In recent years, the female superhero has emerged, taking her rightful place beside her male counterparts. Male superheroes still outnumber females of course, but the landscape is definitely changing as evidenced by films like like Captain Marvel, Alita: Battle Angel, Red Sparrow, Black Widow, and a host of others. The best example is of course, Wonder Woman, the sixth highest grossing film of 2017, and the most successful female fronted film of all time. Female superheroes have come a long way. But they’re not exactly new. In fact, they’re quite old school. The first female superhero appeared on film nearly 100 years ago.
In the early 1900s, the Chinese
film industry was robust and thriving, and Shanghai was often called the Hollywood of the east with about 150 production companies cranking out product. The most popular films were wuxia, a two thousand year old Chinese genre with a rich literary tradition. Wuxia is the genre of heroes, and enthusiastic audiences flocked to the films. The wuxia genre has long been unique in the world of folklore and fiction because its heroes are both male and female. These early wuxia films reflected and continued this daring tradition, and films featuring females were particularly popular. Most of the films made at that time have been lost forever, but fortunately, the most important film remains. (but only partially intact)
Red Heroine is the very first superhero film. It’s also the oldest surviving martial arts film. Released in 1929, the story is a classic wuxia hero’s journey. A young woman is taken hostage by bandits after her grandmother is brutally murdered and her village is burned to the ground. She ultimately escapes captivity, learns martial arts and magic from a mysterious stranger, then takes her rightful revenge on the evil bandits. Within its simple narrative, the film explored themes that were groundbreaking for its time. The most revolutionary aspect of the film was that it completely destroyed the Confucian tradition of female subjugation to males. This marked a truly radical departure from the other films released at that time.
Red Heroine was 
groundbreaking behind the scenes as well. The film starred Fan Xuepeng, and she was actively involved with the writing and production, including creating amazing special effects that had never been seen before. This wasn’t unusual since women were typically involved in all aspects of film production. Unfortunately, in those days, females didn’t receive official credit for their contributions. Red Heroine was directed by Fan Xuepeng’s husband.
The film probably looks goofy and even laughable to modern viewers. But it was an instant sensation and became a box office smash. It’s interesting to note that wuxia films were ultimately condemned by the Nationalists and the Communists, both of whom objected to the fantasy elements. Both also objected to the sense of individualism that the film promoted. Red Heroine celebrates the lone wolf, not the collective team.
Red Heroine deserves higher recognition. It’s a legitimate piece of film history for a variety of reasons. Aside from being the oldest surviving martial arts film and the first female superhero film, it’s an example of how film can be a subversive art form.