Miss Ruan, you're Party A
Mr. Chang is Party B
In clause 3, if Party A can't
maintain her livelihood
Party B shouldn't...
Don't worry
Ruan will get on better and better
There won't be one cent less for you
on the $100 monthly for 2 years
Mr. Wu
the Ceylon Studio has asked if you want to change your seal ink
Stop bothering us!
If you've no more questions
please affix your chop
You really have a way to extort money out of Yuan
What are you doing?
You're the hostess here Please rehearse how to open it
Mummy
When we're really married
Don't dance, your clothes are creased and you're sweaty
Hsiao-yu, let me take you to see your room
Let's have a family session to see
how to put the furniture
Mummy, come on, go upstairs for a look
Are there many rumors about Ai Hsia's suicide?
It was not suicide
She was killed
She was killed by the society
not 1 or 2 persons
The obscene tabloid reporters
I feel Wei Ming's role
is a mirror of her life
I have seen her several times in Star Studio
I have seen her "Spring Silkworm" and "Bumper Crop"
And "A Modern Woman"
She wrote the script herself
Tsai calls his film "New Women"
because of her death
Were you on good terms with her?
You were on good terms with her?
Yes
She was independent
a good actress and script-writer
She was a modern female
People considered her a bad woman
and criticized her over minor affairs
They wouldn't let her go even at death
This show is designed to expose
the true colors of these people
Wei Ming in the script ended up being a whore
Was Ai Hsia...
People can sometimes be very weak
But we hope to see strong people
Did I bother you?
I think so
Do you enjoy squatting?
Two-thirds of people in China are used to that
They can't help doing it
They squat to wait for the mandarins
and landlords to slap them from behind
They squat to get insulted or for help
They squat for a rest too
I remember
when mummy was tired of work
she squatted too and I squatted beside her
How long have you not squat?
After becoming a movie star
I used to squat the whole day
waiting for shooting
don't sit on high Squat and show me
May I use your toilet?
It's behind the sitting room
I stood long outside and saw Hsiao-yu
going to school mummy going to the market
and him going to work That's meaningful
Anything else?
Your house is beautifully decorated
Show me around
The kitchen's there You've already seen the toilet
Mummy and Hsiao-yu in a room
This room is mine and Chu-shan's
All your furniture have been newly bought, right?
Yes
What about those at the old house?
All sold for a total of $93
and donated to the Bubbling Well Buddhist Society
None left that belonged to us?
No
These were gifts from you but there's no more
Am I no longer in your heart?
Sometimes
But it's not longer vital
Ruan, I'm thinking of doing some business
Could you advance the remaining
few months' allowances to me?
Copying Marlene Dietrich again?
Does it look like her?
Marlene Dietrich
she's a born decadent star
You look healthier than her
I can't imagine how she'd look as a housewife
a factory worker or a woman in distress
But why's everybody saying you look like her?
Let me tell you why
Because I'm sexy playing a woman in distress
Don't be too sexy playing my "New Women"
Fei Mu doesn't mind
my playing a sexy nun for him
Fei Mu is too capitalist
Don't compare me with him
You were a village woman
You made wishes to Buddha
that you'd become a nun
for the safety of your sick son
and husband at war
Now your son's recovered and your husband's safety back
and they're begging you to return
Are you going back or not?
You worried only about your family
husband and son
But now in this ethereal world
you experience peace and quiet you never had before
Are you going back or not?
All that I need is your peaceful expression
"The Sea of Fragrant Snow", 1934 Directed by Fei Mu. Film no longer available
Cut. OK
I'm crying! OK?
You weep peacefully without emotion Great
360, make up quickly
Okay
Lily
You should said Lily Li
If you're keen to learn Mandarin
speak it from now on
Okay, Lily Li
Right
Everybody at Lienhua said
during yesterday's shoot
you really broke down in tears
They nearly cried with you in sympathy, did they?
Were you preoccupied?
Never
Acting is like madness
Actors are madmen. I'm one of them
I'm not a madman
Director Tsai
Where's Ruan?
Inside
My script's ready
Ruan, hold back your tears
Keep some for me
What for?
Tsai, when will "New Women" be shot?
Soon
Splendid
Hurry up!
I win!
Now don't keep me company
Go up to accompany my daughter
Mummy, I promised to take your loss
And the losses of Sai-chen
Sai-san and Mrs. Chou too
I've one principle
I won't let girls suffer
You're a good fellow
What are you doing?
That's your true face, isn't it?
If both Sai-chen and I were courtesans
which one would you take? Say it
What did you say?
You saved this prostitute from the police
and are threatening her now
Smiling obscenely you say
"How are you going to repay me?
Don't go away. "
How are you going to repay me?
Don't go away
Ruan, you know you can't
get out of this rascal's clutches
Sad in heart, you put on an icy face
You walk from here to the table
and sit on it
You tell Chang Chih-chih to pass you a cigarette
You flick it once with a finger
and Chang lights it for you
Chang
you light it for her insinuatingly
A minor favor
It is a man's common trick
to seduce a girl
Director, one more time
I can't do it
"The Goddess" 1934 Directed by Wu Yung-kang
Ruan
sitting on the table means resistance
and so does smoking
The whole posture is resistance
But you're too weak-willed and you know it
This should be visible from your eyes
How's it?
Got any cigarettes?
"How are you going to repay me? Don't go away"
"I want to retaliate. Help me!"
Cut!
Ruan, not good enough Listen to me once more
You were forced into prostitution
to save your own daughter
but those tabloid reporters didn't pity you
They even scandalized you
You thought of killing yourself but you want to live now
You want to accuse, to hit back
Show all this in your face, understand?
Just do as you've just done
Again
Ready
Camera
Action!
I want to live, I want to retaliate
Cut!
Not enough, not enough
I want you to get stronger
Remember what you said to me
You have much in common with this role of Wei Ming
Imagine the unfairness
surrounding your livelihood
Vent all your sad feelings
like volcanic eruptions
I'll run the subtitles in your
face: "I want to live... "
One word bigger than the other
I want to see your expressions
one stronger than the other
There should be no reservations
Can you do it?
Just do as you've just done
One more time
Back to position
"New Women" 1935 Directed by Tsai Chu-sheng
Ready
Ready, shoot
Ready
Ready, shoot
Camera
Action!
I want revenge!
Help me! I want to live!
I want to live!
Sister
Cut!
OK, pack up
Pack up
Ruan
Cut!
Keep this
Tony, you forgot to lift up the bed sheet to see Maggie
"Help me!"
"I want to live!"
Did reporters drive her to her death?
What is this?
That's too much. That's an insult to us. Let's go
That's unacceptable!
The Shanghai Press Union is making a final plea
or the ultimatum, to your studio
Your studio's "New Women"
is libeling our reporters
You must issue a notice in newspapers to apologize to all the press
and ensure it won't happen again
Some shots insulting reporters
should be deleted
Cut, cut, cut the whole part of it!
After the cut, no one will see
them sponging in ballrooms
History will give an account of it
Miss Ruan
Do you really want to cut it?
The show will be banned if we don't
Don't cut it!
About that segment
Miss Ruan, we must lobby
through various channels
The film can't be released without cuts
But the cuts may arouse public opinion
which would surely be on our side
The final victory belongs to us
I heard the Kuomintang was
behind the whole thing
behind Reporters' Union as well as Chang
The Kuomintang didn't come out into the open
It was handled through the Association
through its Kuomintang members
The movie "New Women"
was not complimentary to the press
The press wanted
to attack the movie
But it could not find
a good excuse
They turned to Ruan Ling-yu
who was notorious for her private life
They said Ruan was unsuitable to play
the role of a new woman
Did the Association
urge Chang to sue Ruan?
The two events proceeded at the same time
Eat bread, be nice
What's up?
See for yourself
"Chang Ta-min sues Ruan & Tang For"
"Love and Cohabitation"
"Crime of Adultery"
You're late. Speak now
This is a matter of life and death
You won't die betting on one race less
Why do I mean so much to you now?
Ta-min, why are you doing that?
I'll sleep over here
I now sleep alone
now bring a hostess back
They bothered me with questions about you
and about things between you and me
Aren't things good for us now?
When everything is known I can save my breath
I never do anything bad behind you
When you were in Foochow
I only danced and ate with Tang Chi-shan
Enough
Ta-min, have I done anything unfair to you?
We made everything clear in
the solicitor's office
I even advanced
all the money you asked
Did someone instigate you to hurt me?
Who could've done that?
Money could!
Look, I'm still in love with you
I don't love you
Who knows I'd have come here?
Who did you tell this to?
Who did you conspire with to hurt me?
I'll take you out through the back door
Coming
What do you think of this court case?
They say her mummy was a maid at the Changs
Before she was a maid?
"The Goddess" is all about her mother
I see
Miss Ruan
Hello, Miss Ruan, what would you have?
Wait
Okay
You made it too loose
I only want to ask you one thing
Would you take me away?
Let's go together to Hong Kong
We still have to come back
Yes
We'll return only after getting married
If only you don't mind leaving your wife and mistress
You said you'd ask me one thing only
I still have something to do here
This is OK. Let's watch the next reel
Okay
Get the next one
Do you think Tsai Chu-sheng
had to stay in Shanghai because
he was timid or because he was a Communist?
Personally, I think he had
no courage or guts
He dared not love or hate
Was it true love between him and Ruan?
I'd like to ask her about it
In fact, many have raised this question
When researching, Lily Li told us
she often saw Ruan in the makeup room
when filming "New Women" and
heard her hum that "Blue Angel" tune
But she realized the delicate affair
between Tsai and Ruan only after her death
I feel Ruan Ling-yu's death was
linked with romantic news about Chang Ta-min and Tang Chi-shan
If she and Tsai dared to go
on with their affair
would she have taken another course? I think not
Why didn't they have the courage to?
Because of their romantic news
They were having enough bad press
Right, if another rumor spread
So the problem is she was a movie star
To an ordinary girl
a love triangle was common place
Even a quadrangular one wouldn't have raised a ripple
You keep your tears and joy private
and to the extent of suicide
But she was a movie star and a public figure
The pressure in that era was
especially heavy
Yes
As an artist, I hate to be maligned
Rumors are as horrible in any age
It's still just as scary now
A movie star doesn't need to make her private life public
What an ordeal
if the public twists the facts
and turn black into white
When your private life
spills into public domain
you feel you're being stripped of everything bit by bit
that's the most traumatic experience
So I fully understand how Ruan felt then
I'm very happy
She killed herself under such circumstances
Would you do the same if you experienced it today?
I think my first reaction...
People may think I try to play it cool
I may be sad but it's my business
But I won't let them know it
I wouldn't take my own life
If I died, it would be for myself
not because of other people
What would you wear day after tomorrow?
Day after tomorrow?
It's the hearing
I won't attend it
I'll wear a black coat and a dark green necktie
to match your new gown
Damn, I mean to show to the Shanghai people
that we're a pair of noble adulterers
We're adulterers
You've a wife and have an affair with Chang Chih-yun and me
You're an adulterer
I'm an adulteress, because
I followed you knowing you're married
To get dressed beautifully makes no difference
We must part if we don't get married
If we don't part you're still an adulterer
even though we win over Ta-min
Shut up!
Mummy, what's the matter?
A young lady claiming to be your
ex-classmate wants to see you
Did he hit you?
No
Did he hit you?
No
Jui-chen, why stand outside? Come in quick!
Sorry, I'm already late for an appointment
Tomorrow's Women's Day
You promised to lecture
in my school
Don't back out anymore
I know you must be in court day after tomorrow
You can stand out
and pour out all your grievances
as a warning to young female students
I'm also to blame
Pour it all out
our weak points and pride
and desire to eke out an existence
I'll pick you up with a car at 10am tomorrow
That won't be necessary I'll go by myself
Good, be sure to attend don't let the youth down
I'm also a youth
But you're Ruan Ling-yu
See you tomorrow
Goodbye
Auntie, goodbye
Hello, who's it?
Chu-chu, hang on please
It's Chu-chu
Hello, Chu-chu
A party? I would never forget that
Chi-shan's beside me. Let me tell him
Chu-chu wants us to attend
her farewell party for Skiner
Chu-chu, we won't fail
Will they all attend?
I must look as beautiful as possible then
Only then can I bewitch them
Is that so?
Good
Just as the microphone is adjusted perfectly
Her boss walks in
he sees her cord
pulls it and she falls off her chair
Just as the microphone is adjusted perfectly
Her boss walks in
he sees her cord
pulls it and she falls off her chair
I'm going to the USA to see them shoot talkies
They started with that not long ago
So they often make slips
Thank you, Mr. Skiner
Let's all thank Mr. Skiner for
installing this microphone for us
Next time I can talk on the screen
I can speak Mandarin
Miss Ruan thanks you on our behalf
for establishing the sound synchronizing department
She should be the first star to speak
on screen in Mandarin in the next movie
She just studied Mandarin for more than 8 months
But please keep it to yourself It's a secret
Tomorrow is Women's Day
My ex-classmate is now
the headmistress of a girls' school
She's invited me to lecture
I have the lecture ready I'll speak in Mandarin
Lily, listen
Okay
Classmates
let's celebrate Women's Day today
What's the idea of this Festival?
To celebrate us girls for rising up
from a centuries-old men-dominated history
No, no, we'd better speak Shanghaiese
You women are standing up
and we men are falling down
When women stand up
it doesn't necessarily mean men are falling down
We can stand up together in this large world
You're right, Director Fei
Fei Mu, you really are a nice guy
What about me? Can I be called good?
She asked me if she's good
I told her, "all your friends believe you're good regardless
of what others say"
I'm mainly of the opinion you're too nice
He's the director who taught me how to resist
Drinking means resistance
Resist!
Come up for a smoke and drink
I forgive you for not casting me in "The Road"
Ten days ago I wanted her to inscribe
something on a friend's souvenir album
and she promised to come up with something good
It's now too late
She only embroidered "sun" on my hat
when she was filming "Little Toys"
Ruan, you've kissed every one of them?
Not with the girls though
Director Pu
You transformed me twice
making me a movie star
and making me a female revolutionary
If I could change you once more...
I kissed him the longest
because he's the most shy
I was too excited when filming the last scene in "New Women"
I broke up sobbing
He was so shy that he dared not take off my blanket to see me
They're all looking at us
I've learnt one thing
since coming to society
If you're rich and powerful
none dare say anything bad about you in your presence
When not in your presence?
You can't hear it
People will say I committed suicide out of guilt
But I was guilty of nothing
This is my woman
Death means nothing to me
Still I'm afraid of malicious gossip
Chi-shan, without me
you can do anything you like
I'm very happy
Chi-shan, I'm sorry to have made you suffer
May my spirit, if any bless you forever
Chi-shan, after my death people may say
you were a devil toying with females
and I was a girl without a soul
But I wouldn't be around then
You have to bear the burden
Mummy
After taking the congee
go to bed. It's late
Please take care of mummy and darling
Please use the $2,050 Lienhua owed me
as living expense for them
Please take good care of them
Go to bed early
I love you more than my own child
It's all right
Mummy, sleep
If I died now
people would think I was dreading punishment
What guilt do I have?
I didn't do anything wrong to Chang Ta-min
but he returned evil for good
People might even think I did him a wrong turn
What else can I do
except to die?
I'm not afraid of death
My only fear is the malicious gossip
Ruan Ling-yu March 7, 1935, midnight
Chi-shan
I never thought we'd part so soon
but please don't be sad
I am sorry to make you suffer
May my spirit, if any, bless you forever
Lienhua owes $2050 in wages
Chang Ta-min, you've forced me to death
Don't try to cry or repent
now that things have reached such a stage
Yet I do regret having become
the prize sought by both of you
But it's too late now
Chi-shan, I'm your second Chang Chih-yun
Only you can tell who'll be me tomorrow
Without me, you can do anything you like
I'm at peace. Ling-yu
Chi-shan
Do you love me?
What's the time? Sleeping like a dog
What did you ask me?
Cut. OK
Now, in this shot of Fei Mu's
Director, I don't seem to have said to Ruan
"Get up and smoke, get up and drink"
It's for the show at Li Min-wei's party
not this
We don't know if Wu Yung-kang had said this
We wrote this
This is our only photo
Her private life and hardship
are hardly known
None of her colleagues
helped her in her lawsuit
A sentimental girl like her must've
taken a pessimistic view of life
She never turned herself into a cold
and shrewd woman
She took a serious view of life
When she got half-drunk
she'd ask her friends:
"Can I be considered good?"
Come on, everybody, ready
Ready
Be serious
Ready
Take 3
Action
Auntie Li, why don't you cry?
Site of Lienhua Studio, 1991 (United Chinese Photoplay Ltd.)
Cut
Maggie's breathing, breathing
Maggie, one more time Take a breath first
Again
Ready
Roll
Action
Cut
OK
Ruan Ling-yu (1910- 1935) Original name: Yu-ying; pet name: Feng-keng
Family from Chunshan prefecture, Kwangtung Born in Shanghai; age 25