The Dream of Red Mansions (1927 film)
| The Dream of Red Mansions | |
|---|---|
A still from the film's booklet by the production company | |
| Directed by | Ren Pengnian Yu Boyan |
| Written by | Xu Bibo |
| Cinematography | Zhou Tingxi Wang Shizhen |
| Edited by | Wen Yimin |
Production company | 复旦影片公司 |
Release date |
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| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin |
The Dream of Red Mansions (Traditional Chinese: 紅樓夢; Simplified Chinese: 红楼梦) is a 1927 silent film adaptation of the novel by Cao Xueqin. It was directed by Ren Pengnian and Yu Boyan.[1] It stars comedy actor Zhou Kongkong as Grandmother Jia.
The film is told from Grandmother Jia's perspective, and uses the 'All Just a Dream' trope. It was cut into two parts, with a duration of roughly four hours.[2] It is one of the earliest known film adaptations of the novel.
Cast
Source:[3]
- Zhou Kongkong as Grandmother Jia (cross-gender acting)
- Lu Jianfen as Jia Baoyu (cross-gender acting)
- Lu Jianfang as Lin Daiyu
- Wang Yiyi as Xue Baochai
- Yuan Yijun as Madam Wang
- Yi Banqian as Madam Jia
- Yi Yinqiao as Jia Zheng
- Wen Yimin as Jia Lian
Notes
The film's negatives are considered lost.[2] The film's plot summary and stills are preserved in a special edition booklet issue of the film by the production company, purchased at an auction.[4]
Due to the lack of financing, the film uses modern props and costumes. The characters lounge on European style sofas and beds, and Daiyu occasionally wears Westernised skirts and high heels.[4]
The film premiered at Shanghai's Embassy Theatre, and was shown for four days.[1] It received positive reviews from the media and the local entertainment industry.[1]
External links
- The Dream of Red Mansions on Hong Kong Movie Database
- The Dream of Red Mansions on Chinese Movie Database
References
- ^ a b c "1927年电影《红楼梦》复旦影片公司摄制_子叶_新浪博客". blog.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
- ^ a b 网易 (2020-01-16). "「红楼影史」最奇葩的改编——时装版《红楼梦》（复旦版1927年）". www.163.com. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
- ^ 红楼梦 (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 2025-10-07 – via movie.douban.com.
- ^ a b 网易 (2024-05-28). "第一部《西游记》和《红楼梦》都来自1927年，人好看，情节也新颖". www.163.com. Retrieved 2025-10-07.