“Dickens on the Chinese screen” (Publication, 2011)

Charles Dickens in China.
Wei Qianghua : Charles Dickens's sympathy towards the lower class and criticism of injustice in English society initially won him fame among the Chinese public.
Tong Zhen : Dickens was mainly perceived as a 'progressive' English writer who relentlessly criticized the ruling bourgeois and condemned the evil capitalist system.

Digengsi, Que'ersi [Dickens, Charles]. Zei shi : she hui xiao shuo [ID D10418].
Lin Shu schreibt im Vorwort seiner Übersetzung von Oliver Twist :
In his novels, Dickens highlighted problems in the lower level of English society in order to call upon the government to improve the situation…. The reason that Britain becomes such a powerful nation is because it is able to reform and improve; China would also prosper if we could follow the model of Britain and solve our societal problems. It is a shame that we don't have people such as Dickens...

Film : Great expectations von Charles Dickens unter der Regie von David Lean mit chinesischer Synchronisation in Shanghai.
When Lean's Great expectations was shown, for example, at least four film reviews appeared in major film magazines and newspapers such as China Film, Liberation Daily und People's Daily, all arguing that the film showed the failure of the English petit-bourgeois to find happiness and wealth in a capitalist society. Viewers’ attention was purposely directed to the
'selfishness and cruelty' of the ruling class in English society and 'the public groaning in
the darkness'. Some critics even warned viewers, especially those from a 'bourgeois' educational background, that some scenes in the film might arouse their 'sentimental memories' and 'indulgence towards romantic love' ; impulses which ran counter to the 'booming socialist construction' advancing through China.

Cai Chusheng, Xia Yan, Yang Hansheng und Ouyang Yuqian, sowie kantonesische Filmemacher gründen die Hong Kong Film Director's Guild = Xianggang dian ying dao yan hui = 香港電影導演會.
The aim was to organize all film workers and protect their rights and to promote a self-critical approach towards locally produced films.

Film : Gu xing xue lei = 孤星血泪 [An orphan's tragedy] unter der Regie von Zhu Ji. Adaptation von Great expectations von Charles Dickens durch die Zhonglian Film Company in Hong Kong.
Guo Ting : This adaptation clearly re-adjusts the power balance between men and women according to the social norms and cultural patterns of traditional Chinese society. Not only is the number of female roles reduced but their significance in terms of the
development of the story is diluted. Miss Havisham’s resentment of men and her education of Estella in how to manipulate them are completely erased. Instead, female virtue, obedience and devotion to family are emphasized and promoted. Clearly, this adaptation
set out to reshape the power relationship between genders in order to cater to the cultural expectations of the target audience – traditional, male-dominated Chinese society. In addition to re-modelling the female roles, the film also attempted to incorporate
contemporary ideology, without changing the main plot. One important strategy adopted by the producer was the reinterpretation of the idea of 'great expectations'.