One of the best-known films of China’s golden age, The Goddess, a silent film directed by Wu Yonggang, stars Ruan Lingyu in one of her final and best-known roles.
The film tells the story of an unnamed woman, who lives as streetwalker by night and devoted mother by day in order to get her son education amidst prevalent social injustice in Shanghai, China.
She is exploited by a thug (“Boss” Zhang), who acts as her pimp after offering her protection from the police.
The Goddess’s son (Lai Hang) faces discrimination because of his mother’s occupation. But the Principal (Li Junpan) stands up for the Goddess’ son, after the school board discovers that his mother is a prostitute and want to expel him. (The old principal also represents the voice of the Director Wu Yonggang).
The movie was popular, largely due to Ruan Lingyu’s stature in Shanghai of the 1930s.
Four years later, Yonggang Wu remade the film as Yanzhi Lei, changing the cast, setting, and some of the storyline.
Stanley Kwan’s revival of Ruan Lingyu’s tale in the biopic Center Stage (1991) starring Maggie Cheung, revived interest in the Chinese classic cinema.
Lo Ming Yau produced the film, shot by cinematographer Hong Weilie, who deploys lighting and close up shots of the protagonist to humanize her, creating strong emotional connection from the audience.
The Goddess borrows generic conventions from the “fallen woman” cycle in the 1920s and 30s like Stella Dallas (1925), Stella Dallas (1937), Madame X (1929), The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931) and Blonde Venus (1932). However, in conrast to many fallen women films, in this picture, her work occurs before the start of the story.
In film festivals, Ruan Lingyu has been featured alongside other “fallen woman” actresses, such as Marlene Dietrich and Barbara Stanwyck, even nicknamed the “Garbo of the Orient.”
Cast
Ruan Lingyu as the “Goddess”
Zhang Zhizhi as “Boss” Zhang
Lai Hang as the Goddess’s son
Li Junpan as the Principal
