抄録
The most striking event in the history of early Chinese cinema was the debate
between leftist intellectuals and neo-sensationalist literati about “hard film” and “soft
film”. Relying on Harbermasian notion of the public sphere, some studies have regarded
this debate as a contribution to public sphere, but the positive implications of the neo-
sensationalist film’s insistence on popularity and sensuality/materiality has yet to be
fully recognized.
This paper focuses on the Modern Screen magazine, which reflects the film aesthetics
of Liu Naou, a neo-sensationalist literati active in Shanghai in the 1930s, with a
purpose of reconsidering the significance of neo-sensationalist film practices from
the perspective of the proletarian public sphere that has affinity with sensory material
modernity. By pursuing the sensory material modernity, Modern Screen has promoted
direct and widespread reception and response. In particular, the appealing to female
readers liberates women from the male-centered gaze and the private sphere of home,
and allows the existence of “female Flaneur”. This “Women’s liberation movement of
viewing” facilitates a shift from propertied and educated male-dominated public sphere
of intellectual enlightenment and rational communication, to a proletarian public sphere
of interest of everyday life, consumer behavior, and intimate relationships.
