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The Goddess is a superb example of what storytelling can be through the medium of the silent picture. Ruan Ling Yu who played the mother driven to prostitution to feed her child gave an emotionally compelling performance. It was one of the best performances I've seen from any era, and she does it without the audience hearing one sound from her. Her performance alone is a convincing reason for movie lovers to watch this story of love, shame, and prejudice.
The mother runs afoul of a gangster known as "The Boss" one evening and he lays claim to her as his property. She takes her child and runs but he finds her. She manages to hide enough money from him through the years to send her child to grade school. Her desire is that her child have a better chance to find his way out of poverty with an education. Not only does "The Boss" create problems for her but parents in the school have learned what she does for a living and are determined to have her child removed from the school so that he's not a bad influence on their kids. The school's principal sees her love for her son and tries to stand up for her, but his integrity goes unrewarded.
Depending on the version you watch, there may be no music, only piano, or orchestral music playing during the scenes. I saw the latter and thought the music fit perfectly.
The Goddess is a movie showing social realism. Subjects that are still relevant today like prejudice and tolerance were on full display. The story was timely when it was filmed. It is estimated because of the poverty and political conflicts in the country that up to 1 out of 13 women in Shanghai had committed prostitution during this turbulent period.
The story and performances were heartrending. My heart clenched when the little boy sang about a child working and his parents not knowing if they could buy food. I couldn't hear a word he sang but it was moving. This mother showed the most physical affection for her child that I've seen in any Asian movie, the love tactile and palpable. Ruan displayed a wide array of emotions without delving into sentimentality and overacting.
The Goddess requires a high level of attention to follow the silent story and to immerse yourself into the facial and body expressions of the actors. The reward is an engrossing story of a mother's love and sacrifice for her child and the need for tolerance and open-mindedness. I highly recommend it.
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