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MYRIADS OF LIGHTS

MYRIADS OF LIGHTS Dir: Shen Fu 1948, Black and White, 121 minutes (1948) Starring: Shangguan Yunzhu , Lan Ma, Wu Yin Myriads of Lights is a rarely screened classic from the Shanghai cinema’s second golden age, the brief period between victory over the Japanese in 1945 and the formation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. In the face of corruption and economic chaos, initial euphoria soon turned to despair. Myriads of Lights mirrors this in the downfall of an ordinary family. Working in a company in Shanghai, the male protagonist’s happy family life is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of his mother and younger brother. Eventually, the pregnant wife runs away and has a miscarriage. Delirious with grief, the husband is hit by his manager’s car. By highlighting the conflicts among individuals, families and society, Shen Fu’s social and political critique is subtle but scathing.

 

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