Song at Midnight

Often referred to as the first Chinese horror film, or as the first horror-musical, Song at Midnight draws influence from the 1923 film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, as well as the 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera (Le Fantôme de l’Opéra) by Gaston Leroux and its 1925 film adaptation of the same name.

Song at Midnight was released five months prior to the eruption of the Second Sino-Japanese War in China. The film’s primary subplot concerns the activities of Chinese leftist revolutionaries, and did not easily evade the film censorship of Kuomintang, along with its serious punishment to films dealing with themes of horror, gods, spirits, or “superstition and heresy” at that time. With a passion to maintain his creation, and in order to successfully circumvent the censorship laws in China at the time, director Ma-Xu Weibang visited “Yiyong jun jinxing gu” (March of the Volunteers) writer Tian Han several times while writing the script. The pair met to ensure that the script would be approved under censorship.

While initially daunted by the ghastly and unkempt nature of the building, the actors set about rehearsing for their show. One night, the play’s lead, Sun Xiao’ou, has trouble with the lines for the play’s titular number, “Romance of the Yellow River,” and requests to be alone in the theatre. As he continues to rehearse, a mysterious and disembodied voice begins to sing the lines along with Xiao’ou, effectively teaching him the part. Upon inquiring with the theatre’s haggard caretaker, Xiao’ou learns that the voice belongs to a once famous actor long thought to be deceased – Song Danping. The voice of Danping teaches Xiao’ou the song, and the play is a great success. After the show, the young Xiao’ou hopes to thank Danping for his help, and follows his voice to a room atop the theatre, where Danping sits in a baggy robe and large hood. After some prodding, Xiao’ou convinces Danping to tell his story.

In flashbacks, Danping reveals that prior to his acclaim as a theatre actor, he was a revolutionary fighter in the Second Chinese Revolution, after which he was forced to go into hiding and develop a new identity. While living as Danping, the clandestine revolutionary fell in love with Li Xiaoxia, whose father did not approve of the couple. At the encouragement of Danping’s rival Tang Jun, Danping was tortured and ultimately attacked with acid by Tang’s accomplices. Although he survived the attack, Danping was horribly disfigured by the acid burns and became too embarrassed to show himself to Xiaoxia. Instead of facing her, Danping started a rumour of his death, which in turn drove Xiaoxia to the point of insanity.

Back in the present day, Danping explains that he now lives in the seclusion of the theatre attic, only coming out to sing every midnight, comforting a mentally unstable Xiaoxia with his song. Upon hearing Danping’s tragic story, Xiao’ou agrees to help comfort the distressed Xiaoxia, whose condition improves markedly after meeting Xiao’ou, who poses as Danping.

As a parallel to Danping’s resurrection through Xiao’ou in the eyes of Xiaoxia, the Angel Theatre Trouple puts on a production of Danping’s old play, Hot Blooded, with Xiao’ou playing Danping’s lead part. He does so with great success, as many people flock to the theatre to see the play. Unfortunately for the protagonists, one of the people in attendance is Tang Jun, Danping’s old rival and now owner of the theatre. He takes a liking to the girlfriend of Xiao’ou, fellow actress Lu Die, which leads to Tang Jun accosting Die in her dressing room. As Tang tries to force himself on Die, Xiao’ou arrives and pulls Tang away from her. Tang aims his pistol at Xiao’ou, but in order to protect her boyfriend, Die jumps in front of the shot, and is killed.

It is at this precise moment that Danping, hearing the gunshot, comes out of hiding to finally face Tang. The pair fight their way to the top of the tower while Xiao’ou does his best to unsuccessfully calm the rising anger of the audience, the excited theatregoers quickly becoming an angry, torch-wielding mob. Upstairs, Danping concludes his fight with Tang, as Danping kills his rival by throwing him out of a window. The mob sets its sights on Danping, who they assume to be a monster, due to his ghastly appearance.

The mob chases Danping to a different abandoned tower, as Xiao’ou goes to Xiaoxia. Cornered in the burning building, Danping jumps to his death in the river. At this very moment, Xiaoxia regains her sanity. The film closes with Xiao’ou promising to fight to achieve Danping’s ideals, finally showing both him and Xiaoxia standing together, greeting the sunrise, while a recording of Danping’s “Song at Midnight” plays.