The Cock Crows at Midnight
Plot
The Cock Crows at Midnight tells the story of a proud rooster who believes his crowing causes the sun to rise each morning. When the rooster becomes arrogant and neglects his duty, the other farm animals suffer from his irregular behavior. The farmer's daughter notices the disruption in the farm's routine and attempts to teach the rooster a lesson about humility and responsibility. Through a series of events where the rooster fails to crow at the proper time, he learns that his role is part of a larger natural order. The film concludes with the rooster understanding his place in the world and resuming his duties with newfound wisdom and modesty.
About the Production
This film utilized traditional Chinese puppet animation techniques, combining elements of shadow puppetry (皮影戏) with three-dimensional puppet animation. The production team spent months crafting each puppet by hand, using traditional Chinese materials like bamboo, paper, and silk. The animation process was particularly labor-intensive, requiring frame-by-frame manipulation of the puppets under carefully controlled lighting conditions.
Historical Background
The Cock Crows at Midnight was created during a significant period in Chinese cultural history, the early 1960s, when the government was actively promoting traditional Chinese arts and culture. This was before the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), which would later disrupt many artistic endeavors. The film emerged from Shanghai Animation Film Studio's mission to create distinctly Chinese animation that could compete internationally while preserving cultural heritage. During this time, Chinese animation was experiencing what many historians call its 'golden age,' producing works that combined traditional art forms with modern animation techniques. The film's emphasis on moral education reflected the educational priorities of the era, where media was often used to instill traditional values in younger generations.
Why This Film Matters
This film represents a crucial moment in the preservation and evolution of Chinese animation traditions. It successfully merged ancient puppetry arts with contemporary animation technology, creating a bridge between China's rich cultural past and its modern artistic expression. The film's emphasis on traditional moral lessons and folk aesthetics helped establish a unique Chinese animation style distinct from Western and Japanese influences. It contributed to the international recognition of Chinese animation during the 1960s, screening at various international film festivals and earning acclaim for its artistic merit. The film also played an important role in cultural education, being widely shown in schools across China to teach children about traditional values and artistic heritage.
Making Of
The production of The Cock Crows at Midnight was a meticulous process that combined traditional Chinese artistry with emerging animation techniques. The puppet makers at Shanghai Animation Film Studio spent weeks creating each character, using age-old methods passed down through generations of Chinese artisans. The animation team worked in a specially designed studio with controlled lighting to create the proper shadow effects. Director You Lei insisted on using authentic Chinese folk art principles in the character designs and backgrounds. The voice actors were chosen from local theater troupes to ensure authentic Chinese storytelling cadence. The entire production took nearly a year to complete, which was typical for the quality-focused Shanghai Animation Film Studio during this period.
Visual Style
The film's visual style was characterized by its innovative use of shadow puppetry techniques combined with three-dimensional puppet animation. The cinematography employed careful lighting control to create dramatic shadow effects reminiscent of traditional Chinese shadow theater. The camera work emphasized the textural qualities of the handmade puppets, highlighting the intricate details of their construction. Color was used sparingly but effectively, with a palette drawn from traditional Chinese painting. The animation team utilized multi-plane camera techniques to create depth and dimension within the puppet scenes, a technical innovation for Chinese animation at the time.
Innovations
The film represented a significant technical achievement in Chinese animation through its successful integration of traditional puppetry with modern animation techniques. The development of specialized lighting rigs for creating shadow puppet effects was particularly innovative. The animation team pioneered new methods for controlling puppet movements frame by frame while maintaining the fluidity of traditional puppet performance. The film also showcased advances in color photography for animation, achieving subtle gradations that were technically challenging for the period. The synchronization of traditional music with puppet animation required innovative recording and editing techniques that would influence subsequent Chinese animated productions.
Music
The musical score for The Cock Crows at Midnight was composed using traditional Chinese musical instruments and scales. The soundtrack featured prominent use of the erhu (two-stringed fiddle), pipa (four-stringed lute), and various percussion instruments traditional to Chinese folk music. The music followed classical Chinese compositional principles, with melodies that evoked the pastoral setting of the farm. Sound effects were created using traditional Chinese methods, including wooden clappers and bamboo instruments. The voice acting followed the stylized delivery patterns of traditional Chinese storytelling, enhancing the folk tale atmosphere of the film.
Famous Quotes
The sun does not rise because I crow, but I crow because the sun rises.
Pride blinds us to the truth that we are all part of something greater than ourselves.
Memorable Scenes
- The opening sequence where the rooster proudly crows at dawn, showcasing the intricate puppet animation and traditional shadow effects
- The climactic scene where the rooster realizes his mistake and humbly resumes his proper role, accompanied by traditional Chinese music
Did You Know?
- This film was part of China's 'golden age' of animation during the 1960s, when Shanghai Animation Film Studio produced many internationally acclaimed works
- The puppet animation technique used in this film was inspired by traditional Chinese shadow puppetry, an art form dating back over 2,000 years
- Director You Lei was one of the pioneering animators at Shanghai Animation Film Studio and contributed to many classic Chinese animations
- The film's moral themes reflect traditional Chinese values of humility, community responsibility, and understanding one's place in the natural order
- Each puppet in the film was meticulously handcrafted by skilled artisans who specialized in traditional Chinese puppet-making
- The animation required approximately 1,440 individual frames per minute of footage, all manually photographed
- This film was often shown in Chinese schools as an educational tool to teach moral lessons to children
- The rooster character design was based on traditional Chinese folk art representations of the bird, symbolizing honesty and reliability
- The film's color palette was carefully chosen to reflect traditional Chinese painting aesthetics
- Music in the film incorporated traditional Chinese instruments like the erhu and pipa
What Critics Said
Contemporary Chinese critics praised The Cock Crows at Midnight for its beautiful craftsmanship and successful fusion of traditional art forms with animation. The film was particularly lauded for its innovative use of puppet animation techniques and its faithful representation of Chinese folk art aesthetics. International critics at film festivals noted the film's unique visual style and its effective storytelling through traditional means. Over time, film historians have come to regard this work as an important example of China's animation golden age, citing it as a successful attempt to create culturally authentic animation that could stand alongside international works while maintaining its distinctly Chinese character.
What Audiences Thought
The film was warmly received by Chinese audiences, particularly children and families who appreciated its familiar folk tale elements and moral lessons. Many viewers of the era recalled the film's beautiful visuals and memorable characters, with the rooster becoming a recognizable figure in Chinese popular culture. The film was frequently rebroadcast on Chinese television for decades following its initial release, introducing new generations to its story and artistic style. Parents and educators particularly valued the film's educational aspects, using it as a tool to teach traditional values and appreciation for Chinese cultural heritage.
Awards & Recognition
- Outstanding Children's Film Award at the 1965 Chinese Film Festival
Film Connections
Influenced By
- Traditional Chinese shadow puppetry
- Chinese folk tales and fables
- Classical Chinese painting aesthetics
- Traditional Chinese music and theater
This Film Influenced
- Later Chinese puppet animations
- Modern Chinese animated films incorporating traditional techniques
- International films inspired by Chinese puppetry
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Film Restoration
The film has been preserved by the China Film Archive and has undergone digital restoration as part of efforts to conserve China's classic animated works. Original prints are maintained in climate-controlled facilities, and digital versions have been created for archival and educational purposes. The restoration process has helped maintain the film's visual quality while preserving its historical and artistic significance.