中英雙語話中國影視演藝圈 第9期:任慶泰

Ren Qingtai (1850 ~ 1932)

任慶泰（1850?1932)

Ren Qingtai, also known as Ren Jingfeng, was born in Faku County, Liaoning Province in 1850 and died of disease in Beijing 1932. He was the first Chinese filmmaker, so he was called the “Father of Chinese Film”.

慶泰，字景豐，又字覲風，1850年出生於遼寧省法庫縣，1932年病逝於北京。任慶泰是中國電影第一人，因此被稱爲“中國電影之父”。

Ren Qingtai went to Japan to learn photography when he was young and then launched the first photograph studio,“Fengtai Photo Studio” in Beijing, 1892. Although Ren Qingtai did not learnphotography in China, the motivation for him to learn the skill and to open his own photograph studio in China was drawn from the environment in north China where he grew up. Another factor was related to the development of Japan which became an e-conomical and military empire in the following two decades since the Meiji Reform began in 1874. Therefore, Ren Qingtai traveled to Japan to learn Western photography.

任慶泰青年時在日本學習過照相技術，1892年在北京開設第一家照相館——豐泰照相 館。儘管當時任慶泰在中國不是學照相的，但由於受他成長的中國北方環境的影 響下，他決定學習照相技術，在中國開設自己的照相館。另一個原因與當時日本的發展有關。在1874年明治維新後的20多年裏，日本成爲經濟和軍事強國，因此， 任慶泰便到日本學習西方照相技術。

Around the beginning of the twentieth century, foreign films gathered in China attracted a great number of Chinese audiences. But only foreigners were entitled to show and make films then. With the rise of foreign film business from Italy, France and the USA, etc. which undoubtedly stimulated directly the first Chinese filmmaker very few Chinese people went to see the traditional Chinese “shadow play”（Ying Zi Xi). Ren's motivation to make films was related to make Chinese films which cater to the enjoyment of Chinese viewers. Another reason attributed to a commercial wave that was stimulated by the new medium of film which accelerated the birth of Chinese film.

20世紀初前後，彙集在中國的外國電影吸引了大批的中國觀衆，那時，放電影和拍攝電影也只是外國人的權利。毋庸置疑，來自意大利、法國和美國等外國電影 業的興起直接刺激了中國第一位電影攝製者，而很少有中國觀衆去光顧中國傳統的“影戲”。所以,任慶泰初拍中國電影是爲了迎合中國觀衆的享受。另外一個原 因歸於加速中國電影誕生的西方電影新事物刺激下的一股商業浪潮。

In 1905, Ren mounted a sheet against a wall outside his studio as a backdrop ,and filmed several excerpts from traditional Beijing Operas acted by famous Beijing Opera artist Tan Xinpei. Thus the first film, The Battle of Mount Dingjun, was successfully made in China.

1905年，慶泰在他照相館外牆上裱出一片空白作爲背景，拍攝了由著名京劇表演藝術家譚鑫培表演的原於傳統京劇的幾個片段。就這樣，由中國人拍攝的第一部中國電影《定軍山》成功地誕生了。

Following the success of the first film of Beijing Opera, Fengtai Studio continued to make seven films of Beijing Opera, including Chang Ban Po (1905), Green Rocky Mountain (Qing Shi Shan) (1906), Leopard (Jin Qian Bao) 1906, The Sunny Mansion ( Yan Yang Lou) 1906, White Water Shoal (Bai Shui Tan) (1907) , Capture Guan Sheng (Shou Guan Sheng) (1907) , Spinning Cotton (1908) , etc. These films were characterized by acrobatic fighting, dance movements and facial expressions.

隨着第一部京劇電影的成功，豐泰照相館又繼續拍攝《長阪坡》（1905）、《青石山》（1906)、《金錢豹》（1906)、《豔陽樓》（1906)、《白水灘》（1907)、《收關勝》 (1907)和《紡棉花》（1908)等七部電影。這些電影都以武打格鬥、戲曲舞步和麪部表情爲特點。

During this period, the filmmaker Ren Qingtai changed his department store into a cinema named Daguanlou Theatre which became the first Chinese cinema only showing films. The theatre promoted his film business to be more flourishing and prosperous. Fengtai Studio produced a total of eight films based on Beijing Opera from 1905 to 1909. All of them were made in Beijing and were warmly received by the public. The fad indicated that not only were Chinese films a success, but also that the aesthetic and cultural psychology of Chinese filmmaker and audience were in accordance with each other.

在此期間，電影導演任慶泰也把他的百貨公司改建成了大觀樓影戲園，後來成爲僅放電影的第一個中國電影院。大觀樓影戲園促使他的電影業蓬勃發展一片生機。1905至1909年間，豐泰照相館共拍攝了八部京劇電影，所有電影均在北京拍攝並獲得公衆的熱烈歡迎。事實表明，不但中國電影成功了，而且中國電影導演的審美和文化心理是符合中國觀衆的。

In 1909, a fire ruined Daguanlou Theatre and also ended all film activities of Ren Qingtai.

1909年，一場大火燒燬大觀樓影戲園，同時也結束了任慶泰電影生涯的所有活動。