The actor Jin Yan (1921-1983) was known as the Emperor in Chinese cinema circles in the 1930s. His first success was inRomantic Love, a film directed by Sun Yu in the 1930s. In the film, he portrays in a vivacious, unsophisticated and natural way and with his vigor and his healthy, well-proportioned body, the role of Qian, the handsome young master of a family who is completely different from the impractical, shifty-looking young men then common in films. His performance won him extensive praise.
Later, he played the leading role inLove and Duties,Three Modern Women,The Golden Times,Maternal Brilliance, andThe Great Road, most of which have a theme on the anti-feudalism of the petty bourgeoisie. All the images he portrayed were small intellectuals, expect for the road builder Jin Ge inThe Great Road. Jin Yan has a handsome, unrestrained appearance and his performances are genuine and simple.
He gives a lifelike portrayal of Jin Ge, who is unyielding and optimistic in face of oppression in the dark society. He also performed inMotherandBrave Eagle in the Rainstormbefore he retired from acting at the end of the 1950s. He reached the height of his art career in the 1930s and the 1940s.
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