The Goddess (Chinese: 神女; pinyin: Shénnǚ) is a 1934 Chinese silent film released by the United Photoplay Service. It starred Ruan Lingyu in one of her final roles, and was directed by Wu Yonggang.
Today The Goddess is one of the best known films of China's cinematic golden age, and has been named by director Chen Kaige as his favorite film of the 1930s.
The film tells the story of a nameless young woman (played by Ruan Lingyu) living in Shanghai as a prostitute, trying to support herself and her son Shuiping. One night, on the run from the police, she ends up in the room of an evil gambler (played by Zhang Zhizhi) who hides her and then considers her his property. He threatens to take away Shuiping if she doesn't keep giving him money. However, she manages to hide her money behind a loose brick in her wall.
When Shuiping is about 5 or 6, she decides to enroll him in school. Soon, however, the other parents learn that Shuiping's mother is a prostitute, and complain to the school, asking for his expulsion. The principal goes to visit the mother, and upon seeing her genuine love of her child realizes that he cannot penalize Shuiping for his mother's unfortunate situation. The school
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