Sable Cicada

In 1937, the Shanghai film industry was in recession after the Battle of Shanghai, but the resourceful mogul Zhang Shankun found a niche in Defense films, striking a balance between profit and patriotism. Production of Sable Cicadastarted the same year but was suspended after war's breakout, resuming only after operation was moved to Hong Kong, making it the then-colony's first Mandarin film. Director Bu Wancang, with a special sensibility for women, successfully adapted the legendary figure Diao Chan to screen, realizing a heroine at once intelligent, beautiful and courageous, in turn brilliantly embodied in a calibrated performance that elevated star Gu Lanjun to the hallowed ranks of China's Top Four Actresses. Zhang, ever inventive and capable, blazed a new path for Chinese film, tackling a somber topic with fanciful costumes, elaborate sets and epic scales, topped off with lyrical musical numbers. An auspicious start for Hong Kong's Mandarin cinema.