The film:
Taohua qixue ji
Original English title: The Peach Girl
Literal translation of Chinese title: Peach Blossoms Weep Tears of Blood
Director: Richard Poh (Bu Wancang)
Studio: United Photoplay Services (Lianhua)
Year of release: 1931
89 minutes (see note below)
Cast: Ruan Lingyu, Jin Yan, Li Shiyuan, Wang Guilin, Zhou Lili, Li Yanzhu, Han Langen, Liu Jiqun, Huang Junzhen, Xing Shaomei
Ruan Lingyu (Lily Yuen) co-stars with Jin Yan (Raymond King) in this silent film about a young couple whose love is thwarted by the class divide. The son of a rich landowning family and the daughter of a herder who works for them are friends as children. As they grow up, the boy’s mother insists that he stop socializing with poor village kids, but the childhood friendship blossoms into romance. As polemic, the film indicts class snobbery; as a star vehicle, it offers fantastic shots of its charismatic lead actors. Lianhua (UPS) studio even threw in a couple action scenes–brawls that appear inspired by the recent wuxia (martial arts) craze.
The film contains original Chinese-English bilingual title cards. The Chinese text has been translated when its meaning differs significantly from the English.
The duration of the title card that appears at minute 10:43 has been extended slightly for legibility.
English subtitles translated by Christopher Rea
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