Zhang Yimou's Contributions To The Film Industry In China

Zhang Yimou and His Contributions to the Film Industry in ChinaNameInstitutional AffiliationDate Introduction Yimou Zhang is one of the celebrated persons in the film industry in China. He made a number of contributions to the film industry in China through a number of inventions that have been taken up by modern film directors as part of making their work stand out as the best. Zhang began his film career in 1982 many years before the Olympic ceremonies as a cinematographer when he had graduated from the Beijing Film Academy CITATION Tem01 \l 1033 (Tempest, 2001). Zhang was one of the filmmakers referred to as the Fifth Generation of Chinese Filmmakers. The term is used to refer to the first ones who graduated from the academy after the end of the Cultural Revolution CITATION Dru95 \l 1033 (Gladney, 1995). The Fifth Generation first film was produced in the year 1984 and it was called One and Eight. The film was well received both in China and the Western world where they praised the aspect of creativity that was employed in the film. In the same year, Zhang was also involved in the production of another film that was called Yellow Earth. Just like One and Eight film, the film was well received at the various international film events in various parts of the world. Both early films demonstrated that their works were far much better and they had introduced a nice aspect of creativity that was lacking in the films that were produced by their predecessors. Having succeeded in the previous films, Zhang was recognized in his work and in the year 1987, he became a director. His first work as a director was that of Red Sorghum. It was an award-winning film that involved a peasant woman who did her best to survive in an environment where there was oppression. After he became a director, Zhang was recognized worldwide for his efforts and in the research paper, we will evaluate the timeline of the films that Zhang directed or produced as part of illustrating how he revolutionized the film industry in China. The paper will also identify social and cultural aspects that have been used in the films produced by Zhang Yimou. Timeline of Films Directed by Zhang Yimou Red Sorghum is one of the films that were directed by Zhang in the year 1988. The film was adapted from the novel written by Mo Yan called the Red Sorghum. The film is set in the 1920s and it is told in the form of flashbacks by a man who recalls the life of his grandparents who live and they make struggles to protect their village from the Japanese invaders CITATION Jia01 \l 1033 (Jiao, 2001). The film appears to challenge the various traditions that oppressed women. It is during this time that there were a number of injustices and inequalities that were happening in China. The film has also been made in such a way that it reflects the title or the context of the film since Zhang is one of the directors who ensured that there were nice visual elements in the film that reflected the incidences that were happening in the film. The use of the red color is also observed at the end of the film where there is the red setting sun, perhaps reflecting the Japanese conquerors or perhaps the shortness of the human life. After the release of the film, the Chinese leader at the time, Dean Xiaoping increased repression of intellectuals in China CITATION Jia01 \l 1033 (Jiao, 2001). Zhang received letters where he was accused of treason, even though the film different movies in China were filled with people who wanted to watch the film. After releasing Red Sorghum, Zhang went ahead to release Ju Dou in April 1991 in the United States. In this film, Zhang worked in collaboration with Yang Fengliang to release a haunting film that depicted the lives of people who were held back by a rigid custom rather than human desire. The setting of the film is in China during the 1920s. Ju Dou can be viewed as a film that condemns the oppressiveness that was existing in China and the traditional Chinese customs that resulted to the creation of a patriarchal society. It may also be interpreted to criticize communists in China. The villain is an old man who is sexually impotent and this can be interpreted as a reference to the old leaders who were leading China and they had no interest or they did not know how they should serve their country as leaders. In the instance where Ju Dou and Tiaqing cling to one another, it can be seen as an illustration of the masses who have been beaten down by the leadership and they have no option but to cling to each other CITATION Che07 \l 1033 (Chen & Mazharul, 2007). The red color that dominates the film can be used as a reflective of the passion that Ju Dou and Tianqing have for their country. Unlike the colored sheets that shine brightly when they are exposed to the sun, the red color that has been used to signify repression. Even though the film was produced with the financial backing of the Japanese, it was later banned in China since it appeared to oppose the Chinese leaders. Raise the Red Lantern was released in 1991 and it is a film that was directed by Zhang Yimou and Gong Li is a star in the film. The film is an adaption from the novel called, Wives and Concubines by author Su Tong published in 1990 (Tempest, 2001). It was set in the 1920s and it is a story of a young woman who became a concubine during the Warlord Era. The film was shot in the city of Pingyao located in Shanxi province. The screenplay of the film was approved by the government authorities in China, but its final version was banned in the country for some time. It was viewed as a criticism of the contemporary China and authoritarianism. One of the people who interpreted the film as a critic of the Chinese authorities was Jonathan Crow of Allmovie. He argued that the struggle for power among the wives is a metaphor for the fragmented society that was present in post-cultural revolution China CITATION Her15 \l 1033 (Herold & Marolt, 2015). James Berardinelli also shared the same view by saying that Songlian was used to refer to the individual citizens of the country, while the master is the government while the customs that the concubines are supposed to adhere can allude to the laws in a country. Zhang Yimou denied the allegations that the film was an allegory of the Chinese authorities. Nevertheless, the film received a number of awards and nominations. The story of Qiu Ju is also a drama-comedy film in China directed by Zhang Yimou. It is set in the North West Shaanxi province. It stars Gong Li as one of the protagonists. It tells a story of the woman Qiu Ju who is a peasant who lived in rural China and her husband who was sick. The husband was sick after being kicked by the village head in the groin. Even though she was pregnant, the woman traveled to a town nearby so that she can find justice on behalf of her husband. The film was awarded the Golden Lion Award in 1992 at Venice Film. It was also shown at different film festivals inside and outside China. The street scenes that are shown in the film appear to be have been filmed by hidden cameras since the images appear to be a sort of a documentary that was taken during the time of Deng Xiaoping as the leader of China. The film can be interpreted to illustrate the justice system that was in China at the time where the poor were exploited through different means CITATION Che07 \l 1033 (Chen & Mazharul, 2007). It has also been used to illustrate the persistent spirit that Qiu Ju since she travels to the district office so many times seeking justice. Justice is finally achieved at the climax of the film since the village headman who had bitten the husband is taken away by the police. Hero was directed by Zhang Yimou in 2002 and it is a Wuxia film that stars Jet Li as one of the protagonists. It’s based on the story of the attempted assassination on King Qin by Jing Ke in 227BC. The film was first released in China on 24 October in 2002.Hero is a deviation from all the past films produced by Zhang since it was a Wuxia film. In China, Wuxia is used to refer to one of the Chinese media genres that has its origin in the literature of the Chinese. It began during the time of late Qing at the turn of the 20th century. The design that was used in the production of the film appears to be more spectacular and the narrative is more epic in nature. Films that are categorized in the wuxia genre are significant in China since they portray the Chinese national identity CITATION Son161 \l 1033 (Song, 2016). The different characters who are found in the Wuxia films are referred to as Xia that is heroes and heroines. The characters are proficient in the martial arts and even the sword. Their proficiency in fighting manifests was in the form of a dance-like fighting style that in line with the environment that surrounds them. They defy gravity and then remain floating when they are fighting. The floating quality of the genre helps to distinguish it from the kung fu genre. House of Flying Daggers is a Wuxia film that was released in 2004. The film is directed by Zhang Yimou. The film is set in the Tang Dynasty in the 9th Century CE. It revolves around a love affair of two soldiers and another woman suspected to belong to a secret society,House of Flying colors.Having directed another Wuxia film before called Hero, Zhang wanted to explore the genre further and the best way of doing this was to produce another film in the same genre. Andy Lau is the one who plays the role of Leo, who is a police captain in AD 859 during the fall of Tang Dynasty in China CITATION Her15 \l 1033 (Herold & Marolt, 2015). The other officer is referred to as Jin and both of them are fighting the secret society, the Flying Daggers which is dedicated to overthrowing the ...