Street Angel

Summary

Street Angel, written and directed by Muzhi Yuan,was produced in 1937 and tells the story of Xiao Hong and her older sister Xiao Yun who are orphans from Manchuria. They came to Shanghai after the Japanese takeover in 1931 in hopes of a better life. Unfortunately, they are adopted by a selfish and unkind couple of Shanghai’s under class. Xiao Yun is forced to work as a prostitute and Xiao Hong sings at her adopted parent’s tea house until they decide to sell her to the local gangster Gu. She escapes this bad situation and marries her trumpet playing boyfriend Chen Xiaoping. Chen loves Xiao Hong but looks down on her prostitute sister. In the end, however, Xiao Yun makes a sacrifice that allows her inner goodness to be revealed. (Berry,86).

Essay

Muzhi Yuan's classic film Street Angel produced in 1937 is a dark comedy that through irony, gives a voice to the struggling class of Shanghai and contrasts Shanghai's abundance with the harsh reality of daily life for those who live in the city's lower class.

The film opens by depicting Shanghai as a glamorous and "glittering playground" (Palmer, 189). Fireworks and neon signs light up the night sky, fast paced music along with "a chaotic sea of rushing traffic" (Palmer,190) lend an air of excitement to the city. Elegantly dressed people strolling in parks and dancing in fancy buildings seem to suggest a life of leisure. But, then the camera scans down a tall skyscraper, which becomes a symbol of the great "economic divide" (Palmer, 187) that exists in Shanghai. Finally, camera settles on the "lower depths" (Palmer,193) of the city to focus on the world and the people who live below the glitz and glamor-- to focus on the working class-- upon whose backs the wealth of Shanghai is built but who ironically are not able to enjoy its luxuries or leisures, upon who "despite their best efforts...are unable to get ahead"(Palmer,190). Thus the viewers learn that "if the [Shanghai] of the 1920s and 1930S was paradise for some...it was hell for many"(Palmer, 191), and "exploitation...[was] at the root of all the hustle and bustle" (Palmer, 191),exploitation of the poor and the rural immigrant who came to Shanghai hoping for a better life and are barred from achieving it.

The skyscraper

The oxymoron "dark comedy" (Deemer, )which accurately describes this film hints of more irony. While the film does have dark scenes and the characters face many difficult circumstances there is still lots of comedy. Xiao Yun, who is forced to work as a prostitute is usually shown in dark rooms and dark street scenes; however Xiao Hong, her younger sister, Chen Shaoping, and their other friends are still able to find simple pleasures in spite of their extreme poverty and harsh realities and the way they deal with their difficult situations is often comedic. One such example is when their friend, the barber, learns he is going to lose his job because the barber's shop is going to be shut down due to the fact that the owner can't afford to pay the rent, the friends band together and come up with a plan to save the barber shop. Chen play his trumpet to attract attention and the rest enthusiastically call out and advertise "Two heads shaved for the price of one!" ( ). Sadly, they are only able to attract bald monks. But, then the landlord comes to try to collect the rent and because he has hair he finds himself getting an unwanted cut and shave instead of any money.

Xiao Yun standing on a dark street corner alone

Link to the film online - [1]

film features Zhou Xuan the 1930s singing sensation as Xiao Hong

Zhao Dan

--Hollyspendlove 03:34, 3 March 2012 (UTC)