One and Eight is a landmark Chinese film from 1983. The film tells the story of eight criminals and a deserting Chinese officer in the communist Eighth Route Army caught in the midst of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Directed by Zhang Junzhao, One and Eight also features cinematography by the soon-to-be-acclaimed Zhang Yimou and stars Chen Daoming. It is based on an epic poem by Guo Xiaochuan.

One and Eight
Traditional Chinese一個和八個
Simplified Chinese一个和八个
Hanyu PinyinYīge hé bāge
Directed byZhang Junzhao
Written byWang Jicheng
Zhang Ziliang
Guo Xiaochuan (poem)
StarringTao Zeru
Chen Daoming
Lu Xiaoyan
CinematographyZhang Yimou
Xiao Feng
Production
company
Running time
90 minutes
CountryChina
LanguageMandarin

Significance edit

One and Eight constituted an early collaboration between the graduates of the 1982 class of the Beijing Film Academy, notably classmates Zhang Junzhao and Zhang Yimou. Both Zhang Yimou and Zhang Junzhao were members of the "Fifth Generation", or the first major group of filmmakers to graduate after the end of the Cultural Revolution. As such, One and Eight is often considered one of the first films to move towards the more artistic and experimental mentality that is the hallmark of Chinese cinema of the 1980s.[1][2]

In particular, the film's focus on humanism and personal conflicts signaled a paradigm shift away from the propagandistic films of the Cultural Revolution.[3][4]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Yvonne Ng (2002-11-19). "The Irresistible Rise of Asian Cinema-Tian Zhuangzhuang: A Director of the 21st Century". Kinema. Archived from the original on 2007-04-16. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  2. ^ Li Xiao (2004-01-17). "Film Industry in China". China.org.cn. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  3. ^ "A Brief History of Chinese Film". The University of Edinburgh-Cinema China '07. Archived from the original on 2008-06-06. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  4. ^ Zhang Yingjin (2003-10-10). "A Centennial Review of Chinese Cinema". The University of California, San Diego. Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2007-04-23.

External links edit