Chapter 3 "Set up this photo" (3)

Xiaojiao The white people who are full and warm want to tickle their itch for entertainment, but the cannibalism and beast movies in Filipino are tired of watching, and we Chinese with yellow faces and low noses are put on the screen.So there are so-called "China insulting films" incidents, and our patriots often feel righteous indignation. Five or six years ago, because of the film "Treasure in the Moon Palace", I had a big fight with Fairbanks [2] and broke up badly.But neither of us seemed to realize that the film was actually a Mongolian prince, which had nothing to do with us, and the story was based on "The Arabian Nights" [3]. No wonder it was just an actor and not a director.But I'm here, and I don't mean to complain for Fairbanks.

The "Shanghai Express" incident mentioned this year is much more real than the "Treasure Robbery" case.I would rather be a "text clipper", because things and articles are interesting, and if they are too abridged, they will be boring.First of all, it is Mr. Xiao Yun's "Von Steinberg [4] Going to Shanghai Again" published in "Tagong Club" in Shanghai's "Ta Kung Pao" on September 20: "In the past few days, Shanghai's film industry has been busy entertaining a distinguished guest from the United States. That is the famous director of Paramount, Josef von Sternberg. While some people are warmly welcoming him, at the same time Many people are attacking him because he is the director of the humiliating film "Shanghai Express" (Shanghai Express), and he has made a great insult to our country. This is an unforgettable thing!

"Speaking of "Shanghai Express", it was five years ago. Shanghai was right after the 128th World War, and the general public's mentality of hostility was still very keen, so when this Hollywood production that distorted the facts appeared in Shanghai, everyone couldn't help but They all uttered outraged voices unanimously. Like a flash in the pan, this film was only screened for two days, and then it disappeared forever before the eyes of Chinese people. Today, five years later, the director of this film cannot avoid the condemnation of public opinion. Said Maybe after this lesson, von Steinberg will understand that it is not worth insulting others unreasonably.

"When filming "Shanghai Express", von Steinberg had no impression of China at all. He never knew what China was like, so he could defend himself. This time insulting China was not intentional. But now, he He has been to China, and he has seen China. It would be unforgivable if he would produce a work like "Shanghai Express" after returning to Hollywood. When he was in Shanghai, he told people that he had a good impression of China. I hope he will This is the truth." (Omit below.) But how?Unfortunately, it was also the "Ta Kung Pao" on this day, and in "Drama and Film", Mr. Qi Yang's "Interview with Artists" was published, saying: "The director Joseph who caught the attention of the Chinese with "Shanghai Express" · Von Sternberg, no doubt, after this trip to China, will definitely get his second book on the subject of so-called insult to China.

"'Chinese people don't know themselves. The description in "Shanghai Express" has given me a lot of proof from this visit to China..." Unlike ordinary visitors to China, they changed their original intentions as soon as they arrived in China. The rhetoric; von Sternberg does have such a meaningful artist demeanor, which is worthy of our admiration." (Middle omitted.) "I didn't protest the work "Shanghai Express" very positively, I just asked him about his feelings towards China and Japan after he came to China at Lamex. "I didn't answer immediately, and then said with a smile: "'There is no difference between Lamex and China after I came to China. The oriental flavor is indeed different. The scenery in Japan is very good, and so is Beiping in China. Shanghai seems to be too prosperous. Yes, Suzhou is too old, and there is indeed a mysterious atmosphere.Many interviewers have questioned me about the "Shanghai Express" incident. In fact, there is no need to hide it.Now it is more able to leave a real impression. ... I don't have a camera, but my eyes won't let me forget this. 'It reminds me of the story of demolishing thatched huts on Zhongshan Road in Nanjing a few years ago in order to entertain foreign guests. ..."

It turned out that not only did he not repent, but he became more determined. No matter how he thought about it, he said that he really had the good side of the Germans. I agree with what the reporter said: "It is worthy of our admiration." We should have the knowledge of "self-knowledge" as well as the knowledge of others: we need to know that he does not take China's "condemnation by public opinion" to heart, and we need to know how authoritative Chinese public opinion is. "But now, he has been to China and seen China", "he told people in Shanghai that he had a good impression of China", according to "Interview", it is indeed "truth".But what he said was "good" was Peiping, the place, not the Chinese. From their point of view, the places in China had almost nothing to do with the people.

Besides, we actually don't have any good personnel to show him.I read the article about von Steinberg, so I went to read the previous day's newspaper on the 19th, but there was nothing decent about it, so I just clipped two telegrams here: "(Central News Agency, Beiping, 18th) Ping 918 On Memorial Day, the police system is extremely strict. From 6:00 in the morning, the two security and detective teams are dispatched to deploy everything in the public places of the schools, the main streets and alleys, etc., and strictly monitor them. The air was tense, but passed in peace."

"(Special telegram at 11:00 p.m. on the 18th in Tianjin) In the evening of this day, the Japanese army in Fengtai suddenly surrounded the Feng Zhi'an Department of the 29th Army stationed there, and ordered them to disarm. The stalemate continued at night. The Japanese army has sent additional troops from Beiping to Fengtai. The details are unknown. In the coming month, the party repeatedly asked Song Zheyuan to retreat Feng, but Song has not agreed." Jumping down the next day, the telegram in the newspaper on the 20th: "(Fengtai 19th Tongmeng News Agency) 18th The Fengtai incident was satisfactorily resolved at 9:30 am on the 19th, and at the same time the Japanese army lifted the siege and gathered at the Daping in front of the station, and the Chinese army also lined up there to explain each other's misunderstandings." The next day, the 21st Daily Telegram: "(Central News Agency, Beiping, 20th) After the misunderstanding between the Chinese and Japanese troops in Fengtai was resolved, the authorities of both sides decided to transfer the two armies to a place farther away in order to avoid similar incidents from happening again in the future. Therefore, our troops were originally stationed in Fengtai. The second battalion and the fifth company have been transferred to Zhaojia Village, south of Fengtai, near the Japanese army in Fengtai, and there is no trace of our army."

I don't know where von Steinberg is now. If he was still in China, he might have mistakenly regarded this year as the "Year of Misunderstanding" and the 18th as "Student Rebellion Day". In fact, the Chinese are not "ignorant of self-knowledge". The only shortcoming is that some people are content with "self-deception" and thus do not want to "deceive others".For example, a patient suffers from edema, but avoids medical treatment, hoping that others will be confused and mistake him for obesity.I have been delusional for a long time, and sometimes I feel like I am fat, not edema; even if it is still swollen, it is a special kind of good edema, which is different from others.If someone points it out face to face: this is not obesity, but edema, and it is not "good", just sick.Then, he will be disappointed and ashamed, and then become angry, scolding the specifier, thinking he is stupid.However, I still want to scare him and lie to him, and hope that he will fear the anger and scolding of the master, read it again anxiously, find the good point, and change his mouth and say that it is indeed fat.So he was comforted, happy, and relieved to be swollen.

It is of no benefit to oneself not to watch "humiliating films", but if one does not see them, one's eyes become swollen with eyes closed.But it is of no benefit to look at it without reflecting on it.I still hope that someone will find out Smith's "Chinese Temperament" (5).After reading these, self-examination, analysis, and understanding of the points that are right, reform, struggle, and self-effort, but do not ask for forgiveness and praise from others, to prove what kind of Chinese are. CC [1] This article was originally published in the third issue of the first volume of the fortnightly "Zhongliu" on October 5, 1936.

[2] Fairbanks (DFairbanks, 1883-1939) American film actor.When he traveled to Shanghai in 1929, newspapers accused him of insulting the Chinese in the movie "The Moon Palace Robber".See "Two Hearts: "Modern Cinema and the Proprietary Class" Translator's Notes". [3] For "Arabian Nights", see Note [16] on page 359 of this volume.The movie "Moon Palace Robbery" was originally called "The Thief of Bagdad" (The Thief of Bagdad), which is based on this book. [4] von Steinberg American film director.Born in Vienna, he lived with his parents in the United States when he was seven years old. [5] For Smith, see note [2] on page 268 of this volume. 436 The Complete Works of Lu Xun·The End of Qiejieting Essays