Ruan lingyu, one of the most famous stars of early chinese cinema, gives a devastating performance as an unnamed goddess an ironic euphemism for a prostitute in this profoundly moving but rarely seen classic of world cinema.
a tragic tale of shame and maternal sacrifice, ruan stars as a mother desperate to provide for her young son and forced to take brutal vengeance on her pimp.
it is a profoundly moving drama, all the poignant by the fact that its star committed suicide at the age of 24, a year after the films release.
newly restored by the chinese film archive, this iconic film boasts a new score by renowned composer zou ye.
premiered at the bfi london film festival in 2014, this long-awaited release makes one of the most important early chinese films finally available on dvd in the uk, and will delight all fans of silent cinema.