《剧院魅影》的中国之旅：好莱坞、上海、香港之魅影电影中的历史与再生

The Phantom of the Opera in China: History and Rebirth in three Movies Made in Hollywood, Shanghai and Hong Kong

本文纵向探讨好莱坞默片《剧院魅影》在20世纪不同历史阶段在上海与香港的重拍和变化,并深入分析默片版、1937上海版和1995香港版这3个版本中作为老师的魅影及其学生之间的权力角逐关系的演变。师生之间权力关系的演变作为透视点折射出前辈电影与重拍片(学生电影)之间、好莱坞中心与半殖民地上海和后殖民前夕的香港之间的复杂的协商过程。通过借用本雅明关于原初历史(prehistory)与再生(afterlife)的理论架构,本文认为重拍片并不是简单的劣质模仿,而是使前辈电影中的原初历史得以再生的必要过程。而底层重拍的重要性正在于它参与建构边缘底层的国族、地区电影和相关主体性。

This article studies the transformation of the disfigured phantom from the Hollywood silent classic, The Phantom of the Opera, to its sound remake in the semicolonial Shanghai and the pre-postcolonial Hong Kong. It conducts an in-depth analysis of the shifting power interaction between the phantom teacher and his disciple in three versions, i.e., The Phantom of the Opera （ USA, 1925 ）, Song at Midnight （ Shanghai, 1937）, and The Phantom Lover （Hong Kong, 1995）. Using the teacher-student dynamic as a guiding metaphor, the article analyzes the complex power negotiation between the predecessor film and the remakes （student films）, and in the triangular structure of the dominant Hollywood, the semicolonial Shanghai and the pre-postcolonial Hong Kong. Departing from the conventional assumption that the remake is just an inferior imitation, this article draws upon Walter Benjamin＇s theory of ＂prehistory＂ and ＂afterlife,＂ arguing that the subaltern remake contributes to bringing around an ＂afterlife＂ for the ＂prehistory＂ inscribed in the predecessor film. It is precisely through subaltern remaking that a peripheral national or regional cinema and the correlated subject positioning come into being.