Shi Dongshan
Encyclopedia
Shi Dongshan (December 29, 1902 – February 23, 1955) was a prominent Chinese film director throughout the 1920s and 1950s. Shi directed several films that have gained in stature in the intervening years, most notably Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon
.
, finding brief work as a radio operator. He continued this career path by moving to Shanghai
two years later, where he became a stage designer and occasional actor for the Shanghai Film Company (Chinese: 上海影司; pinyin: Shanghai Yingxi).
By the early 1930s, Shi was one of the leading directors for the left-leaning Lianhua Film Company
, along with Cai Chusheng
, Sun Yu
and others. Shi would later join another left-leaning studio, Yihua Film Company, at the behest of the screenwriter Tian Han
. Several years later, Shi had switched studios again. He directed several important works for the new Xinhua Film Company
, notably an adaptation of the Nikolai Gogol
's "The Government Inspector" entitled Night of the Debauche (1936), and the national-defense film, March of Youth (1937).
During the Second Sino-Japanese War
, Shi fled to the interior of China with the Nationalist government, and directed propaganda films such as Protect Our Land (1938). After the war, Shi returned to Shanghai, joining the Kunlun Film Company, the successor to Lianhua. It was with Kunlun that Shi directed perhaps is most well known film, Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon
(1947). Shi would not regain the level of popularity as he would with his Kunlun films, and his final major work came after the 1949 communist revolution in China with New Heroes and Heroines (1951).
Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon
Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon is a 1947 Chinese film directed by Shi Dongshan and Wang Weiyi, starring Bai Yang and Tao Jin, two actors who were the leads in The Spring River Flows East released that same year....
.
Career
Shi Dongshan was born and raised in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. At the age of 17, he left his family and relocated to ZhangjiakouZhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou, also known also by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province of North China, adjacent to Beijing to the southeast. Its administrative area has a population of 4.35 million, and covers...
, finding brief work as a radio operator. He continued this career path by moving to Shanghai
Shanghai
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...
two years later, where he became a stage designer and occasional actor for the Shanghai Film Company (Chinese: 上海影司; pinyin: Shanghai Yingxi).
By the early 1930s, Shi was one of the leading directors for the left-leaning 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:...
, along with Cai Chusheng
Cai Chusheng
Resting Place= Babaoshan Revoluntionary CemeteryCai Chusheng was a Chinese film director of the pre-Communist era. Known best for his progressive output in the 1930s, Cai Chusheng later became a victim to the persecutions of the Cultural Revolution.- Early career :Born in Shanghai to Cantonese...
, Sun Yu
Sun Yu (director)
Sun Yu was a major leftist film director active in the 1930s in Shanghai. One of the core directors of the Lianhua Film Company, Sun Yu made a name for himself with a series of socially conscious dramas in the early to mid 1930s...
and others. Shi would later join another left-leaning studio, Yihua Film Company, at the behest of the screenwriter Tian Han
Tian Han
Tian Han , born in Changsha, Hunan, was a Chinese drama activist, playwright, a leader of revolutionary music and films, as well as a translator and poet. Tian contributed a great deal to the development of Chinese modern drama as well as Chinese opera...
. Several years later, Shi had switched studios again. He directed several important works for the new Xinhua Film Company
Xinhua Film Company
The Xinhua Film Company , was one of the film companies to capitalize on the popularity of the leftist film movement in 1930s Shanghai, that had begun with the Mingxing and Lianhua Film Companies. It should not be mistaken for the modern-day Xinhua News Agency...
, notably an adaptation of the Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol was a Ukrainian-born Russian dramatist and novelist.Considered by his contemporaries one of the preeminent figures of the natural school of Russian literary realism, later critics have found in Gogol's work a fundamentally romantic sensibility, with strains of Surrealism...
's "The Government Inspector" entitled Night of the Debauche (1936), and the national-defense film, March of Youth (1937).
During the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, Shi fled to the interior of China with the Nationalist government, and directed propaganda films such as Protect Our Land (1938). After the war, Shi returned to Shanghai, joining the Kunlun Film Company, the successor to Lianhua. It was with Kunlun that Shi directed perhaps is most well known film, Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon
Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon
Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon is a 1947 Chinese film directed by Shi Dongshan and Wang Weiyi, starring Bai Yang and Tao Jin, two actors who were the leads in The Spring River Flows East released that same year....
(1947). Shi would not regain the level of popularity as he would with his Kunlun films, and his final major work came after the 1949 communist revolution in China with New Heroes and Heroines (1951).
Selected filmography
| Year | English Title | Chinese Title | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | Poplar Flowers Regret | 杨花恨 | Shanghai Film Company | Also known as Yanghua's Hate and Willow Catkins |
| 1926 | The Descendants of Happiness | 儿孙福 | Dazhonghua Baihe Film Company | Also known as Mother's Happiness |
| 1926 | Live on Love | 同居之爱 | Dazhonghua Baihe | |
| 1931 | Two Stars of the Milky Way | 银汉双星 | 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:... |
|
| 1932 | Facing the National Crisis | 共赴国难 | Lianhua | Co-directed with Cai Chusheng Cai Chusheng Resting Place= Babaoshan Revoluntionary CemeteryCai Chusheng was a Chinese film director of the pre-Communist era. Known best for his progressive output in the 1930s, Cai Chusheng later became a victim to the persecutions of the Cultural Revolution.- Early career :Born in Shanghai to Cantonese... , Sun Yu Sun Yu Sun Yu , style name Zhongyi , was the second son of Sun Jing and a younger cousin of the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. At one time when Zhou Yu attacked Jing Province under the pretext of invading Yi Province, Sun Yu was ordered by Sun Quan to merge his... , and Wang Cilong |
| 1932 | Struggles | 狂欢之夜 | Lianhua | |
| 1934 | Women | 女人一画 | Yihua Film Company | |
| 1936 | Night of the Debauche | 狂欢之夜 | Xinhua Film Company Xinhua Film Company The Xinhua Film Company , was one of the film companies to capitalize on the popularity of the leftist film movement in 1930s Shanghai, that had begun with the Mingxing and Lianhua Film Companies. It should not be mistaken for the modern-day Xinhua News Agency... |
Adaption of Nikolai Gogol Nikolai Gogol Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol was a Ukrainian-born Russian dramatist and novelist.Considered by his contemporaries one of the preeminent figures of the natural school of Russian literary realism, later critics have found in Gogol's work a fundamentally romantic sensibility, with strains of Surrealism... 's The Government Inspector |
| 1937 | March of Youth | 青年进行曲 | Xinhua | |
| 1938 | Protect Our Land | 保卫我们的土地 | ||
| 1939 | Good Husband | 好丈夫 | ||
| 1941 | The Victory March | 胜利行进曲 | ||
| 1947 | Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon is a 1947 Chinese film directed by Shi Dongshan and Wang Weiyi, starring Bai Yang and Tao Jin, two actors who were the leads in The Spring River Flows East released that same year.... |
八千里路云和月 | Kunlun Film Company | |
| 1951 | New Heroes and Heroines | 新儿女英雄传 | Beijing Film Studio | |
External links
- Shi Dongshan at the Chinese Movie Database