The first generation of directors refers to film directors in the silent film period, who were generally active from the early last century to the late 1920s. There are about 65.438 million directors in this generation, represented by Zhengqiu Zheng, Zhang Shichuan, Shan Duyu and others, especially Zhengqiu Zheng and Zhang Shichuan.
2. Second generation directors
The main activities of China' s "second generation directors" were in the 1930 s and 1940 s, and some directors were still working in film posts until the 1950 s and 1980 s. This generation of directors mainly include Cheng, Shen Xiling, Cai Chusheng, Shi Dongshan and Fei Mu. The outstanding contribution of the "second generation directors" is to complete the transformation of China films from silent films to talking films.
3. The third generation of directors
Directors and artists who set foot in the film industry after the founding of the People's Republic of China are called the "third generation" of China film directors. This generation of directors mainly include Yin Cheng, Xie Tieli, Hua Shui, Cui Wei, Ling Zifeng, Xie Jin, yan wang, Guo Wei, Li Jun, Yanfu Yu, Lu Ren, Wang Ping and Lin Nong. They have made very useful explorations in following the principle of realism to express the essence of life, profoundly expressing contradictions and conflicts, and in national style, local characteristics, artistic implication and so on.
4, the fourth generation of directors
Most of the fourth generation filmmakers were creative groups composed of graduates from Beijing Film Academy and Shanghai Film Academy before the Cultural Revolution, and their creative life began after 1978. In the gap between the third generation and the fifth generation, they explore and struggle with steady creative strength, find their own position quickly, and have lasting artistic stamina.
The climax of the fourth generation's creation is accompanied by the separation of film and drama and the reflection on history, and the countryside has gradually become the central theme of their works. The representative figures of the fourth generation directors are, Zheng, Zhang Wenxing, Teng Wenji and Wu. Together with the third and fifth generation directors, they created the second golden age of China films.
5, the fifth generation of directors
The fifth generation refers to 1982 directors who graduated from Beijing Film Academy (later extended to photography department and fine arts department), including Jun-Zhao Zheng, Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Zhang Yimou, Zhang Jianya and Huang Jianxin.
The growth process of the fifth generation directors
After the Cultural Revolution, the "fifth generation" young filmmakers fought tenaciously at the bottom of the unrest. After returning to school, they systematically studied the professional knowledge of film, accepted the popular western philosophy and aesthetic thoughts at that time, and formed new values and aesthetics. These anti-standard spiritual qualities adapted to the strong subjective consciousness and reflective thought in the whole literary and art field at that time.
Their films have a profound life accumulation, as fresh and unique as tender grass after a cold winter. Like the fifth generation of Chinese mainland, the Hongkong New Wave has no declaration and program, and there is no common organization. As Xu Anhua said, the directors of New Wave have no consistent ideology.
But from their films, we can find a vision that tears off the flashy surface of modern Hong Kong and presents the truth naked. This vision of reality was not available in the past. Faced with the vigorous development of urban culture, these film and television people born after the war have the courage to express their feelings under the impact of local traditions and foreign influences.