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Introduction
 The first generation of Chinese directors generally
refers to about one hundred film directors, represented by Zhang Shichuang,
Zheng Zhengqiu, Dan Duyu, Yang Xiaozhong and Shao Zuiweng, who were active from
the beginning of the 20th century to the end of the 1920s.
As the trailblazers of Chinese movies, they created the first batch of
Chinese feature films despite the extremely crude and rough conditions as well
as the absence of previous films and experiences as reference. Among those
movies, a lot more or less expressed democratic and anti-feudalism thoughts as a
result of influences of the May Fourth Movement in 1919, which boasted the birth
of a new culture.
Nonetheless, the first generation of directors did not understand film well
in the terms of artistic skills and expression. They usually approached movies
with traditional operatic notions, as at that time, the directors were largely
influenced by operas.
The shooting followed the method on opera stages, in which with the camera
generally remained fixed on the same position throughout the entire movie. Much
importance was attached to the portrayal of zigzagging plots and fierce
conflicts. Also, the directors generally borrowed the structure and stage art
from the opera mode. Consequently, the films have a large audience as the
movies' appreciative value and taste largely echo that of the operas which were
deeply rooted among the people.
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The first generation of Chinese directors generally
refers to about one hundred film directors, represented by Zhang Shichuang,
Zheng Zhengqiu, Dan Duyu, Yang Xiaozhong and Shao Zuiweng, who were active from
the beginning of the 20th century to the end of the 1920s.
