This is a rather sad and melancholic Chinese musical sett in late 30s. A young communist soldier is sent to farmers near Yan'An (which is considered the origin of the cultural revolution) to collect folk songs for the party. The idea is to find happy songs they can use in their war and revolution. The problem is that the farmers only know suffering so all their songs are sad. But even if he does not bring anything back to the army he does leave behind new ideas of equality of the sexes and the right to choose your own spouse. These revolutionary ideas give hope to a young woman called Cuiqiao. The question is, is hope of any use to the oppressed?
The music is heavenly and the cinematography and the editing is very poetic. This is like a musical version of a Japanese film called The Naked Island (Kaneto Shindô: 1960). Quiet, meditative and full of compassion.
One could argue that the film is some what pro communist party but I do think the intention was to make it look like it was while at the same time delivering a very harsh criticism. SPOILERS! The film ends with a song about how communism is going to save the people but the fact is that the farmers are not much better off today and even less so back in the 80s when this film was made. Then consider the fact that something between 18 million to 45 million died in the Great Leap Forward, many of them farmers, and the last shot of the barren landscape while we listen to the promise of communism gets a new meaning. Cuiqiao's death is also quite fitting in the light of what would follow. END OF SPOILERS!
This film needs to get a proper DVD or preferably BLU RAY publication. It is one of the best and most beautiful film I have ever seen. As a musical it is simply revolutionary. The music does not only serve the story well, it elevates it, gives it a soul. And it is quite surprising how well it serves the dramatic theme of the film. Gone is the happy go lucky atmosphere of the classical Hollywood and Bollywood musicals and in stead we have a musical steeped in realism and poetic drama. You could say that this is a musical for people who hate musicals. In fact, I'm sure many who watched this did not even realize they were watching a musical.
The music is heavenly and the cinematography and the editing is very poetic. This is like a musical version of a Japanese film called The Naked Island (Kaneto Shindô: 1960). Quiet, meditative and full of compassion.
One could argue that the film is some what pro communist party but I do think the intention was to make it look like it was while at the same time delivering a very harsh criticism. SPOILERS! The film ends with a song about how communism is going to save the people but the fact is that the farmers are not much better off today and even less so back in the 80s when this film was made. Then consider the fact that something between 18 million to 45 million died in the Great Leap Forward, many of them farmers, and the last shot of the barren landscape while we listen to the promise of communism gets a new meaning. Cuiqiao's death is also quite fitting in the light of what would follow. END OF SPOILERS!
This film needs to get a proper DVD or preferably BLU RAY publication. It is one of the best and most beautiful film I have ever seen. As a musical it is simply revolutionary. The music does not only serve the story well, it elevates it, gives it a soul. And it is quite surprising how well it serves the dramatic theme of the film. Gone is the happy go lucky atmosphere of the classical Hollywood and Bollywood musicals and in stead we have a musical steeped in realism and poetic drama. You could say that this is a musical for people who hate musicals. In fact, I'm sure many who watched this did not even realize they were watching a musical.