The 86 version of CCTV's "Journey to the West" is a classic. It has been rebroadcasted 3000 times and has accompanied the growth of several generations. But in the 1920s, Shanghai’s film companies began to popularize the "Westward Journey". From 1926 to 1929, in just four years, the three major Shanghai film giants, Tianyi and Lianhua (acquired Shanghai Movie Theater) has successively filmed 22 Journey to the West and stories about Journey to the West.
now has the earliest recorded silent film on the theme of Journey to the West. It was produced by Tianyi Company (the predecessor of Shaw Brothers) in 1926, directed by Shao Zuiweng, Gu Kenfu, and starring Butterfly. In the same year, there was another A movie directed by Chen Qiufeng (not the Chen Qiufeng from "Pushing Hands") is "Pig Ba Jie's Invitation".
"Pansi Cave" stills
1927's Journey to the West suddenly began to explode. There were 9 releases that year, namely "Pig Ba Jie Makes a Trouble in the Liusha River", "Monkey King Makes a Trouble in Heaven", "Pansi Cave", "Tang Monk of Che Chi Kingdom" Fighting Law, "Journey to the West Ten Temples of Hades", "Pig Bajie Traveling to Shanghai", "Tang Emperor's Tour to the Land", "The Kingdom of Daughters", "Princess of Iron Fan"; there are 7 works of Journey to the West in 1928, each of which is "Sun Xingzhe Raises Black "Wind Mountain", "Flaming Mountain", "Zhu Ziguo", "True and False Sun Xingzhe", "Ancient Palace Magic Shadow", "Journey to the West Lotus Cave", "Journey to the West Bottomless Cave"; there are 4 works of Journey to the West in 1929, respectively It is "Journey to the West", "New Journey to the West", "Continued Pan Sidong", "Big Po Qinglong Cave".
But in the movies of the 1920s, there is hardly any video information left. The only thing left is "Pansidong" in 1927, which was played by the screenwriter and director of Du Yu and the popular star Yin Mingzhu.
When "Pansidong" came out, it caused tens of thousands of people to empty alleys in Shanghai, the box office was unprecedentedly popular, and Nanyang area also increased mergers and acquisitions copies, which is the main reason why it finally survived.
However, "Pansidong" is too "fragrant" because the actress in the camera is exposed and reflects the oriental image. After being banned a year later, the film was ordered to be destroyed. But in this year, according to Du Yu's friend Zheng Yimei, this film made Shanghai Film Company a profit of up to 50,000 yuan.
"Pansidong" stills
Actually, judging from the stills left by Pansidong, some scenes have spider spirits, which are very close to modern pajamas and swimwear. In fact, the degree of "fragrance" is far less than the spider spirit in the 86 edition of "Journey to the West". But in that era, the exposure of advanced clothing styles produced a huge response in conservative China at the time. But at the same time, because of the elements of dress and the rather explicit plot in the original book, the film is very interesting. In addition to the "fragrant" selling point of
, another highlight is that the special effects are first-class, reflecting the highest technical level of film production at that time.
According to the existing stills, there are special effects shots of Monkey King 72 in the movie. He turns into an eagle, takes away the clothes of the spider spirit, and Monkey King who is reduced to the cup. The technology is completely comparable to the 86 version of "Journey to the West". . In order to take Zhu Bajie into the water to see the spider spirit, underwater photography was even used. This is considered by the industry to be the earliest underwater photography in Chinese film history. To enhance the excitement of the film, animal actors such as tortoises, rabbits, and even eagles were also used. Looking at Pansidong from the current point of view, this is simply the peak of Chinese fantasy movies that year. It is a pity that these passages are basically missing in the restored version.
"Pansidong" stills
is even more exaggerated, but Du Yu released "Continued Pansidong" in 1929. Moreover, it is more avant-garde and exaggerated, pushing Chinese fantasy movies to a higher peak. Because he realized the "traversal" plot in the plot for the first time and brought the scene to Shanghai in the 20th century. But it is a pity that this movie did not leave an image in the end, and perhaps in a certain corner of the day, there will be the same surprise as "Pansidong".
In 2011, the Norwegian National Library accidentally found a copy of a silent Chinese movie while collating materials. It was confirmed to be "Pansidong" produced by Shanghai Film and Television Company in 1927. After finishing and repairing
, there are only 60 minutes left of the original 100-minute movie. After the restoration was completed, the Norwegian National Library gave it to China in 2014. Allows us to see a legend in the history of Chinese filmodd.
"Pansidong" stills
Although from the 1940s to the present, the Journey to the West has begun to sweep at home and abroad. For a time, various ink films (silent films) in China, Japan, and Europe, black and white films, color films, paper-cut animations, opera films, Cantonese films, sci-fi films, fashion films, etc. in various forms. It is just a tribute to the "Westward Journey fever" of the 1920s.
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