Strict film influence.

On July 192 1 7: 00, China's first feature film "Yan" was released in the French Concession's Shapak Cinema, and the box office revenue on the first day was as high as 1300 yuan. Next, it is extraordinary. Chinese and foreign people in Shanghai are scrambling to see movies, and two performances in one night can't meet the demand. The matinee is still full. The film Yan was shown repeatedly from 192 1 and was not staged all over the country until 1924, so Yan was also the first successful commercial film in China.

The film Yan premiered in Jing 'an Temple Summer Resort and was shown for a week, which received rave reviews and caused a sensation in the film industry. Some film critics wrote: "He has made unprecedented creation in the pursuit of authenticity, and the actor's performance has also made a breakthrough because he is familiar with the people in the play." "The screenwriter is compact and both actors and actresses can appreciate it. The most important and wonderful thing is Chen Jun, who plays Yan. His expression is vivid, drawing a fallen youth. The viewpoint is thought-provoking. I can't believe that China people can achieve this level from their own photography. Some people also criticized Yan for promoting "erotic terror". The Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce once asked for a ban, and the Jiangsu Education Association also regarded Yan as an "obstacle to corruption" and suggested a ban.

Seeing the box office sales of Yan, the star company, the most powerful film company in Shanghai, couldn't help it. Zhang Shichuan, general manager and director, asked Zheng Qiuzheng to write a script and launch a brand-new criminal investigation blockbuster "Zhang Xinsheng". This film is based on the real case of Zhang Xinsheng's killing his father for money, which is much more interesting than Yan. Public opinion is in uproar, accusing Yan and Zhang Xinsheng: "It is especially unbearable to treat it with evil, describe it thoroughly, publicize its name and spread it all over the world." Coincidentally, when 1920 was arrested and tried, Yan confessed to the murder, all from American detective films. Under the pressure of public opinion, Yan and Zhang Xinsheng were banned in a few areas.

Beiyang government is unable to establish a national film censorship institution and establish censorship rules and regulations. Folk education associations in Jiangsu, Shanghai and other places spontaneously organized "film review institutions", which can only play the role of supervision and condemnation, but have no power to force the ban on films. After the Kuomintang came to power, the state-led film censorship system began to be established.

192 1 The three films "Yan", "Stone Sea" and "Pink Skull" shot by China Minsheng Investment are often considered as the earliest feature films in China, which should be no problem; At the same time, they are also regarded as the origin of China genre films, which should be no problem-Yan is the first feature film, vows of eternal love is the beginning of a romantic film, and Pink Skull is the originator of a detective film. But in a larger sense, Yan, the earliest of these three films, is the beginning of the commercialization of China films. Since then, filming has become a conscious commercial behavior. Therefore, when people define this film in later generations, there will be similar words: several speculators saw that it was profitable, so they invested in the film Yan.

Although "Yan" received mixed reviews, it broke through the box of silent films, initiated a new era of China films and played an indelible role.