MOVIE MUSIC UK

GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Original Review by Craig Lysy

The first phase of China’s civil war between the Kuomintag Nationalist government and Communist rebels began in 1927. The war was not only fought on the battlefield, but culturally. As such, in 1934 The Kuomintang Nationalist government, in an effort to counter the growing communist movement, enacted a counter “New Life Movement”. This reactionary “Make China Great Again” initiative would proceed as a social campaign to revive, and restore traditional Chinese culture, by reembracing Confucianist virtues of propriety, morality and ethics. The Lianhua Company decided to contribute, so as to maintain good relations with the government. Luo Mingyou was tasked with managing production, Luo and Fei Mu would co-direct and Zhong Shigen would write the screenplay. The cast, would include Shang Kwah-Wu as Sun Liting, Zhang Yi as Sun Shaoting, Lim Cho Cho as Mrs. Sun, Chen Yen-yen as Sun Ruoyan, Zheng Junli as Sun Yutang, and Lai Cheuk-Cheuk as the daughter-in-law.

Directors Luo and Fei instructed screenwriter Zhong to create a multi-generational story, which focused on filial loyalty, filial piety, and filial duty. Grandfather Sun as the aged patriarch charges his son Liting to protect the family’s heritage and traditional values. Liting despairs that city life is corrupting his family and so abandons the city, and relocates the family in the countryside. Liting opens a school for poor children, a sanctuary for elders, and finally, an orphanage and an old-folks home. He exhorts his son to embrace selfless duty by serving those in need, and inculcating traditional values into his children, and grandchildren. Over time, Liting struggles as his children rebel, seeking to embrace modernity and a comfortable and exciting life in the city. The family fractures, yet in the end, reconciles. Commercial success was modest, and criticism from leftist dominated journalist criticized it for its heavy-handed preachy conservative and patriarchal-feudal sentiments. It did garner praise for its lyrical imagery, poetic visual style and the fact that it was the first Chinese film to feature a score using all Chinese instruments. The film did not earn any official awards.

Directors Fei Mu and Luo Mingyou made an audacious decision regarding the musical score. They decided that given the film being set in rural China, with a multi-generational story extoling filial piety and traditional Confucian ethics, that an authentic Chinese score using nationalist instruments (guóyuè) would best support its narrative. To that end, they offered the scoring assignment to Wei Zhongle, who was happy to take on the challenge as he had never scored a film before. Wei was a renowned performer, composer, and educator proficient in playing several classical Chinese instruments, such as the pipa, guqin, erhu, and xiao. The scoring contract included one proviso; no western instruments were to be used.

Wei understood that his music needed to find harmony with the rural Chinese settings, while also aligning with Confucian Ethics. After watching the film Wei perceived that his music needed to eschew intense theatrical histrionics, and instead embrace quiet, poetic restraint to complement co-director Fei Mu’s subtle visual framing, and calm, moral aesthetic. For his ensemble, Wei would showcase several traditional Chinese instruments; the pipa – a four-stringed pear-shaped lute, an instrument he was famously crowned the “king of”, the yueqin (moon lute), the guqin – a seven-stringed ancient plucked zither, the erhu – a traditional two-stringed bowed fiddle, the xiao – a vertical end-blown bamboo flute and the dongxiao, a larger version, the dizi – a horizontal transverse bamboo flute, luo (gongs), bo (cymbals), and an array of drums – tanggu (barrel drums), bianju (flat drums), and bangu (clapper-drums). Wei also understood that traditional Chinese music places emphasis on the expressiveness, timbre, and subtle pitch bends of a single melodic line (Monophony) rather than Western harmonic progression. As such Wei adapted these classical performance mechanics to deeply flow within the film’s intimate, family-driven narrative arc. Wei also understood that this film would be playing to global audiences and so he purposely aligned and structured the score’s tracks with the visual editing constraints of modern cinema. This unique blend of traditional substance and technical application allowed the film to introduce authentic Chinese instrumentation to Western audiences during its international release at venues like the Little Carnegie Playhouse in New York. Lastly, Wei decided to interpolate renowned compositions from the classical Chinese music lexicon into the film’s soundscape. First his evocative performance of the sorrowful erhu masterpiece “Bingzhong yin” (Affliction) composed by Liu Tianhua (1918) was woven directly into the film to amplify themes of anguish, personal and generational grief, but also resilience. The second song is “Yang Guan San Die” (Three Variations on Yang Pass), a traditional song originally based on a Tang dynasty poem regarding the sadness of separation. Wei utilizes it as a melancholic farewell, expressing sorrow, longing, and the pain of parting. Historically the song is rendered by Guqin (seven-stringed zither) or sung as a lyrical, and meditative art song. The third song is “Tianlun Ge” (Song of Familial Love) by Huang Zi, lyrics by Zhong Shigen, and vocalist Lang Yu-xiu. The song extols Confucian virtues of familial duty, filial loyalty, filial piety, and the continuation of generations filled with domestic happiness.

There is no commercial release of the score. As such I will use film scene descriptors and time indices to provide film context. The reader is advised that the film version I am using for this review has Douglas MacLean credited in the US-edited English-language version of the 1935 Chinese film “Tian Lun”, renamed “Song of China”. MacLean acquired the American distribution rights, re-edited the film, cutting its run time from 65 to 45 minutes, and added English intertitles and credits for its 1936 US release. 0:00 “Logo” opens with the Linhua Company logo, and we flow seamlessly at 0:07 into “Prologue #1” as we see an aged sheep herder chasing and retrieving a wayward lamb. Wei supports with traditional Chinese Pipa and Gugin instruments that evoke a calm, tranquil, dignified, and reflective atmosphere, which perfectly establishes the tone of the film. Normally an introductory scene such as this that precedes the Main Title is called a “Prologue”. However, later after the Main Title at 2:25, the film displays; “Prologue”. So, I label them #1 and #2.

At 0:50 “Main Titles” reveals the display of the film title and the commencement of the flow of the opening credits, which display against ornate marble columnar architecture. Wei uses pentatonic-based folk idioms borne by solo instruments and a small ensemble. The musical narrative expresses classical Chinese aesthetics using traditional narrative storytelling, which invokes a sense of deep heritage and familial continuity. At 1:37 “Forward” we are provided narrative script that extols filial piety as the dominant force in Chinese culture for more than three thousand years, revered here as “The Song of China”. This immortal theme will underpin this story. It declares that this is an authentic picture of modern China, written, directed, acted, photographed and musically scored in China, by Chinese. Wei provides a musical undercurrent, which supports the praise and solemnity of the text, without overpowering the visual imagery of the background ornate marble columnar architecture. 2:25 “Prologue #2” reveals setting script; “Prologue. Time AD 1890 Qing Dynasty. Place South China.” Wei supports with a solo Xiao.

2:31 “The Patriarch” offers a poignant score highlight. It reveals entry into the film proper as we see a horseman Sun Liting ride furiously. He stops, turns to reveal his face at a hilltop punctuated by a gong strike at 2:39. Wei supports with a drum propelled galloping motif as he rides urgently down a dirt road. At 3:01 we shift to a bedridden aged man, the grandfather and patriarch of the Sun family. He has agonal gasping breathing, and is attended by a woman and two small children. The young woman encourages father to be peaceful as your son will soon arrive. He thanks her for being a good dutiful wife, a tender mother, and comforting daughter-in-law. He beseeches the gods to grant his last wish, to one last time behold the face of his son. We shift to the road as we see Liting riding furiously, and finally reaching home. Wei supports the bedside vigil using a duet of Erhu and Pipa, with the erhu’s wailing timbre expressing a slow, somber melody. As a master musician, Wei uses the erhus’ microtonal sliding notes and deep vibrato to mimic the sound of human crying and laboring breath, which heightens the scene’s emotional despair. The Pipa joins using Lunzhi (tremolo), which provides a subtle undercurrent of tension. Wei masterfully has the musician playing use sharp, percussive plucks, which are spaced out to mirror the faltering, erratic heartbeat and gasps of the dying man. The confluence of Wei’s musical design and the acting performance is masterful. 4:54 “The Dutiful Son Returns” also offers a poignant score highlight. It opens with a gong strike, which punctuates Liting’s kiss of his father’s cheek. He calls out “Noble Father”, and receives his blessing, and counsel; “May your children live to honor you, as always you have honored me. If children must travel, they should travel towards their parents. “Grant all your children a place in your heart, and regard the aged as your own. Wei decided to interpolate “an instrumental rendering of Yang Guan San Die” a traditional song originally based on a Tang dynasty poem regarding the sadness of separation. Wei utilizes it as a melancholic farewell, expressing sorrow, longing, and the pain of parting.

6:42 “Flash Forward” offers a lyrical score highlight and masterful cinematic confluence. It reveals a return to nature as we see Spring blossoming and shots of birds nesting and feeding their chicks. The Qing Imperial flag (1889-1912) with its imposing dragon displays against billowing clouds and narrative script; “Several Years Later”. A gong strike at 7:00 reveals the five striped flag of the Republic of China (1912-1928) and narrative script; “A Generation Later”. Wei supports the imperial flag with music that emotes slowly, with solemnity with a traditional pentatonic structure borne by the Pipa, Erhu and Guqin. The Republic of China Flag is supported only by a reverberating gong strike. At 7:07 we see a wet nurse pick up a crying infant from a basket, as a distracted Liting is seen. On screen narrative script displays; “Right: You always boast that your Hu Courser is a marvel of the ages, and Left: I have obtained Sui’s pearl and sense its brilliance at night”. The couplet appearing on the screen function as a classical antithesis drawn from historic Chinese folklore and poetry. The “Right” commentary is a direct reference to a famous poem by Du Fu, “The Hu Horse of District Master Li of Huoxian”. A “Hu Courser” (Huma) refers to a legendary and prized nomadic warhorse from the western regions, celebrated for its supernatural speed and sharp ears. It embodies material boasting, physical prowess, and superficial and transitory earthly status. The “Left” commentary references the mystical Marquis of Sui’s Pearl (Suihouzhu) from the Warring States period. Legend states that a ruler saved a snake who gifted him a massive white pearl that glowed so brilliantly it could illuminate an entire room at night. It embodies the hidden, profound, and enduring brilliance that shines even in darkness, extolling traditional virtues and filial piety. This exchange underscores the film’s core message, which is aligned with the New Life Movement. It posits that external wealth and modern urban vanity, pale in comparison to the invaluable worth of filial loyalty and traditional ethics. In scoring the scene, Wei’s lyrical musical narrative driven by Erhu and Pipa, provides gravitas, transforming the scene into an elegant, poetic tableau that feels as ancient and valuable as the pearl and the courser themselves.

At 7:54 “Liting’s Disappointment” narrative script relates; “Each night our son and his wife seek only revelry – forgetting they have a child.” Wei supports with musical pleasantries as we shift outside to a sumptuous, but decadent banquet as call girls dangle meat over covetous men’s mouths, (including Shaoting). His friend alerts him that his wife is glaring at him from an open balcony window. We shift in doors and the music becomes more reserved, tinged with a subtle sadness and undercurrent of disappointment as Liting’s daughter Ruoyan says; “Honorable father, you will see your goodness reflected in the nature of my brother.” He counters, “Children’s natures are alike. It is their habits that determine their character. Shaoting and his wife return and pick up their son Yutang from the wet nurse. Liting’s eyes reveals his disappointment as he commands Shaoting to sit. Liting then asks his gentle wife to leave, and she dutifully obeys. We see Shaoting tense and uncomfortable as Liting turns to him and says: “Children are often blamed for their conduct, when the fault lies with the parents. I believe I have been too lenient. You have been wasting your father’s wealth, and neglecting your opportunities. We came to the city hoping that you would find prominence, instead you have chosen the road of pleasure. The great fault is to see faults and not try to correct them. We will return to the country.”

At 12:40 the music shifts to an angry agitato as Shaoting’s wife gets up and begins smashing tea cups on the floor. Liting and his wife are shocked as Shaoting goes to punish his wife for her disrespectful behavior as the scene fades to black. 13:12 “Seven Years Later” opens with narrative script punctuated with a gong strike, that says that seven times the pear tree came to blossom. A solo dizi pastorale offers an idyllic musical narrative as we see river bank fields with flocks of sheep. We come across a little boy, Yutang, Liting’s grandson, lying down in the grass playing the dizi. He gets up and starts herding the sheep as Liting and his wife watch. Pipa and gugin join as she says that it is a joy to behold the happiness of our grandson as he grows up! The music shifts to a narrative of happiness as Yutang runs to and hugs them. They go in for lunch and wait for Shaoting and Ruoyan to join. As they eat Wei supports with a carefree musical narrative of pleasantries with Pipa and Gugin leading. Shaoting asks Liting for permission to celebrate his birthday with a feast. Liting smiles as Shaoting adds that the neighbors will expect us to honor you. Shaoting then adds that we will invite our influential friends.

16:49 “Birthday Party” reveals a well-attended festive celebration of Liting’s longevity, replete with roasted suckling pig. Wei supports the party with programmatic music (biàozòuqǔ); the use of instrumental melodies to directly communicate the plot’s emotions and values to the audience. His small ensemble includes the pipa, erhu, dizi, yueqin, with subtle accents from traditional gongs and cymbals, which imbue the happy occasion with a festive, and rhythmic musical narrative. Yet a dark cloud hangs over the celebration as Liting feels unhappy. His wife counsels that she understands that he dislikes ostentation, but it is the desire of our children to honor him. His reply is regrettable; “I fear it is only an excuse for revelry and gambling.” Shaoting and his wife come in to rouse Liting an bring him into the party as script reads; “Treat elderly and children of all families as if they were your own.” Shaoting tells his father that you can delay no longer as our guests are waiting to greet you. At 18:55 Wei shifts the musical narrative to one more formal and solemn as Liting dons a coat and agrees to meet the guests. Shaoting escorts his father followed by the wives and his sister. Liting smiles as he is seated at the head of the table and food bearers begin bringing the first course. Hot wine is prepared and served. A young man named Chang Li asks Shaoting’s wife to meet her sister-in-law Ruoyan. She accommodates and he introduces himself offering her hot wine and a toast. Yet she imbibes two more toasts as her mother looks on with disapproval. Liting tells his wife, that he denied them gambling tables, but they gamble with their fingers. A montage of shots reveal glass after glass of wine being drunk by the guests, including Chang Li who seems captivated by Ruoyan and begins staring.

In 23:10 “Liting’s Epiphany” the party’s musical narrative is sustained and serves as counterpoint to the profound epiphany Liting experiences. We shift to later that night as Liting and Yutang look out the window and see a man who is heavily bundled, braving the freezing winds while guiding and sheltering a young boy who is cold and shivering. Yet at 24:00 a closer examination reveals their faces are those of Liting and Yutang. Liting is deeply affected and weeps as the scene offers a metaphor of Liting’s own personal misery, where despite having a large, wealthy family under one warm roof, he feels completely isolated and spiritually abandoned by his unfilial children. Yet through these tears he has a spiritual epiphany regarding the core Confucian themes of the film – filial piety and universal benevolence. Liting resolves to expand his moral duties past his wayward biological family and fully commit to building the sanctuary for childless elders and a school for the neighborhood’s impoverished youth. When his wife asks why he is crying? He answers; “For that which I have left undone. I have failed to honor the wishes of my father.” He tells her that he wishes to visit the aged, and care for orphans. His wife recalls his father’s words; Grant all children a place in your heart and regard the aged as your own.” By Wei sustaining the party music during Liting’s epiphany, he reinforces the isolation, and alienation Liting feels in his own house.

25:31 “The Orphanage” reveals male orphans washing their faces in the morning as Mrs. Sun guides them. Later they mark to class. Wei supports with a tender musical narrative. At school the teacher tells them that our benefactor established this home on his birthday, and on each anniversary, it is a pleasure to distribute gifts. At 26:41 the music brightens with happiness as a smiling Liting joins. As Yutang watches on stage, Liting personally hands every boy a present. The music shifts 27:13 to a musical narrative tinged with sadness as Liting, his wife, Shaoting and his wife, Ruoyan and Yutang visit the old folks home bearing gifts. The people are also given gifts, yet a pall of sadness drapes the room for in Chinese culture, parents feel a deep sense of abandonment, shame and loneliness living apart from their families. 28:03 “The Family Fractures” reveals the Sun family estate with two sheep playing in front. Wei supports with a tranquil musical narrative led by Pipa and Gugin as Yutang reads to Liting. “He reads; “Confucius says you can best illustrate the teachings of your father by your own conduct.” Shaoting’s wife is angry, and storms out slamming the bedroom door, which elicits a hesitant Shaoting to join her. Soon Shaoting returns and sternly tells Liting; “Father, we can endure it here no longer. We are leaving today.” The music shifts to an agitato as Liting declares that in the city, our son can seek a path to prominence. In a shift to Shaoting’s bedroom at 30:04, the music shifts to a spritely tune, and then an accelerando as his wife tells Ruoyan that if she wishes to marry Chang Li, she must decide for herself. She adds that parental consent is a timeworn tradition. This advice is deliberately incendiary and contrary to Confucian values, which required children to obey their parents completely in matters of marriage. She adds that when we reach the city, I will tell him to expect you. We end at 30:48 with a portentous solo erhu triste as Ruoyan kisses her hand.

31:00 “Goodbye” reveals Liting, his wife and Ruoyan seeing Shaoting, his wife, and son Yutang off. Liting counsels Shaoting to remember that all people are born to serve, and the prosperous have the greatest opportunity. Mrs. Sun tells them that they will always have two houses, your own and your father’s. As they depart, and slowly disappear in the distance, we see Liting deeply affected by their departure. Wei supports with a sad musical narrative of parting. 32:15 “We Oppose This Marriage” reveals Ruoyan lighting the night candle lamps as mama sows. A pipa, erhu and gugin sow pleasantries, yet there is an undercurrent of sadness. Papa pulls Ruoyan aside and informs her that he knows that Chang Li has bidden her in secret to marry him. He says that honorable men observe honorable customs. Why did he not speak to me? He says that he and her mother oppose this marriage. A dispirited Ruoyan lowers her head and departs as mama resumes sowing. Outside, a ponderous Ruoyan sits by a river as a small sail boat sails by, which for me is another metaphor; just as the sailboat catches the wind to journey toward new horizons, Ruoyan’s gaze outward reflects her own hidden dreams, anticipation, and faith in a journey yet to unfold. 34:06 “Ruoyan’s Departs” reveals the camera panning an empty Sun house prior to sunrise. Ruoyan emerges from her room with a suitcase and begins sneaking out. At 34:45 a cacophonous gugin led storm of anger erupts as Liting opens the door and their eyes lock. Mother joins goes to her and Ruoyan says she is going to live with her sister-in-law. A stepped crescendo builds and culminates with Liting angrily ripping the suitcase out of Ruoyan’s hands. Mama tells her; “The words of your sister-in-law are deceitful, like seeds of the thornbush sown in the darkness.” The musical narrative intensifies becoming stern, and repressive. As mama adds; “If what you see is doubtful, how can you believe what is spoken behind our backs?” At 36:47 both papa and mam slowly walk towards her carried by a crescendo dramatico, cresting at 37:03 with a gong strike as Ruoyan grabs the suitcase.

37:09 “The Patriarch is Dying” reveals a shift to twenty years into the future as we see Yutan, as a young man nervously pacing back and forth. He runs Liting’s orphanage and sits down to write a letter to his parents; “Respected parents, my noble grandfather is critically ill. The household is distressed…’ At 37:36 we shift atop a mournful solo erhu to Mrs. Sun comforting Liting on his death bed as Ruoyan and Yutang watch. The physician pulls Yutang aside and says his condition is very serious and only a miracle can save him. At 38:14 we shift to the countryside and see a horse drawn carriage traveling, as we see Yutang and Ruoyan walking in the garden. The ehru soliloquy continues as a crowd gathers outside the house, and an internal shot at the orphanage shows two dozen boys all following their teacher’s example and kneeling to pray. The patriarch sits up, grabs his cane, and walks aways from his bed. At 40:42 the school bell rings as Yutang escorts Liting to the head of the classroom. Gugin and pipa join to support all the student running to join as Mrs. Sun sits with the women. 41:27 “Liting’s Farewell Speech” offers the score’s emotional apogee. It reveals Liting giving a final speech to his posterity – the boys of his beloved orphanage. The music is forthright and solemn as he speaks, and then calls Yutang to join him on stage: “For nearly twenty pleasant years I have watched boys grow up to become good men. Now I am old. I can no longer serve you. My grandson will assume my duties and cherish you as I have cherished you.”

At 42:03 a soprano begins singing the song and we flow into an instrumental prelude of “Tianlun Ge” (Song of Familial Love). The song opens mournfully with a slow, tempo. The notes mimic deep sighs or crying, which serves to impart a heavy, melancholic tone that speaks to the pain of isolation and orphanhood. Yet soon the song sheds its weeping tone as its expressionist arc begins to brighten, transforming at 43:53 into an inspiring, rhythmic, and march-like tempo. Ultimately the song becomes uplifting as the melody soars to evoke grand, orchestral majesty that mirrors China’s “infinite sky and rolling rivers.” During the song the sadness and estrangement of the past is cast off as we see Liting reconciled with Shaoting, and his wife. It resolves in a dignified, harmonious atmosphere of universal love. At 44:32 we shift outdoors to young orphans marching confidently forward to a bright future, with the film closing with a contented Liting holding his beloved wife against a resplendent cloud filled sky. “The End”.

Wei Zhongle’s score for Song of China represents a historic cinematic milestone as the first Chinese film to feature a complete musical score comprised entirely of Chinese nationalist instruments (guóyuè), eschewing Western orchestral tropes and the emerging Hollywood sound of the 1930s. It also represents a second cinematic milestone, the expansion of the Chinese civil war into cinemas. With the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, a civil war erupted between nationalists and communists who embraced antithetical visions for China’s future. This film marked the Nationalists inaugural attempt to counter Communist domination of Chinese cinema with its “New Life Movement”, which fostered traditional Chinese Confucian values.

As with all silent films, the music bears the heavy burden of driving the internal narrative. In my judgment Wei utilized his ensemble of traditional instruments to masterfully articulate the unspoken, emotional and psychological dynamics of the characters. In scene after scene, his music either buttressed, or offered insightful counterpoint to the unfolding drama with lyrical, melancholy, and evocative melodies, shifting from soft contemplation to powerful, externalizations of internal conflict. Scenes set in the countryside, where the patriarch establishes a school and sanctuary, are enhanced by serene, elegant, and deeply grounded traditional pieces. The music conveys a sense of timeless righteousness, stability, and pastoral purity. Also masterful is when the adult children rebel and indulge in modern city pleasures, Wei shifts the musical dynamics, utilizing traditional folk textures to highlight their spiritual drift, but also frame their modern pursuits not just as a lifestyle change, but as a disharmonious break from traditional order. The film frequently relies on highly poetic, flowery intertitles to denote the passage of time, such as; “Seven times does the pear tree blossom” or “Two and twenty seasons pass him by”. Rather than allowing these title cards to disrupt the cinematic pacing, Wei’s music act as a fluid bridge, which sustains the emotional continuity across massive narrative leaps, ensuring that the transition from a character’s youth to old age feels earned, rhythmic, and dramatically unified. Lastly, and most impressive, is how Wei incorporated foundational traditional repertoire to structurally mirror the film’s broader themes of grief, duty, and spiritual redemption. His use of “Yang Guan San Die”, a classical piece heavily tied to sorrow, separation, and moral reflection was profoundly moving. His use of “Tianlun Ge” (Song of Familial Love) in the finale extols Confucian virtues of familial duty, filial loyalty, filial piety, and the continuation of generations filled with domestic happiness, brings the film to a hopeful, and most satisfying conclusion. By interweaving these culturally resonant pieces into the soundtrack, Wei gave specific scenes an instant layer of historical and literary weight.

For those of you unfamiliar with the score, I have embedded a YouTube link to the erhu masterpiece “Bingzhong Yin” composed by Liu Tianhua, and performed by Wei Zhongle;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74rr1_Vrwdc&list=RD74rr1_Vrwdc&start_radio=1

Track Listing:

• NOT AVAILABLE

Music composed and conducted by Wei Zhongle. Performed by the Wei Chung Lo Orchestra. Orchestrations by Ren Guang. Additional music by Huang Zi. Recorded and mixed by XXX. Edited by XXX. Score produced by Wei Zhongle.