Zhang Yimou’s thrilling film Hero is both an emotional and exhilarating experience. Hero combines the use of action-packed scenes as well as a beautiful love story. Nameless, Broken Sword and Flying Snow, the main characters, team up to eventually kill the King of Qin who had murdered a number of people with the Qin army including both Flying Snow and Nameless’s father. Although the Qin army is an enemy of Broken Sword and Flying Snow’s people, it is a personal issue to assassinate the king. Throughout
novels is “To Live”, authored by Yu Hua, which as a fictional narrative offers both a unique and realistic sense of the time period at the individual level. However, the provocative film adaptation directed by Zhang Yimou in 1994 was formidable enough that it was banned in Mainland China. Zhang paints a more realistic picture of how the GPCR influenced Chinese society but adds zest to Hua’s ambiguity but acceptable imperfection. Naturally, the film has many different characteristics yet still manages
What, to the Western eye, may appear to be 'wasted' or 'empty' space, is as much a part of the entire picture than may appear to be the object of interest. Yellow Earth invokes characteristics of Chinese painting in the cinematographic style of Zhang Yimou. The use of Chinese painting' characteristics contributes to Yellow Earth as representative of Third Cinema in China. The use of space challenges Western convention, creating a new film grammar to code political agendas. In "Yellow Earth: Western
To Live written by Yu Hua is an ardent story of a troubled man’s life, country and his family. The film and novel ensue Xu Fugui, starting as adolescent and impulsive parent that transforms into an elderly and sensible grandparent. There are quite a few similar aspects in the film and novel, however, there are some climatic differences as well. One rather large difference between the film and novel is the emotion the viewer or reader intakes. The film evokes anger, whereas the novel elicits passion
Red Wine as A Unifying Force In Zhang Yimou’s film, Red Sorghum, special wine and the fields of red sorghum in which it is produced, play a major part in the story. At the start of the film, a group of workers carry one of the main characters, Jiu’er, through a massive field of red sorghum. The group ends up deciding to stay at their destination and produce wine from the fields around them. The red wine may seem like just another plot point, but if you look deeper than that, the wine is also an influential
Sorghum, 1996 Filmography Cheung, Yimou, Red Sorghum, (1987) Chen, Kaige, The Yellow Earth, (1984) The White Hair Girl (Baimao Nü) (1972) Bibliography: McDougall, Bonnie S., The Yellow Earth, The Chinese Univrsity Press, Hong Kong, 1991 Ng, Yvonne, Imagery and Sound in Red Sorghum, http://www.arts.uwaterloo.ca/FINE/juhde/yvo951.htm, 1996 Filmography Cheung, Yimou, Red Sorghum, (1987) Chen, Kaige
Analysis of Red Sorghum WHEN Zhang Yimou made his directorial debut, Zhang Yimou made his directorial debut, Red Sorghum, in 1987, he was better known as a cinematographer whose talent had been crucial to the success of critically acclaimed films like Zhang Junzhao's One and Eight (1984, released 1987) and Chen Kaige's Yellow Earth (1984). Not only did Red Sorghum become a seminal film of the Fifth Generation, it also won the Golden Bear at Berlin in 1988, becoming the first mainland Chinese film
The movie “To Live” is a film about a family’s experience during hard and challenging time under Mao’s rule. Released in 1994, the movie was directed by Zhang Yimou and his sixth collaboration with Gong Li, “To Live” gives its viewers a journey towards this very revolutionary stage for the whole Chinese people. This movie transcends four decades of China’s history, which includes the Chinese Civil War, Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. “To Live” gives another perspective about this
adolescent American kid, probably the average, I got to see a new perspective of China through this class. I wanted to compare the West’s interpretation with Chinas’. One of the first things I did was compare Chinese cinema to well known American cinema. Zhang Yimou’s first film as director, Red Sorghum was immensely popular at home and abroad. The film follows a popular novel with its point of view; an off-stage, present-day male narrator whose own life is ancient and minute compared to the family he was
Zhang David Tsao was suffering from hard labor, physical pain and mental torture. He wondered how the white men could face themselves in their posh, round mirrors, after treating the Chinese with utmost disrespect. After two years of working on the Canadian Pacific Railway following multiple attempts to run away, Zhang regretted that he had come to Canada for money. His family in China was suffering from ailments and poverty. His parents- Feng and Jia Tsao- were long dead. They were rich and wealthy
Hopscotch The next morning everyone was in good spirits. Sampson was a bit irritable because he didn’t have a restful sleep as he tried to keep one eye open as he guarded the camp. But he knew he had to keep an watchful eye on Suzanne because they were still within reach of the Ruby Tribe. He would get to rest better the next night. After everything was packed up they made sure the campfire was out and started back. It was a long hike and they knew it so everyone just paced themselves and moved forward
Asians and Kill Bill Sitting in the movie theater, I was baffled to see so many stereotypes touched on in one single film. These stereotypes were not just any kind of stereotype – they were those pertaining to Asians in particular. The obviousness and sheer transparency of the stereotypes made the movie look like a complete joke. The film? Kill Bill. The majority of today’s films starring Asian actors and actresses often contain numerous stereotypes. They cater to the biased views that most
“Hero”. The movie was well developed and the Cinematography was exceptional. This movie is one of my favorite films of all time due to the intense action scenes and the director’s special attention to the emotion portrayed by the actors. Director Zhang Yimou, once again, creates an enjoyable experience while viewing this film. Deviating from his normal routine of portraying the past leaders of history in a questionable light he insinuates that the well-known tyrant of the Qing Dynasty is not as bad
transition period of the 1970s. Zhang Yimou, a ?Fifth Generation? filmmaker, directed both of these films. To my astonishment, actress Gong Li, Zhang?s wife, starred in both films as well. By contrasting the use of color and camera angles in the two films, we can see differences in how these lives are portrayed: Raise the Red Lantern represents a sense of dominance and betrayal, whereas To Live demonstrates passion for life and redemption. In Raise the Red Lantern, Zhang is
Coming Home (2014) directed by Zhang Yimou, follows the story of a family of three in China during and after the Cultural revolution. The father, Lu Yanshi, a professor, is a political prisoner and at the outset of the film escapes from a Xining labor camp to meet his wife, Feng Wanyu, and only daughter Dandan. Driven by estrangement from her father and a desire of a leading role, Dandan revealed her parents' secret meeting to the police after his father's first attempt at reconciling with
Zhang Yimou’s Hero is a rare production in the history of Chinese cinema. Apart from achieving blockbuster status in the West that few Chinese movies have managed, it is also extremely successful domestically. Nevertheless, just as many other well-received films preceding it, Hero has been the subject of varied interpretations. Critics seem especially unable to decide on the traditional Chinese philosophy behind Hero. Some view it as the epitome of Confucian teachings on loyalty (Louie), while others
heaps of progressive changes in their social, monetary, social and political condition. The motion picture "To Live" essentially is a film about a family's experience amid this hard and testing time. Discharged in 1994 and was coordinated by Zhang Yimou and his 6th joint effort with Gong Li, "To Live" gives its watchers a voyage towards this extremely progressive stage for the entire Chinese individuals. This film rises above four many years of China's history which incorporates the Chinese Common
Produced during the communist era in China in 1991, Raise the Red Lantern is an intriguing film that keeps you guessing till the end. It is clear that the director of the film; Zhang Yimou, used the plot of the movie which is about a master and his four concubines, to represent something deeper beyond its showing. The director used this plot as a metaphor to criticize the Chinese government at the time, and that is why the screening was banned during that time. The movie itself has a way deeper meaning
knowing the historical, social, and political background of a film ,because then one is able to pick up on more of the subtle in films that make them great, especially themes and symbols. Flowers of War is a Chinese historical war film directed by Zhang Yimou about the ma...
"Drunken Master" spawned a number of clone-films and this particular one is one of the best. Butcher Wing is a mediocre student of master Wong Fei Hung, a fact that has not forbidden him from carrying a rivalry with another school headed by Master Ko. Eventually, Wing's long lost brother arrives in town with his wife and Tai Ho, Master Ko's son abducts the girl. Later on, the story involves Beggar So, a lot of misunderstandings, murder and lastly a fight between Wing and Master Ko. Sammo Hung is