Abstract

The history of Chinese cinema before 1921 has not been studied thoroughly till nowadays.In most of books that concern Chinese film history，what happened during the first two decades was often introduced very briefly within the frame that was settled by the The Developing History of Chinese Film，which was considered as the bible of this field.Some new materials might be added，but the way of telling the story has never been changed.The reason lies in the lack of the studying sources as well as methods.We cannot find the films，let alone studying them from the perspectives of aesthetics，sociology or politics.Thus history of this period cannot be narrated in a linear，closed and producing-centered way.

Influenced by the new development of the fields of history and film studies，the narration of cinema history in recent years has broken through the demonstration of excellent directors and extraordinary works.The making，preserving，spreading，displaying，consuming，viewing，as well as the interacting with the everyday life of the viewers，are all studied carefully and new ideas on films were created.This book will be based on the special experience，political appeals and cultural identities of native audience，as well as the creative usage of films by native filmmakers，study how the cinema，as the joint of cultural and technology，was appropriated and misread，turned form a foreign vaudeville to a native industry，and how the native industry gained its name and form from the aspect of structure and function.

Thus，this book will explain the process of the happening of Chinese cinema.In chapter 1，I will study how Dingjunshan became the first film work of China，and how the so-called knowledge formed to serve the political ends and confirmed by The Developing History of Chinese Film.We could find that whether it exists，when it was shot and whether it was shot well or not remains in question even now.But the “fact” that the first Chinese film was made in Beijing instead of Shanghai elevated the status in film history of the new capital of a new nation，while pulled down Shanghai which was always seen as the symbol of the corruption of Capitalism.The other reason is the trend of Nationalism since late Qing.As a strong emotion and ideology，Nationalism played an important role in the 20^th Century.The political situation was affected profoundly，signs were built as the source of community.When film history was writing，nationality became the rule to include and exclude a character，sacredness was injected into the events，and people like Ren Qingtai was considered to be a model of resisting foreign invation.So，we must make clear of the relationship between nationalism and film study，to find where the effectiveness stops.But on the other hand，nationalism was a strong impetus to the formation of a national cinema industry.When we have cleared it out of the narration，it is possible to figure out how it works in the process.

Chapter 2 will revive the first scenes of how films were brought to China and how they were viewed.There are evidences show that in the Astor Hall films were first shown to Shanghai audience.People of varied cultural and economic status acted differently.Some smoothed the shock feelings by the patriotic imagination of Confucianist，some by the cynical attitude of Taoism，some by the emptiness-belief of Buddhism.The tradition became a spiritual shelter when face a new technological and cultural production.

And the reaction of audience of different nationalities were also different.When a famous magician Carl Hertz performed and showed films from May to June，1898，we could see from the reports of the local English newspapers that British audience who were familiar with what was shown got the pleasure by criticizing the films by a standard that was relevant to their knowledge and social status in Shanghai.The Chinese audience nearly knew nothing of the films，but they also felt a kind of pleasure when they understood the films from their current political situation and habitus of admiring material things.The difference was caused by nationality，but became the distinction of classes in the half-colonial city.

In chapter 3，I will study the advertisements of film showing before 1907，which were written by new kind of literati and spread by print media.These advertisements made a bridge between the foreign films and native audience，the old experience and new visual form.We could see that the Chinese names given to the films and projecting were numerous，but almost all of them hinted to the scientific principles and the visual features of the films.To make the films even more desirable，the advertisements emphasized three functions of the films：good for sightseeing，good for broadening one's horizons，and good for enlightening the mass.It was believed to make an amusement more acceptable and noble.Navy Revivification Foundation was a noticeable case to study.During their summer vocation of 1906，Wang Zengxian and Zhu Zengjun，who were having collage education in Japan，bought machines and films to show to women and pupils in the vicinity of Shanghai.They hoped to collect money to help the government to build a new navy，and to educate people the military knowledge.They just tried before their vocation was over in a very small scale.But their activity was a practice of the ideas of improving the national characteristic that were started by the elite intellectuals such as Liang Qichao.Even country women and child who were usually forgotten by the grand narration of nationalism became the subject of enlightenment made by the two students.Their activity drew a line between of the nation consciousness from the elite to the common，showed possible meanings of the foreign films in Chinese context.

Chapter 4 tends to discuss the showing places of films.We found that films were shown in various kinds of places to citizens of Shanghai before films became a part of their daily life.These placed would be grouped into five types.The Western grounds like Lyceum Theatre and Astor hall divided the audience by races and classes and made models of behavior.Private gardens like Chang shuho's Garden which were often enjoyed elite intellectuals and used for political activities endowed films with patriotic meanings.Tea houses and playing grounds made materiality the “nature” of films.The stages of civilized plays used films as tools to construct new morality.And Christian places showed films as education equipment.Chines Y.M.C.A.was a typical example for the study of how films were spread in a diversified environment.From the day it moved into the association home on the North Szechuen Road in 1907，the Y.M.C.A.began to show films to citizens of Shanghai.In the following thirty years，films were shown for raising money，education，charity and entertainment.Films also weakened the religiousness of the organization，as well as the strike of the nationalist movements.Through the close relationship with the Northern American Y.M.C.A.，the Chinese Y.M.C.A.，a half religious group existing in a strangers’ society，introduced scientific knowledge and technology by films.When watching a film together，the young people who were just came to the metropolis Shanghai not long ago might be less lonely and less atomized.Films adhered individual，religions and modern life in the association home of Y.M.C.A.，and localized at the same time.

Chapter 5 follows the appearance of cinema buildings.It doesn't make sense to study where and when the first cinema was built，because a cinema would not have a conception before it appeared.We could be sure that simple and temporary cinema field was build no less than 1906，because of the lack of fund and laws.They were cheap and novel for those who could offered expensive entertainments.They visited these places for the pleasure of breaking the separation of gender instead of watching films.Some more decent and comfortable cinema were built no late than 1908.At first，they also ran vaudeville and musical performance，then film became the sole entertainment of these places.Literati，dandies and courtesans patronized these places to seek romantic affairs and novelties and show off themselves.Their participant changed the way the whole society think of the cinema.This process was similar to other countries，could been considered to be the outcome of the industrial transformation，but it was also the result of the interaction between the managers，customers and governors.The Municipal Council of the International settlement took cinema as public recreation places，made rules to secure fire safety and charge license fees to increase fiscal revenue.Municipal council of the French Settlement took cinema as public cultural institution to enjoy and display taste under the overall program of the Settlement.The Chinese government took cinema as civilized places and maintain the order of morality was the core of the regulations.These different ways of supervision and conceptions behind the rules affected the growth of cinematic culture of Shanghai.

Chapter 6 will study the filmmaking before 1921.From the first time films were shown in Shanghai，moving images were taken by foreigners to meet the curiosity of audience of other countries.From 1908，Ramos，Lauro a filmmaking company named Société Générale des Cinématographes “Eclipise” and some other foreigners who ran cinema theatres in Shanghai began to took pictures to shown in their own cinemas.Some of the films were about the local sport events，some were pictures of important political figures of China.The local events films were a media of social activities of foreigners settled in Shanghai.When seen themselves in films，Shanghai Westerns preformed，imagined and confirmed themselves of certain social status in the half-colonial city.Films of Chinese political figures such as YuanShih-Kai were embedded in the entaglement of political power，mass culture and common desire.Because of the special attractions，these actuality film might be of great marketing and political potential.While the slogans of national goods and industry made some common sense for the whole society，films were supposed to representing the national consciousness.The Asiatic Film Co.that was created or bought by Thomas Henry Suffert，an American investor，claimed that they were making Chinese moving pictures for the purpose of marketing.Similarly，the Commercial Press also had Chinese-made films of newer and stronger Chinese identity，which was shown in the topics like the great opium burning and pieces of performance of Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang.In 1921，the Film Research Society of China shot a feature based on a true murder case named Yen Jui-sung when telling stories became the mainstream of film industry.The Film Research Society of China wished to make money out of the film，and present “true” Chinese figures by real events at the same time.They were successful economically，but the film was condemned in the following years for not presenting Chinese figures properly.The both successful and failed film shows the exciting prospect and limitation of the film when “China” was bound to “film”.The Chinese film industry had became a fact，as well as a conception that is modified，refilled and transformed till nowadays under the powers，ideas and trends of individual/community，metropolis/countryside，everyday life/war time.It kept changing，and bing changed in the project of building a new nation.

In conclusion，from 1897 to 1921，the heterogeneous space，the diversified media and the unnamed mass in the half-colonial city changed films that were imported from other countries profoundly.The foreign vaudeville was less and less alienating，and gained its national identity when the social expectation and political needs were expressed in the works of native filmmakers.

Key words：foreign vaudeville；Chinese cinema；emergency；nationalism；consumption；communication；production