Chinese Silent Film Urban Spatial Analysis

For early Chinese cinema history study, survival film texts are valuable research material that can't be overlooked. In this article, two complete Chinese silent films- The laborer's love and the pear necklace are adopted as the cases, which the author can find to make analysis of the urban space that Chinese silent films embody in 1920s. By comparing with the similarities and differences in narration of the space setup, space structure, character movement and space in the two films, the author deeply demonstrates a pattern of urban space of Shanghai in Chinese films in 1920s.Study method adopted in the article is demonstration. Data analysis is made on the basis of text statistics of the two films. At the same time, the author divides the urban space of Shanghai in the films into upper stratum space, middle stratum space and lower stratum space according to the social stratification theory. The laborer's love is a sample of the low stratum space, but stories in the pear necklace mainly happened in the middle class space. So there are complementarities between the spaces of the two films, and unity of the two films can more comprehensively reflect the space structure of Shanghai.The article can be divided into three parts. The first part is Chapter One. In this part, the author makes an integrated analysis of space conception of early Chinese films and brings forward the theory frame of space stratification. The second part includes Chapter Two, Three and Four. Analysis of specific areas of spaces in the two films is made in this part. And the third part is analysis of narration function of spaces and integrated demonstration of space conception in the films.Urban space of Shanghai in 1920s is a space system that has multiple meanings in early Chinese films. The space system is open due to its abundant meanings and compatibility, so the definitions of different stratums are not very clear and homeostasis exists among the spaces. There is possibility of rising from self stratum to upper stratum space. At the same time, there is possible risk of declining from self stratum to lower stratum space. The story in The laborer's love is about that a huckster successfully gained his love capital to enter upper stratum. However, the story in the pear necklace is about declining from the middle stratum to the lower stratum and then returning to the middle stratum in image.By analyzing the two films of The laborer's love and the pear necklace, the article roughly demonstrates the general features and functions of urban space of Shanghai in Chinese silent film in 1920s. And it provides a practical demonstration theory and gives a new view point for space stratum culture analysis of Chinese silent film.