Yellow Earth

An important film in Chinese cinema, one of the first to come from the new wave, so called Fifth Generation∞ of Chinese film makers. Yellow Earth is directed by Chen Kaige and filmed by Zhang Yimou, which shamefully is only available on vcd.

Set in 1939, a Red Army soldier Gu Quing is sent on a mission to Shaanxi province to collect local folk songs for the revolution. It's a harsh environment where the population scratches a living from the dusty yellow soil. In a peasant village he meets and stays with a local man and his two children, the son little Han Han and the daughter 13 year old Cuiqiao. Yellow Earth gives us an insight into rural life at the beginning of the encroachment of communism into all aspects of Chinese being. By concentrating on one family's daily life, the film shows how harsh the environment can be,even for youngsters. The arrival of Comrade Gu bringing stories of new ways like being able to choose marriage partners and not being married off as young as 14, bring hopes and dreams of a different life for young Cuiqiao.

This is a contemplative film with hardly any dialogue, but the songs are hauntingly beautiful with words that betray the feelings of the singers. The landscape dominates the film, and the poverty is all pervasive. However we catch glimpses of ceremonies like weddings where we get a sense of joy and freedom to enjoy that we know will be stilled during the coming years of the Cultural Revolution. There's a mass dance, drumming and laughing near the end which reminded me so much of the end of Kitano's Zatoichi.


CategoryFilm