Ruan Lingyu: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

All Topics

Ruan Lingyu

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

	Ruan Lingyu
	Home Discussion
	Topics Ruan Lingyu Topic Home Ruan Lingyu (; April 26, 1910 – March 8, 1935), born as Ruan Fenggen , was a ChineseChina China is a cultural region and ancient civilization in East Asia.... silent filmSilent film A silent film is a film with no accompanying, synchronized recorded spoken dialogue.... actressActor An actor is a person who acts, or plays a role, in a dramatic production.... . She was one of the most prominent Chinese film stars of the 1930s, whose early and tragic death at the age of 24 have led her to become an icon of Chinese cinema. Career Born in ShanghaiShanghai Shanghai , situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta in East China, is the largest city of the People's Republic of C... in 1910, Ruan made her first film at the age of 16 for the then prominent Mingxing Film StudioMingxing Film Company Mingxing Film Company or "Star" Films was one of the largest Chinese production companies during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s... . She was brought up by her mother who worked as a house maid to provide for her. Her first big break came in Spring Dream of an Old Capital ( or Reminiscences of Beijing, 1930). A massive hit, it was her first major work after signing for the newly-formed Lianhua StudioLianhua Film Company The Lianhua Film Company, full name "Lianhua Film Production and Processing Company, Ltd.", was one of two major production ... . Thereafter Ruan became the company's major film star. Her best works came after 1931, starting with the melodrama Love and DutyLove and Duty *Love and Duty* is a 1931 silent film from China directed by Bu Wancang and starring Ruan Lingyu and Jin Yan.... (, 1931) (directed by Bu WancangBu Wancang Bu Wancang was a prolific Chinese film director and screenwriter active between the 1920s and the 1960s.... ). Beginning with Three Modern Women (, 1932; dir: Bu Wanchang), Ruan started collaborating with a group of talented leftist directors; most of her subsequent films have a strong socialist slant to them. In Little Toys (, 1933), a film by Sun YuSun Yu (director) Sun Yu was a major leftist film director active in the 1930s in Shanghai.... , Ruan played a long-suffering toy-maker. Her next film, ShennüThe Goddess (1934 film) *The Goddess, was a Chinese silent film produced in 1934 by the United Photoplay Service.... (, The Goddess, 1934; dir: Wu YonggangWu Yonggang Wu Yonggang* was a prominent Chinese film director during the 1930s.... ), is often hailed as the pinnacle of Chinese silent cinema, with Ruan's portrayal of a sympathetic prostitute bringing up a child one of the classics of the era. Later that year, Ruan made her penultimate film, New WomenNew Women *New Women* was a silent Chinese film made in 1934 in Shanghai by the Lianhua Film Company.... , with director Cai ChushengCai Chusheng Cai Chusheng was a Chinese film director of the pre-Communist era.... , where she played an educated ShanghaiShanghai Shanghai , situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta in East China, is the largest city of the People's Republic of C... woman forced to death by an unfeeling society. A final film, National Custom was released shortly after her death. Death Following the completion of New Women, Ruan's life began to unravel. The film opened in February 1935, Shanghai. Cai Chusheng, under massive pressure from street tabloidTabloid A tabloid is a newspaper format particularly popular in the United Kingdom.... s, who were retaliating for a scathing depiction of them in New Women, was forced to make extensive cuts to the film. Even then, Ruan's private life was mercilessly hoarded upon by tabloids and her on-going lawsuit with her first husband became a source of vindictive coverage. Faced with these public issues as well as with intense private problems, Ruan poisoned herself with an overdose of barbiturateBarbiturate Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system depressants, and by virtue of this they produce a wide spectrum o... s in Shanghai on March 8, 1935, at the age of 24. Her released death note apparently contained a line which says "Gossip Is a fearful thing", although some have doubted the note's authenticity. Her funeral procession was reportedly three miles long, with three women committing suicide during the event. Even China's preeminent intellectual Lu XunFacts About Lu Xun Lu Xun or Lu Hsn , the pen name of Zhou Shuren , has been considered one of the most influential Chinese write... was appalled at the details surrounding Ruan's death, and wrote an essay denouncing the tabloids. Trivia A complete print of the presumably lost Love and Duty (1931) was discovered in the 1990s in Uruguay. The director Stanley KwanStanley Kwan Stanley Kwan is a Hong Kong film director and producer.... made a movie about her life in 1992, Centre StageFacts About Centre Stage *Centre Stage, also known as Actress, is a 1992 Hong Kong movie, directed by Stanley Kwan.... , starring Maggie CheungMaggie Cheung Maggie Cheung Man-yuk* is a multi award-winning actress from Hong Kong.... as Ruan Lingyu. Selected filmography The Couple in Name (, 1927) The White Cloud Pagoda (, 1928) Suicide Contract (, 1929) Jie hou gu hong (, 1929) Qing yu bao jian (, 1929) Reminiscence of Peking (, 1930) Wild Flowers (, 1930) A Spray of Plum BlossomsA Spray of Plum Blossoms *A Spray of Plum Blossoms* is a 1931 silent Chinese film directed by Bu Wancang and starring Ruan Lingyu, Wang Cilong and ... (, 1931) Peach Blossom Weeps Tears of BloodPeach Blossom Weeps Tears of Blood *Peach Blossom Weeps Tears of Blood* is a 1931 silent film written and directed by Bu Wancang.... (, 1931) Love and DutyLove and Duty *Love and Duty* is a 1931 silent film from China directed by Bu Wancang and starring Ruan Lingyu and Jin Yan.... (, 1931) Little ToysLittle Toys *Little Toys* is a 1933 silent film directed by filmmaker Sun Yu.... (, 1933) Three Modern Women (, 1933) Goodbye, Shanghai (, 1934) Sea of Fragrant Snow (, 1934) The GoddessThe Goddess (1934 film) *The Goddess, was a Chinese silent film produced in 1934 by the United Photoplay Service.... (, 1934) New WomenNew Women New Women* was a silent Chinese film made in 1934 in Shanghai by the Lianhua Film Company.... (, 1934) National Custom (, 1935) See also Cinema of ChinaCinema of China The history of Chinese-language cinema has three separate threads of development: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and ... Zhou XuanZhou Xuan Zhou Xuan was a popular Chinese singer and film actress.... External links at the Chinese Movie Database