The Goddess

The Goddess is a 1934 Chinese silent film released by the Lianhua Film Company (United Photoplay). The film tells the story of an unnamed woman, who lives as a streetwalker by night and devoted mother by day in order to get her young son an education amid social injustice in the streets of Shanghai, China. It stars Ruan Lingyu in one of her final roles, and was directed by Wu Yonggang. Lo Ming Yau produced the film and Hong Weilie was the cinematographer. The public responded with enthusiasm, largely due to Ruan Lingyu's popularity in Shanghai in the early 1930s. Four years after the original release of Goddess, Yonggang Wu remade the film as Yanzhi Lei) with changes made to the cast, the setting, and parts of the storyline. After Stanley Kwan's revival of Ruan Lingyu's story through the biopic Center Stage (1991) starring Maggie Cheung as Ruan, widespread public interest in the Chinese classic cinema was reinvigorated . Today, Goddess is one of the best-known films of China's cinematic golden age, and has been named as one of China's top 100 films by the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2005. Cast Ruan Lingyu as the "Goddess", a loving mother who is forced into prostitution in order to provide for her young son. Zhang Zhizhi as "Boss" Zhang, a thug who exploits the Goddess and acts as her pimp after he offers her protection from the police. Lai Hang as the Goddess's son, who faces discrimination as he grows up because of his mother's occupation. Li Junpan as the Principal, a well-meaning older man who stands up for the Goddess' son, after the members of the school board discovers that his mother is a prostitute and want to expel him. The old principal also represents the voice of the Director Wu Yonggang.