chinese film analysis
1. your own unique thesis/argument and analysis to substantiate and illustrate that argument.
2. In your essay, critically discuss relevant primary sources (films) within the framework of your central argument.
3. Integrate and engage information and ideas in at least one source of secondary scholarship that we have read for this class, to help craft your central thesis/argument and analytical points.
essay should be well-organized and consist of a well-defined introduction, body and conclusion. In the introduction, you should present a clear thesis statement which defines the argument you will make and prove in your essay. In the body of your essay, you should substantiate your central thesis with clear evidence from both relevant secondary scholarship and primary texts (films). In the conclusion of your essay, you should clearly re-iterate how the evidence you presented in the essay proves your central thesis/argument.
The films Song at Midnight (Yeban gesheng, 1937) and Street Angels (Malu tianshi B, 1937) are two of the earliest sound films made during the “Golden Age of Chinese Cinema.” Yet, they are very different from each other in tone and style. Song at Midnight is considered to be China’s first horror film, while Street Angels is a realist work that is often considered to be a masterpiece of Chinese left-wing cinema. Critically analyze these two films in a comparative framework by highlighting each work’s key themes, cinematic techniques, innovations, and meaning shortly before the outbreak of war.
primary sources (films) ：Song at Midnight https://chinesefilmclassics.org/song-at-midnight-1937/
Street Angels：https://chinesefilmclassics.org/street-angels-1937/
source of secondary scholarship ： Christopher Rea, Chapter 7 “Song at Midnight” and Chapter 8 “Street Angels” in Chinese Film Classics
