditional elements and was accompanied by Chinese music instruments, including Erhu (a two–string bowed instrument), Pipa, and Sanxian.

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