Zhuangzi Tests His Wife
Encyclopedia
Zhuangzi Tests His Wife is a 1913 Hong Kong
drama film
directed by Li Minwei
. It is the first ever feature film in Hong Kong cinema. It also became the first ever Chinese
film to be shown abroad, when it was exhibited in the Chinese communities of Los Angeles
and San Francisco.
: Chuang Tze) meets a woman fanning the newly built grave of her dead husband because she desires to marry again. On returning home, Zhuangzi decides to put his wife to the test by faking his own death. His wife is grief
-stricken and goes into mourning. While funeral arrangements are in progress, a handsome young man come to call on Zhuangzi. Later, there is talk of marriage between Zhuangzi's wife and the man. However, the young man falls ill; his servant says that taking his brain is the only way to cure him.
Li Minwei
stars as the wife of Zhuangzi, while Li Minwei's wife Yan Shanshan plays a servant girl, thus making her the first ever Chinese film actress. The two-reel film was successful and was shown in the United States
by Polaski.
(396 BC-289 BC) was one of the two defining figures of Chinese Taoism
, based his philosophy that all things change and that the perception of truth depends on the context under which it exists.
Throughout history, his teachings have been particularly favored by Chinese scholars and artists, many of whom have been inspired by Zhuangzi's philosophy.
Most of the operatic versions of the story ends with Zhuangzi burying his wife after she commits suicide
for being disloyal to her husband. But this version tackles the story from a different angle. While Tian Shi still commits suicide
in the end, Zhuangzi turns her and himself into butterflies and then, eventually, into dust.
Cinema of Hong Kong
The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Li Minwei
Lai Man-Wai
Lai Man-Wai , now known as Father of Hong Kong Cinema, was the director of the first Hong Kong movie Zhuangzi Tests His Wife in 1913...
. It is the first ever feature film in Hong Kong cinema. It also became the first ever Chinese
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...
film to be shown abroad, when it was exhibited in the Chinese communities of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and San Francisco.
Plot
Philosopher Zhuangzi (Wade-GilesWade-Giles
Wade–Giles , sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a romanization system for the Mandarin Chinese language. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Wade during the mid-19th century , and was given completed form with Herbert Giles' Chinese–English dictionary of 1892.Wade–Giles was the most...
: Chuang Tze) meets a woman fanning the newly built grave of her dead husband because she desires to marry again. On returning home, Zhuangzi decides to put his wife to the test by faking his own death. His wife is grief
Grief
Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
-stricken and goes into mourning. While funeral arrangements are in progress, a handsome young man come to call on Zhuangzi. Later, there is talk of marriage between Zhuangzi's wife and the man. However, the young man falls ill; his servant says that taking his brain is the only way to cure him.
Li Minwei
Lai Man-Wai
Lai Man-Wai , now known as Father of Hong Kong Cinema, was the director of the first Hong Kong movie Zhuangzi Tests His Wife in 1913...
stars as the wife of Zhuangzi, while Li Minwei's wife Yan Shanshan plays a servant girl, thus making her the first ever Chinese film actress. The two-reel film was successful and was shown in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Polaski.
Historical background: Taoism
ZhuangziZhuangzi
Zhuangzi was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States Period, a period corresponding to the philosophical summit of Chinese thought — the Hundred Schools of Thought, and is credited with writing—in part or in whole—a work known by his name,...
(396 BC-289 BC) was one of the two defining figures of Chinese Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
, based his philosophy that all things change and that the perception of truth depends on the context under which it exists.
Throughout history, his teachings have been particularly favored by Chinese scholars and artists, many of whom have been inspired by Zhuangzi's philosophy.
In other media
Zhuangzi Tests His Wife has been performed by the Peking Opera, and other local stage performances.Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
for being disloyal to her husband. But this version tackles the story from a different angle. While Tian Shi still commits suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in the end, Zhuangzi turns her and himself into butterflies and then, eventually, into dust.
Cast
- Beihai Li ... Zhuangzi
- Minwei LiLai Man-WaiLai Man-Wai , now known as Father of Hong Kong Cinema, was the director of the first Hong Kong movie Zhuangzi Tests His Wife in 1913...
... Zhuangzi's wife - Shanshan Yan ... Servant Girl
External links
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266097/Zhuangzi Tests His Wife at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
] - http://people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/denton2/courses/c505/temp/history/chapter1.html