The 23-part television drama, completed last year, and being shown on many provincial TV stations, has been met with both acclaim and criticism.

Novelist's Great Work

Often hailed as the "Shakespeare of Chinese literature," Cao Yu is one of the most prominent writers in modern China. His realistic and kaleidoscope descriptions of Chinese society in the 1930s have earned him unequalled status in Chinese literary history.

A native of Tianjin, Cao first arrived in Beijing as a student, where he was to witness firsthand the gaping disparity between rich and poor in the city. The impression was to mark his life and influence his future works, the first of which Lei Yu (Thunderstorm), was penned when he was still a student.

The story of Sunrise centres on Chen Bailu, who is transformed from an unsophisticated country girl into an upper-class courtesan. Following the death of their beloved son Chen leaves her poet husband and heads instead for the city and the pursuit of a pleasure-seeking life.

The story follows her encounters with a variety of people, in particular the man who becomes her benefactor, bank manager Pan Yueting.

The country girl gradually metamorphizes into a sophisticate, feted by upper-class society.

On the surface she appears to be radiantly happy, but her heart is in torment. And when Pan goes bankrupt, and she is abandoned, in despair she commits suicide.

Since its debut in the 1930s, Sunrise has been widely read and evaluated across China down the years, especially among intellectuals.

Although the newly-produced TV serial has not proved an instant nationwide hit, it has been followed by a select group of viewers, producer Zheng Kainan said, an audience she had in mind during filming.

"We did not expect it to be the talk of the whole town," Zheng said. "We targeted viewers among the more educated, those more interested in, and familiar with, Chinese literature."

According to the producer, the ratings of the TV drama when it premiered in Tianjin last June and screened in several other places swung between 4.5 to 6 percentage points - neither excellent nor bad.

Although the figure for Beijing is currently not available, Zheng said she was optimistic, because TV dramas are more popular with people in the north of China than those in the south.

To date the 12 million yuan (US$1.45) budget it cost to make has been recouped, and a profit of around 25 per cent is anticipated.

Zheng said the overseas broadcasting rights have been sold to a Taiwanese company for 4 million yuan (US$483,000), a not insignificant sum for a Chinese-language TV drama.

Zheng said the responses they have had from the United States, Canada and some other countries have been very good.

Directed by Xie Fei, Sunrise is his maiden television work.

In making the serial Xie, a renowned film director, employed the criteria normally used in movie making.

"Within 110 days, we had travelled to many places to make the scenes more loyal to the original work," said Zheng.

Although the novel does not specify the setting, many literary researchers believe it is set in the city of Tianjin, a neighbour to Beijing. The long-held misconception is that the story took place in Shanghai.

Xie insisted that this was made clear in his work. In order to create a "Tianjin atmosphere," many scenes were shot in the city as opposed to Shanghai, which would have been more convenient.

The television script was written by Wan Fang, Cao Yu's daughter, a famous writer in her own right, and her husband, Cheng Shijian.

It took the couple three years to finish the script.

Wan had worked alongside her father when a film adaption of Sunrise was made in the 1980s, and is best placed to understand her father's play.

"The guideline we had while writing the script for the TV drama was to be strictly loyal to the original play. That means, we would not change the basic flavour," said Wan.

She admitted that she and her husband had added some new plots to extend the two hour long drama into a 23-part serial, and ensure the storyline flowed better and more suitably for television. The roles of some of the story's characters were also expanded by Wan and Cheng.

Although Sunrise touches on many serious topics, in particular human frailty, Xie Fei deliberately included the comic, which can always be found co-existing with the tragic. For that reason there is less of a focus on the homilies of the original written work.

Zheng concedes that the first few episodes might be somewhat dry, but as the story unfolds viewers will find themselves drawn ever deeper into the lives of the characters portrayed, she said.

Strong Cast

Sunrise brought together two of China's leading actresses - Siqin Gaowa, in the role of Guba Nainai (Nanna Guba), and Xu Fan, who plays the lead, Chen Bailu.

Siqin Gaowa's performance has been met with unanimous praise from both ordinary TV viewers and industry insiders.

"Nobody is going to play the part better than she did," said Xie Fei, who is recovering from SARS.

In contrast Xu Fan's performance got a mixed reaction. Many viewers found it a bit overdone in places and underplayed in others.

A theatre star before turning to films and television, Xu has developed a certain style which is good for stage, but perhaps somewhat too exaggerated for the screen.

The director admitted that it took him some time to correct some of Xu's old habits, particularly exaggerated facial expressions such as eyebrow raising, common in the theatre. In spite of this he continues to share the producer's view that Xu was right for the part.

"We did have other candidates who were younger, and more beautiful, but in the final analysis we gave them up for Xu, whom we all regard as a good and experienced actress," said Zheng.

The producer said Xu had played her part well. Her personal temperament combined with the other actors and actresses perfectly, and her performance complemented that of the others equally well.

"Other younger, but less experienced actresses would not be able to support the whole drama," Zheng said.

Xu Fan admitted that initially she turned down the offer to play the part of Chen Bailu.

"It is based on a classic literary work, and that placed me under a great deal of pressure," Xu said.

She was eventually persuaded by the director and the play itself and once she had joined the rest of the crew, she became swept up in the part in a way she would not have imagined.

"During that period, every time I was dressed in Qipao (mandarin gown) and acted as Chen Bailu, I felt stimulated. It felt like I was in love with Chen," Xu said.

(China Daily May 6, 2003)