Fei Mu
Encyclopedia
Fei Mu (1906–1951) was a major Chinese
film director
from the pre-Communist era.
, China
, Fei Mu is considered by many to be one of the major film directors prior to the communist revolution in 1949. Known for his artistic style and costume dramas, Fei made his first film, 1933's Night in the City
(produced by the Lianhua Film Company
), at the young age of 27, and he was met with both critical and popular acclaim (the film, unfortunately, is now lost
). Continuing to make films with Lianhua, Fei directed films throughout the 1930s and became a major talent in the industry, with films like 1936's Blood on Wolf Mountain
(often seen as an allegory on the war with Japan) and 1935's Song of China
, a glorification of traditional values that was part of the New Life Movement
. Later, Song of China became one of the few films that had a limited release in the United States.
Fei's legacy as one of China's greatest directors was sealed with his 1948 influential masterpiece Spring in a Small Town
about a love triangle in post-war China (it was later remade by Tian Zhuangzhuang
in 2002 as Springtime in a Small Town
). In 2005, Spring in a Small Town was declared the greatest Chinese film ever made by the Hong Kong Film Critics Association. Fei remained active in this so-called "Second Golden Age" and also directed China's first color film Remorse at Death
(1948), which incorporated Beijing Opera and starred Mei Lanfang
. Following the Communist
revolution in 1949, Fei Mu, along with many other artists and intellectuals fled to Hong Kong. There he founded Longma Film Company ("Dragon-Horse Films") with Zhu Shilin
and Fei Luyi and produced (under the Longma name) Zhu Shilin's The Flower Girl
(1951).
Following his death in Hong Kong
in 1951, Fei Mu and his work fell into obscurity, as much of his filmography was forgotten or ignored on the Mainland, rejected by leftist critics as indicative of rightist ideologies. It was not until the 1980s, when the China Film Archive re-opened after being closed down during the Cultural Revolution
did Fei Mu's work find a new audience. Most significant was a new print made by the China Film Archive from the original negative of Spring in a Small Town.
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
film director
Cinema of China
The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Since 1949 the cinema of mainland China has operated under restrictions imposed by the Communist Party of China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and...
from the pre-Communist era.
Biography
Born in ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Fei Mu is considered by many to be one of the major film directors prior to the communist revolution in 1949. Known for his artistic style and costume dramas, Fei made his first film, 1933's Night in the City
Night in the City (1933 film)
Night in the City was a 1933 Chinese silent film.-Production background:Night in the City was the directorial debut of Fei Mu and starred actress Ruan Lingyu and actor Jin Yan...
(produced by the Lianhua Film Company
Lianhua Film Company
The Lianhua Film Company was one of two major production companies based in Shanghai, China during the 1930s, the other being the Mingxing Film Company.-Names:...
), at the young age of 27, and he was met with both critical and popular acclaim (the film, unfortunately, is now lost
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
). Continuing to make films with Lianhua, Fei directed films throughout the 1930s and became a major talent in the industry, with films like 1936's Blood on Wolf Mountain
Blood on Wolf Mountain
Blood on Wolf Mountain, also known as The Wolf Hill, Bloodbath in Langshan, and Bloodshed on Wolf Mountain, is a Chinese film directed by acclaimed Shanghainese film director Fei Mu...
(often seen as an allegory on the war with Japan) and 1935's Song of China
Song of China
Song of China also known as Filial Piety is a 1935 Chinese film directed by Fei Mu and Luo Mingyou for the Lianhua Film Company....
, a glorification of traditional values that was part of the New Life Movement
New Life Movement
The New Life Movement was set up by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Soong May-ling in February 1934, with the help of the Blue Shirts Society and the CC Clique within the Chinese Nationalist Party...
. Later, Song of China became one of the few films that had a limited release in the United States.
Fei's legacy as one of China's greatest directors was sealed with his 1948 influential masterpiece Spring in a Small Town
Spring in a Small Town
Spring in a Small Town is a Chinese film released in 1948 and directed by Fei Mu . The film was based on a short story by Li Tianji , and was produced by the Wenhua Film Company....
about a love triangle in post-war China (it was later remade by Tian Zhuangzhuang
Tian Zhuangzhuang
Tian Zhuangzhuang is a Chinese film director and producer.Tian was born to an influential actor and actress in China. Following a short stint in the military, Tian began his artistic career first as an amateur photographer and then as an assistant cinematographer at the Beijing Agricultural Film...
in 2002 as Springtime in a Small Town
Springtime in a Small Town
Springtime in a Small Town is a 2002 Chinese film directed by Tian Zhuangzhuang. The film is a remake of director Fei Mu's 1948 film, Spring in a Small Town...
). In 2005, Spring in a Small Town was declared the greatest Chinese film ever made by the Hong Kong Film Critics Association. Fei remained active in this so-called "Second Golden Age" and also directed China's first color film Remorse at Death
Remorse at Death
Remorse at Death is a 1948 Chinese film directed by Fei Mu and generally considered China's first color film. Remorse at Death is a filmed stage performance of the Chinese opera of the same name. It starred and was co-written by Mei Lanfang, one of the century's best-known Chinese opera singers...
(1948), which incorporated Beijing Opera and starred Mei Lanfang
Méi Lánfang
Mei Lanfang was one of the most famous Beijing opera artists in modern history, exclusively known for his qingyi roles, a type of dan role. Méi Lánfāng is his stage name, and in Chinese it is generally considered a feminine name. His real name was Méi Lán...
. Following the Communist
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
revolution in 1949, Fei Mu, along with many other artists and intellectuals fled to Hong Kong. There he founded Longma Film Company ("Dragon-Horse Films") with Zhu Shilin
Zhu Shilin
Zhu Shilin . was a Chinese film director, born in Taicang, Jiangsu, China. Zhu began his career in the thriving film industry of Shanghai, directing actresses like Ruan Lingyu with the Lianhua Film Company...
and Fei Luyi and produced (under the Longma name) Zhu Shilin's The Flower Girl
The Flower Girl
The Flower Girl is a North Korean revolutionary genre theatrical performance, supposedly written by Kim Il-Sung himself according to official North Korean sources...
(1951).
Following his death in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in 1951, Fei Mu and his work fell into obscurity, as much of his filmography was forgotten or ignored on the Mainland, rejected by leftist critics as indicative of rightist ideologies. It was not until the 1980s, when the China Film Archive re-opened after being closed down during the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
did Fei Mu's work find a new audience. Most significant was a new print made by the China Film Archive from the original negative of Spring in a Small Town.
Director
| Year | English Title | Chinese Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 1933 in film -Events:* March 2 - King Kong premieres in New York City.* June 6 - The first drive-in theater opens, in Camden, New Jersey.* British Film Institute founded.... |
Night in the City Night in the City (1933 film) Night in the City was a 1933 Chinese silent film.-Production background:Night in the City was the directorial debut of Fei Mu and starred actress Ruan Lingyu and actor Jin Yan... |
城市之夜 | Also known as City Nights |
| 1934 1934 in film -Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade... |
A Sea of Fragrant Snow | 香雪海 | Also known as A Nun's Love |
| 1934 1934 in film -Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade... |
Life | 人生 | |
| 1935 1935 in film -Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:... |
Song of China Song of China Song of China also known as Filial Piety is a 1935 Chinese film directed by Fei Mu and Luo Mingyou for the Lianhua Film Company.... |
天伦 | Also known as Filial Piety; co-directed with Luo Mingyou |
| 1936 1936 in film The year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon... |
Blood on Wolf Mountain Blood on Wolf Mountain Blood on Wolf Mountain, also known as The Wolf Hill, Bloodbath in Langshan, and Bloodshed on Wolf Mountain, is a Chinese film directed by acclaimed Shanghainese film director Fei Mu... |
狼山喋血记 | Also known as Bloodbath in Langshan and Bloodbath on Wolf Mountain |
| 1937 1937 in film The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US.... |
Martyrs of the Northern Front | 北战场精忠录 | |
| 1937 1937 in film The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US.... |
Gold-Plated City | 镀金的城 | Also known as the Gilded City; Chinese opera Chinese opera Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE... film |
| 1937 1937 in film The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US.... |
Murder in the Oratory | 斩经堂 | Chinese opera Chinese opera Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE... film |
| 1937 1937 in film The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US.... |
Nightmares in Spring Chamber | 梦断春闺 | Episode in Lianhua Symphony |
| 1940 1940 in film The year 1940 in film involved some significant events, including the premieres of the Walt Disney classics Pinocchio and Fantasia.-Events:*February 7 - Walt Disney's animated film Pinocchio is released.... |
Confucius Confucius (1940 film) Confucius is a 1940 Chinese film directed by Fei Mu. Produced during the war, the film was released twice in the 1940s before being thought lost. In 2001, the film was rediscovered when an anonymous donor sent a damaged copy of the print to the Hong Kong Film Archive... |
孔夫子 | Thought lost, rediscovered in 2001 |
| 1941 1941 in film The year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:... |
Children of the World | 世界儿女 | Co-directed with Jacob Fleck Jacob Fleck Jacob Fleck was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, film producer and cameraman.-Biography:... and Luise Fleck Luise Fleck Luise Fleck, also known as Luise Kolm or Luise Kolm-Fleck, née Louise or Luise Veltée , was an Austrian film director, and the second ever female film director in the world, after Alice Guy-Blaché... |
| 1941 1941 in film The year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:... |
The Beauty | 国色天香 | |
| 1941 1941 in film The year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:... |
Songs of Ancient China | 古中国之歌 | |
| 1946 1946 in film The year 1946 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*November 21 - William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives premieres in New York featuring an ensemble cast including Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell.*December 20 - Frank Capra's It's a... |
The Magnificent Country | 锦绣山河 | |
| 1948 1948 in film The year 1948 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Laurence Olivier's Hamlet becomes the first British film to win the American Academy Award for Best Picture.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :... |
The Little Cowheard | 小放牛 | |
| 1948 1948 in film The year 1948 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Laurence Olivier's Hamlet becomes the first British film to win the American Academy Award for Best Picture.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :... |
Remorse at Death Remorse at Death Remorse at Death is a 1948 Chinese film directed by Fei Mu and generally considered China's first color film. Remorse at Death is a filmed stage performance of the Chinese opera of the same name. It starred and was co-written by Mei Lanfang, one of the century's best-known Chinese opera singers... |
生死恨 | First Chinese color film; also known as Happiness in neither Life nor Death; Chinese opera Chinese opera Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE... film |
| 1948 1948 in film The year 1948 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Laurence Olivier's Hamlet becomes the first British film to win the American Academy Award for Best Picture.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :... |
Spring in a Small Town Spring in a Small Town Spring in a Small Town is a Chinese film released in 1948 and directed by Fei Mu . The film was based on a short story by Li Tianji , and was produced by the Wenhua Film Company.... |
小城之春 | |
Screenwriter
| Year | English Title | Chinese Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1934 1934 in film -Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade... |
Life | 人生 |
| 1936 1936 in film The year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon... |
Blood on Wolf Mountain Blood on Wolf Mountain Blood on Wolf Mountain, also known as The Wolf Hill, Bloodbath in Langshan, and Bloodshed on Wolf Mountain, is a Chinese film directed by acclaimed Shanghainese film director Fei Mu... |
狼山喋血记 |
| 1936 1936 in film The year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon... |
On Stage and Backstage | 前台与后台 |
| 1937 1937 in film The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US.... |
Martyrs of the Northern Front | 北战场精忠录 |
| 1937 1937 in film The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US.... |
Nightmares in Spring Chamber | 梦断春闺 |
| 1940 1940 in film The year 1940 in film involved some significant events, including the premieres of the Walt Disney classics Pinocchio and Fantasia.-Events:*February 7 - Walt Disney's animated film Pinocchio is released.... |
Confucius Confucius (1940 film) Confucius is a 1940 Chinese film directed by Fei Mu. Produced during the war, the film was released twice in the 1940s before being thought lost. In 2001, the film was rediscovered when an anonymous donor sent a damaged copy of the print to the Hong Kong Film Archive... |
孔夫子 |
| 1941 1941 in film The year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:... |
Children of the World | 世界儿女 |
| 1941 1941 in film The year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:... |
Songs of Ancient China | 古中国之歌 |
| 1946 1946 in film The year 1946 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*November 21 - William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives premieres in New York featuring an ensemble cast including Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell.*December 20 - Frank Capra's It's a... |
The Magnificent Country | 锦绣山河 |
Producer
| Year | English Title | Chinese Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 1951 in film The year 1951 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:... |
Flower Girl | 花姑娘 |
External links
- Fei Mu at the Chinese Movie Database
- A brief biography of Fei Mu