红高粱
王奕霖
一.导演、演员介绍
1.导演
张艺谋,张艺谋导演出生于1950年4月2日,是中国“第五代导演”的代表人物之一。张艺谋曾是一名纺织厂工人,他在初中毕业后就没有继续上学,而是在生产队插秧种田,后来工作于陕西咸阳棉纺六厂做工,最大的愿望是进宣传科做干事,实现愿望后他逐渐发现自己在摄影方面极有才能,随后以27岁高龄考入北京电影学院,被破格录取。
于1978年就读于北京电影学院摄影系后,张艺谋1982年被分配到广西电影制片厂,两年后担任电影《一个和八个》的摄影师,获得“中国电影优秀摄影师”奖。1986年在电影《老井》中担任主演,从未系统学习过演戏的他在《老井》发行后获得了第二届东京国际电影节最佳男演员奖、第8届中国电影金鸡奖最佳男演员奖、第11届电影百花奖最佳男演员奖三座影帝桂冠。1987年导演的处女作《红高粱》一经播出就广受好评,以其炫目的红与黄,肆意洒脱的情感给观众们极其强烈的心灵震撼,并在1988年于德国轰动柏林,揽获柏林电影节金熊奖,成为中国首次在国际四大电影节中获奖的电影。丰富的人生经历为张艺谋的电影创作打下了坚实的基础,现实生活中的张艺谋看起来沉默寡言、不善言辞,但他却把所有的激情倾注在电影之中。1987年至1999年执导的《红高粱》、《菊豆》、《大红灯笼高高挂》、《秋菊打官司》、《活着》、《一个都不能少》、《我的父亲母亲》等电影在国内外荣获许多顶尖电影奖项,包括金熊奖、金狮奖、世界三大国际电影节评审团大奖、三次提名奥斯卡金像奖、五次提名美国电影电视金球奖等。2002年后转型执导的商业片《英雄》、《十面埋伏》、《满城尽带黄金甲》、《金陵十三钗》,两次刷新中国电影票房纪录、四次夺得年度华语片票房冠军。
2008年,张艺谋担任北京奥运会开幕式和闭幕式总导演,获得2008影响世界华人大奖和央视感动中国十大人物,并提名美国《时代周刊》年度人物。2013年,执导电影《归来》。2015年,筹拍好莱坞电影《长城》。2016年,担任中国杭州G20峰会文艺演出总导演。2017年执导动作电影《影》,获得第55届台湾电影金马奖最佳导演奖。2019年10月1日,担任庆祝新中国成立70周年联欢活动总导演。
2.演员
姜文,1963年出生于河北唐山,1983年考上了中央戏剧学院,正式成为中戏表演系的一名学生,三年后毕业被分配到中国青年艺术剧院,开始了话剧表演工作,为期一年左右的话剧表演经历为其打下了深厚的表演基础,在1985年,姜文被陈家林选中,出演《末代皇帝》中末代皇帝溥仪。第二年在谢晋导演的电影《芙蓉镇》中担任男主角饰演秦书田,将一个中年知识分子的形象刻画得感人至深。1987年,姜文加入《红高粱》创作团队,在其中饰演于占鳌,姜文和张艺谋因为角色的理解问题在电影拍摄与制作中爆发了无数次争吵,最终争吵出了一个让世界认可的优秀艺术作品《红高粱》。后来饰演的《北京人在纽约》1994年获得中国电视金鹰奖。
作为导演的姜文亦获得较多肯定,他擅长在电影中加入特有的幽默风格,并以此反映某些时代现实。自编自导的处女作《阳光灿烂的日子》被《时代周刊》评为“九五年度全世界十大最佳电影”之首;抗战题材影片《鬼子来了》在2000年获得第53届戛纳国际电影节评审团大奖。2010年末上映的贺岁电影《让子弹飞》刷新了国产电影的多项票房纪录,姜文凭借该片获得第3届中国电影导演协会年度导演奖、第48届台湾电影金马奖、最佳改编剧本奖等多个奖项。现今姜文逐渐向电影导演与编剧转型,在2018年12月16日,姜文凭借其自导自演的电影《邪不压正》获第一届海南岛国际电影节年度编剧。张艺谋评价他:“他非常会演戏,头脑非常聪明,考虑问题也非常周到,非常有能力。而且我觉得他绝对要做个好导演,他有这样的心。他就是个要当司令官的人,不会当底下的兵。他的心很高,也有这个能力,他希望超过任何人。我的看法是,他嘴上不说,心里可能觉得张艺谋、陈凯歌、贾樟柯、陆川,都不算什么。他真的是一个心比天高的人。我觉得他骨子里一定想超越当代的中国导演,他比这些人都要强。他真的这样想,但他嘴上不承认。这是我的看法。我也相信他是未来中国最好的导演。”
巩俐,1965年出生于中国辽宁,是家中幺女的巩俐从小就爱好唱歌跳舞,在济南人民广播电台上和校文艺队的表演中都很容易看到她的身影。1983年,巩俐高考落榜,不得已只得先去参加工作,成为山东省出版社下属单位临时工,第二年参加全国统一考试,被中央戏剧学院表演系特批录取。1987年主演张艺谋的电影《红高粱》后,凭借深入人心的九儿形象一演成名,之后一直与张艺谋导演保持合作,先后主演了获奖影片《菊豆》、《大红灯笼高高挂》、《秋菊打官司》等,于1992年获得第49届威尼斯国际电影节最佳女演员奖。之后巩俐一直活跃在国内外影坛上,奉献出一部又一部优秀作品,2019年5月,巩俐确定出演电影《中国女排》,并在片中饰演郎平。5月19日,获得第72届戛纳国际电影节组委会颁发的第五届“跃动她影”(Women In Motion)奖。12月7日,与娄烨导演合作的电影《兰心大剧院》上映,该片入围第76届威尼斯国际电影节主竞赛单元。2020年9月11日,其特别出演的迪士尼真人电影《花木兰》上映,片中饰演女巫一角;9月25日,主演的电影《夺冠》上映;同年,获得新时代国际电影节庆祝新中国成立70周年全国十佳电影女演员奖。2020年她被法国文化部授予“艺术与文学勋章”司令勋位,成为首位获此荣誉的女华人。
【参考文献】
[1] 百度百科.张艺谋[DB/OL].[2020-09-24].
[2] 百度百科.姜文[DB/OL].[2020-09-24].
[3] 百度百科.巩俐[DB/OL].[2020-09-24].
二.电影梗概
影片改编自莫言的同名小说,以抗战时期的山东高密为背景,讲述了男女主人公在经历一些曲折后产生爱情,随后一起经营一家高粱酒坊,但是在日军侵略战争中,女主人公和酒坊伙计均因参与抵抗运动而被日本军杀害的故事。
首先,电影用一个小孩的视角回忆叙述“我爷爷”和“我奶奶”的故事:“我奶奶”即九儿(巩俐饰)在19岁时,受父亲之命被迫嫁给十八里坡的酿酒作坊老板李大头。在成亲的路上,九儿在高粱地里被颠轿习俗狠狠折腾着,但她始终默默啜泣不吭一声。在高粱地里突然出现了强盗打劫,想要把新娘拖走,在于占鳌(姜文饰)的带领下,轿夫们赶走了强盗,抢回新娘,于占鳌同九儿暗生情愫。后来在新婚回门时,于占鳌将九儿抢走,带到高粱地里,他们在高粱地里进行了灵与肉的结合。不久后李大头去世,九儿一人经营烧酒作坊,期间被土匪秃三炮抢去,被罗汉大叔同伙计们赎回。于占鳌得知此事时极为愤怒,他找到秃三炮,将菜刀架到他脖子上让其保证没有动九儿,随后于占鳌同九儿正式在一起了,成为“我爷爷”。
于占鳌和九儿在一起的生活尚算幸福,于占鳌在酿好的酒缸撒尿却无意间酿出了味道极好的高粱酒,被九儿取名为“十八里红”。“十八里红”大受欢迎,九儿也逐渐从单纯柔弱的少女成为干练的酒坊女掌柜,将酒坊推向辉煌。
在“我爹”九岁那年,他们的家园遭到了日本鬼子入侵,他们在青杀口烧杀抢掠、无恶不作,许多居民被残忍杀害,罗汉大叔被他们残忍剥皮。九儿搬出来“十八里红”鼓励大家抗击鬼子,为罗汉大叔报仇,男人们去打鬼子了,准备埋伏偷袭侵略者们,九儿却在为他们送饭的路上被鬼子的机枪夺去生命。愤怒的男人们抱着火罐、土雷冲向军车,在爆炸后的尘埃里、日食和血红的土地上,“我爷爷”拉着“我爹”的手,站在“我奶奶”的尸体旁,唱起:“娘,娘,上西南,宽宽的大路,长长的宝船……”
三.相关获奖、报刊评价情况
1.获奖情况
(续表)
2.相关评价
“整部电影似乎只由黄色和红色组成。在黄土高坡上,黄沙漫天,特别是颠轿这个段落,几个轿夫连唱带跳,带起了滚滚尘土。身为西安人的张艺谋用泼墨式的表象风格向它们表达着热爱之情,那些黄色的土地正是他所要朝拜的对象。而红色则更加出彩,除了比人高的‘红’高粱,还有‘我奶奶’的红盖头、红轿子、红鞋子,窗上的红窗花、碗里的血红的高粱酒、红彤彤的炉火,还有最后日食时那彻底变成红色的世界。这份鲜艳的色彩的出现,更能表达出陕北人的热情与豪爽,呈现了中国农民向上的精神状态。”(中国影片《红高粱》——影史爱情典藏解读,凤凰网,2014)
“色彩的隐喻也是张艺谋电影视听风格的另一突出特点。在张艺谋的影片中,对于色彩运用的自觉追求可谓用心良苦。《红高粱》奠定了张艺谋对于红色的热爱,在他以后的作品里,红色总是不期而至地频繁出现,成为张艺谋表达内心情感任意倾洒和涂抹的最常见的油彩。红高粱、大红布、红灯笼、红辣椒,我奶奶、四姨太、菊豆等的红妆……这些进入电影叙事体内的视觉造型元素并不是作为单纯的色彩代码出现的,它们不是孤立于影片故事之外的象征之物。”(李宗禧,民族的与世界的——论张艺谋电影,2000)
色彩是电影中最重要、最大众化的艺术手段,因此有经验的艺术家总是非常强调色彩的审美效果。在中国的电影导演中,对于色彩的运用做得最好的应首推张艺谋,他利用色彩来展示影片的主题,不仅使观众的视觉感官受到有力的冲击,并且传达出自己的意念,体现了影片的深刻内涵。在张艺谋的惊世之作《红高粱》中,色彩淋漓尽致的运用不仅奠定了张艺谋电影的风格,而且征服了观众、征服了世界。(张荣美,解读张艺谋电影中色彩的运用——以《红高粱》为例,2010)
【参考文献】
[1] 中国影片《红高粱》——影史爱情典藏解读[N/OL].凤凰网,2014-07-31.
[2] 李宗禧.民族的与世界的——论张艺谋电影[J].当代电影,2000(01):47-51.
[3] 张荣美.解读张艺谋电影中色彩的运用——以《红高粱》为例[J].电影文学,2010(23):50-51.
四.文献综述
电影《红高粱》是由张艺谋执导,以巩俐、姜文等为主演的一部文艺片,由西安电影制片厂出品,1987年正式在中国上映。本影片由莫言的同名小说《红高粱》改编,讲述抗日战争时期的高密东北乡,男女主人公在经营高粱酒坊时,面对日军、土匪的反抗与抗争,展示出了高密东北乡劳动人民中浓浓的生命力。
电影《红高粱》取得如此大的成功,和导演张艺谋的努力、西安电影制片厂的全力支持有很大关系,在20世纪80年代,中国电影各界在党和国家的支持下雄心勃勃,誓要在世界电影市场中占领一席之地,张艺谋正是在这种环境下执导出《红高粱》这部优秀的影片。张艺谋是个很有浪漫精神的人,它曾喊着:“我要表现天之高远,地之深厚。我要表现人之劳作,黄河之东流到海去不回。”他带着这样的精神投入到《红高粱》的拍摄中,在拍摄之前,他和当时西安电影制片厂厂长吴天明等人私下攒了些钱,先跑到了高密东北乡去种了高粱,深入研究当地风土人情,从中感受到那股热情奔放、潇洒勇蛮的劲头,为电影执导打下基础。张艺谋在接受采访时曾说:“《红高粱》也没想搞得有多么深的哲理。因为莫言的小说富有神韵,故事、人物自由奔放。我和小顾说想拍得潇洒、大方点。想把生命,包括一片高粱地、一个男人、一个女人就构成整个世界,让这世界充满了活力,充满了生命的那种热情、奔放的劲儿。”(曲维,1988)
电影《红高粱》同讲述“文明社会”“道德礼仪”的电影不同,在电影播出后,业内人士评价它:“它那粗犷、野蛮甚至带点淫狠的火辣辣的气息令我们这些文质彬彬的正人君子们惊愕甚至厌恶,以为是在展览丑恶或宣泄本能。然而错了,电影中所表现的原始力量恰恰不是本能的宣泄而是生命力的凝聚。”(高小康,1988)除了展现强盛的生命力之外,张艺谋在电影里时刻展示了对于尼采“酒神精神”与“超人精神”的一种追求,这是将西方文化观念融入描绘中国传统劳动人民生活电影的一种尝试,并获得了巨大的成功。评论家认为“尿酒”这段戏中展现出了“超人精神”,学者高小康称:“最能显示‘超人’之异于常人的情景是他向酒中撒尿的行为。这一情景本身的直接意义是显示出他同其他人对立和孤独。然而超人的尿却使酒变成了连酿酒行家罗汉也‘从没有酿出过’的好酒——或者毋宁说是‘超酒’。他的尿表明他具有超出常人之上的特质。有意义的是,在电影结尾时又一次出现了向酒中撒尿的镜头。这回是超人的儿子(我们可以把他看成是超人的延续),他向即将成为炸弹的酒中撒尿。”(高小康,1988)同样,在“野合”这场戏中,“我爷爷”将“我奶奶”拦腰抱起,随着高粱的起伏大开大合,在肉欲和激情中也展现了生命的“神性”。这样的文化表现也是对中国传统文化的重建与整合,它借尼采的思想反思封建礼教与传统文化,将中国民间失落的酒神文化激活,《红高粱》却从传统文化设定中跳了出来,它把重心作了置换,并提供了一种新的文化特质——生命本位、人本位。正是这种酒神文化新质,确立了《红高粱》在中国电影文化史上的里程碑地位。(陈孝信,1989)
电影《红高粱》中对于民俗文化的运用也是影片特色之一,在影片中,张艺谋用自己的镜头表达着对中华民族历史和文化的理解。“由于中华民族文化具有较强的地域性特征,因此,体现民族文化涵义的一个重要内容便是地域特征的影像呈现。在张艺谋的影片里,这是陕北的漫漫黄土,是山西封闭压抑的四合院,是充溢生命力而热烈奔放的‘高密东北乡’,是纸醉金迷的十里洋场,更是繁华京都呈现出的现代景观。这些带有地域特征的影像空间在张艺谋摄影和执导的影片中发挥着很大的艺术能量,几乎是影片主题和寓意的象征。”(张荣美,2010)
《红高粱》电影展现了生活中严酷的生存竞争境遇,封建礼教与批判理性间的剧烈搏斗。它无疑是一部震撼人心的作品,正如评论所说:“当大自然和人的生命惨遭践踏和蹂躏时,在那不甘受欺辱的自然对立和反抗中,表现了强烈的生命欲。给人一种凛然、豪气的情绪感召。那最后从泥水中爬起来的人,似一尊塑像木然地矗立着,显现出一种生之永恒的深厚的艺术力度。”(曲维,1988)
【参考文献】
[1] 曲维.走访西影[J].北京电影学院学报,1988(01):177-193.
[2] 王一川.茫然失措中的生存竞争——《红高粱》与中国意识形态氛围[J].当代电影,1990(01):43-51.
[3] 高小康.原始力量与超人精神——电影《红高粱》交响主题解析[J].当代电影,1988(06):108-111.
[4] 孔都.不只是一个神奇传说——《红高粱》赏析[J].当代电影,1988(02):51-
[5] 陈孝信.论《红高粱》的文化价值[J].电影艺术,1989(02):29-35.
[6] 李宗禧.民族的与世界的——论张艺谋电影[J].当代电影,2000(01):47-51.
五.跨文化知识点
高密东北乡特有的婚俗文化有颠轿、回门、接新酒等,既具有地方文化特色,也体现了蛮野的豪放、原始力量和酒神文化的生命力。
1.高密东北乡的婚俗文化——颠轿
颠轿是新中国成立前接亲的习俗,指的是新娘子快到夫家时,轿夫会伴随着婚礼锣鼓的节拍上下左右晃动花轿,捉弄轿子中的新娘,使坐在轿子里面的新娘头晕眼花以作为婚礼的娱乐活动和新娘登轿前迟疑的惩罚。在电影《红高粱》中,于占鳌就是唱着《颠轿歌》前去接轿的。歌词如下:
《颠轿歌》
客未走,席未散,鸡脖子,五花脸,
四下寻郎寻不见,头上虱子接半碗,
寻呀嘛寻不见,接半碗。
寻呀嘛寻不见。我的个小乖蛋。
急猴猴,新郎倌,
钻进洞房把盖头掀,丑新娘,我的天,
盖头掀……。龇牙往我怀里钻,
我的个小乖蛋!往呀怀里钻。
扭身跑,不敢看。
定眼看,大麻脸。二黑我今晚睡猪圈,
塌鼻豁嘴翻翻眼,睡猪圈……
【参考文献】
百度百科.颠轿歌[DB/OL].[2020-9-24]
2.高密东北乡的婚俗文化——回门
在电影《红高粱》中,九儿在新婚后回家一趟即婚俗中的“回门”,但因为不受夫家重视,她不能享受全套的回门礼仪,所以在回门时只一人骑着骡子回了家。在高密东北乡婚俗中,回门的意义是新婚后小夫妻一起回娘家,为了展示新婚夫妻之间的浓情蜜意,畅想以后的幸福生活而让娘家人放心。回门的时间是新婚拜堂后的三天后,是婚礼的最后一个环节,小夫妇二人一同去女方家庭拜访,男方需要准备数量为双的礼物作为“回门礼”,意味夫妻成双成对,随后女方家庭设宴宴请新人,男方改口叫其岳父岳母为“爸爸”“妈妈”,随后返回男方家中,婚礼正式结束。
【参考文献】
百度百科.回门(婚后传统习俗)[DB/OL].[2020-9-24]
3.高密东北乡特产——高粱酒
高粱酒的主要原料是红高粱。在中国所有红高粱酒里以东北红高粱酒最为广为人知。中国有源远流长的酒文化,例如高粱酒距今已经有700多年的历史。在坊间也流传着一句俗语“好酒离不开好的红粮”。制作优质的红高粱酒需要用好的原料,这和红高粱、小麦、山泉水、酒糟等品质有很大关系。东北的气候、土地、温度等天然条件适合红高粱的生长,成为酿酒中极好的原料。此外,高密东北乡还有很多祖辈相传的酒坊,经过好几辈人长期的经验积累与科学的试验,逐渐形成了烦琐复杂的制作工艺,逐渐形成馥郁味甘、辛辣浓烈的高粱酒。
【参考文献】
百度百科.高粱酒[DB/OL].[2020-9-24]
六.讨论题
1.《红高粱》电影因其反抗精神闻名,你认为影片哪里最能体现其反抗精神?为什么?
2.你对于占鳌这一人物形象怎么看?
3.于占鳌在酒缸里撒尿却成为远近闻名的好酒“十八里红”,谈谈你对这一略显荒诞情节的体会。
4.《红高粱》这部电影用色大胆鲜艳,你对于电影印象最深的颜色是什么,这样的颜色背后有怎样的精神内涵?
Red Sorghum: An Epic Fable for a Global Audience
Yong Ho
Red Sorgphum(Hóng Gāoliang红高粱,
Chinese release: 1987; Us release: 1988)
Directed by Zhang Yimou张艺谋
Premiered in 1987,Zhang Yimou's Red Sorghum is part of a slew of the “new⁃generation” films that emerged in the Chinese cinema in the 1980s,and it is the most successful one of all the productions by filmmakers of this new breed. It won the coveted Golden Bear,the highest award of the 1988 Berlin Film Festival,becoming the first Chinese film to achieve the highest honor at one of the leading international film festivals.
Red Sorghum is adapted from two related novels by the Nobel laureate Mo Yan. One of the two novels bears the same title Red Sorghum,and the other has a slightly variation called Red Sorghum Wine. The story is set in Mo Yan's hometown Shandong Province in the war⁃torn China in the 1930s,when the country is invaded by the Japanese. The film begins with a story of a 19th⁃year⁃old poor girl,Jiu'er (Gong Li),who is forced against her will by her father to marry an old leprous distillery owner in his 50s in exchange for a mule. A flirtatious relationship develops between her and a palanquin bearer by the name of Yu Zhan⁃ao (Jiang Wen) en route to her husband's house on the wedding day after his heroic rescue efforts when she was attacked and abducted by a bandit in a sorghum field. The passion quickly turns into a sexual relationship three days after her wedding again in a sorghum field. On the very same day,her leprous husband is found mysteriously murdered. Jiu'er thus takes control of the distillery and then persuades the workers to stay when they are thinking of quitting. Before too long,Yu moves in to start a life with her and her workers,which lasts peacefully for a few years until the Japanese invasion. Luohan,a respected former foreman of the distillery is brutally skinned alive by the Japanese as he is suspected of “subversive” activities. To avenge Luohan's death,Jiu'er and Yu lead the distillery workers to lay an ambush,resulting in the killing of a bunch of Japanese soldiers. In the fierce battle that ensues,Jiu'er and all the distillery workers are killed,leaving Yu and their nine⁃year⁃old son as the sole survivors.
Any discussion of Red Sorghum would need to start with Zhang Yimou,a phenomenon and an institution in Chinese cinema. A graduate of the Beijing Film Academy in 1982,Zhang and his fellow students are given the sobriquet,the “fifth generation” of Chinese filmmakers,as they all belong to the fifth class to graduate from the Academy. Also known as the “new wave”,the fifth⁃generation filmmakers quickly gained international notice because of the moral complexity and gritty realism of their films (Gianoulis). Zhang quickly becomes the leader and the most famous representative of this generation of filmmakers. Zhang started his cinematic career as an actor instead of a director. He garnered fame and critical acclaims with his acting in the film Old Well,for which he won the Best Actor award at the 1987 Tokyo film festival,but it was his directorial debut with Red Sorghum that vaulted him to international stardom. On the heels of the success of Red Sorghum,he produced in rapid succession a number of highly⁃acclaimed films,including Ju Dou in 1990,Raise the Red Lantern in 1991,The Story of Qiu Ju in 1992,To Live in 1994,Not One Less in 1999 and Hero in 2003,House of Flying Daggers in 2004,winning numerous awards and recognitions.His Ju Du was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1990. These and the other masterpieces of his firmly establish his undisputable position as the premiere filmmaker in China.
Red Sorghum made history,as it is the first modern Chinese film released commercially in the U.S. and it reveals a side of China here to fore unknown largely to much of the rest of the world. Plaudits from the film critics in the West are immediate and overwhelming. Ebert (1989) calls the film “the sort of scenic,romantic,violent,symbolic melodrama that flowered in the early years of the cinema... There is a strength in the simplicity of this story,in the almost fairy⁃tale quality of its images and the shocking suddenness of its violence,that Hollywood in its sophistication has lost.” Stone (1988) describes the film as “With its lusty celebration of the natural instincts in life and its stunning cinematography,‘Red Sorghum’ is the most distinguished example of the robust new directorial spirit that has been gleefully subverting the staid,outworn conventions of Chinese cinema.” The film has exerted no less an impact in China as well as abroad. (Wang, 1991) describes Red Sorghum in such terms as “Never before has the medium of Chinese cinema been so unquestionably given over to an unbridled and abandoned manner of life and visual wantonness and crudity.”
Resilience in the face of hardship and adversity as a recurrent theme permeates almost all of Zhang Yimou's films and Red Sorghum fully brings the theme to the fore. The characters in the film fall on hard times against an arid landscape with nothing but boundless sorghum fields,but they seem to live a content life,enjoying good natured banter,primitive horseplay,earthy humor,elemental force,and unrestrained pleasure until the invasion of the Japanese army. Zhang Yimou even “permitted them to indulge their basest instincts,right down to urinating in the wine vats (which,ironically,improved the flavor) (Parkinson,2006). Such peaceful life is disrupted upon the invasion of the Japanese when we see a display of the spirit of the peasantry in putting up a heroic resistance. Ebert (1989) calls the film “a hymn in praise of the way the workers resisted the Japanese invaders. Canby (1988) observes that these “picturesque peasants don't hesitate to make ultimate sacrifice when the Japanese invade and the chips are down.” Such folk heroism “appears to be a paean to the indomitability of the Chinese people” (Parkinson,2006).
Zhang Yimou is masterful at creating superb visual quality and enhancing his theme through symbols and imageries in the form of expressive colors,music and songs. The “Red” in the title of the film serves a purpose. The striking color,seen in the sorghum crop,the wine,the bridal dress,blood and the sun,evokes intense emotions. As observed by Parkinson (2006),“Red may dominate Zhang's palette,most notably in the climactic sequence in which Jiu'er's blood mingles with the wine and trickles into the sorghum field as an eclipse bathes the entire scene in intense color. But it represented life and death,birth and renewal,and the physicality and humanity of the villagers.” “The cinema to graphy in Red Sorghum has no desire to be subtle,or muted; it wants to splash its passionate colors all over the screen with abandon,and the sheer visual impact of the film is voluptuous” (Ebert,1989).
There is a discernable shift from the idealistic red to a harshly realistic dark tone following the arrival of Japanese forces,suggesting depression,horror and violence. Zhang (1989) notes the effect of the contrast of the colors when he says “The opening shot begins with a completely dark screen,indicating a depressing environment. Then,gradually,the female protagonist fades in,wearing a red jacket and a red bridal veil over her head,thus forming a contrast of dark and red within the frame. If the dark symbolizes a stifling environment,the color red suggests the woman's passion,which actually foreshadows the main theme of the whole film.” The most dramatic and memorable scene is toward the end described by Ng (1995) as follows: “The red color of the landscape,introduced through the unforgettable image of a solar eclipse,is a searing reflection of the violence and bloodshed in the struggle against the Japanese. However,it is also a reminder of the characters' love of life,passion and spiritual freedom.” If people are familiar with Zhang Yimou's films,they will unmistakably recognize that red is his signature color. It is the thematic color in his Judou,Raise the Red Lantern,The Story of Qiuju and others. Imagery and sound in Red Sorghum received an extensive discussion in Li (1989) and Ng (2008).
Sound in the form of music,ballad and songs figures very large in the film,forming a deliberate contrast between the modern and the traditional. As commented by Nada (2015),“Red Sorghum features music as the natural accompaniment to a traditional community's rituals from wedding to battle. Drums,horns,and the splashing of red wine contribute to Red Sorghum's conviviality.” It would be no surprise that the audience leaves the theater with an indelible impression of the bawdy and jocular songs at the beginning and the woeful ballads at the end.
With her debut in Red Sorghum as the protagonist Jiu'er,Gong Li receives an enthusiastic expression of approval from the critics and the audience alike. According to Canby (1988),“Jiu'er may not be the typical of Chinese women of her time,but she is an idealization of the progressive woman of our time. She is the only affecting character in the film. Yet she is always seen in a metaphorical long shot. She's less an individual than a representation.” Red Sorghum established Gong Li's position as a leading actress in Chinese cinema. She continued to work with Zhang Yimou after Red Sorghum and appeared in a string of Zhang Yimou's films,including the Oscar⁃nominated features Ju Dou (1990) and Raise the Red Lantern (1991).
Many a critic describes Red Sorghum as a fable,a lyric or even an epic. To Gianoulis,the film “was a breakthrough to a new kind of filmmaking in China. To moviegoers inside the People's Republic,Red Sorghum marked a new kind of cinema and the beginning of a new generation of filmmakers”.
Discussion questions
1.How did Zhang Yimou employ visual and imageries in the film to enhance the dramatic aspect of the narrative and to convey philosophical and metaphoric meanings?
2.Jiu'er took a pair of scissors in the sedan chair. What do you think she would use them for?
3.Have you seen other films by Zhang Yimou? If you have,have you noticed any recurrent themes and features?
4.What are the tensions in the film and how are they expressed or implied?
References
1. Canby,Vincent. 1988. “Social Realist Fable of 1930s' China”.New York Times, October 9, 1988.https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/09/movies/film⁃festival⁃social⁃realist⁃fable⁃of⁃1930⁃s⁃china.html.
2. Ebert,Roger. 1989. “Red Sorghum.”Chicago Sun⁃Times, February 28, 1989. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/red⁃sorghum⁃1989.
3. Gianoulis,Tina. (date unspecified) “Red Sorghum.” Film Reference. http://www.filmreference.com/Films⁃Ra⁃Ro/Red⁃Sorghum.html.
4. Li,H.C. 1989.“Color,Character,and Culture: On Yellow Earth,Black Canon Incident,and Red Sorghum.” Modern Chinese Literature 5.1:91-119.
5. Nada,Freda. 2015. “Film Notes: Red Sorghum.”New Bloom (online magazine). https://newbloommag.net/2015/03/09/film⁃notes⁃red⁃sorgum/.
6. Ng,Yvonne. 1995. “Imagery and Sound in Red Sorghum.”Kinema (spring).https://doi.org//o.15353/kinema.vi.777.
7. Parkinson,David. 2006. Red Sorghum Review, June 14, 2006. https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/red⁃sorghum⁃review/.
8. Stone,Judy. 1988. “Chinese ‘Sorghum’ is an Earthy Delight.”In San Francisco Chronicle, November 4, 1988, F8.
9. Wang,Yuejin. 1991. “Red Sorghum: Mixing Memory and Desire.” In ed. Chris Berry,Perspectives on Chinese Cinema. London: British Film Institute(2nd edition), 80-113.
10. Zhang,Jia⁃xuan. 1989. Red Sorghum.Film Quarterly 42 (3): 41⁃43.