The Third Generation of Chinese Directors

Cui Wei   Xie Jin  Ling Zifeng

The period when the third generation of Chinese directors was active could be further divided into three stages, in which Chinese film industry experienced a bumpy and zigzagging development. The first stage was between the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 and the onslaught of the Cultural Revolution in 1965. The representative works during the period included Fight Across the Country by Cheng Yin, White-haired Girl by Shui Hua, Song of Youth and Zhang Ga the Soldier Boy by Cui Wei, February in Early Spring by Xie Tieli as well as Women Basketball Player No. 5 by Xie Jin. This was also the period when the third generation of Chinese directors formed their shape and first came to stage. The second stage was the ten years of the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976. Except for very few good movies like Pioneering Work, Maritime Glow, and Sparkling Red Star, the creation of feature films were almost vacant, while the Chinese film industry was also on the verge of being stagnant. The third stage is the period after the Cultural Revolution when a great batch of excellent films came to existence. The most representative directors of the this period include Cheng Yin, Shui Hua, Cui Wei, Xie Tieli, Xie Jin, Ling Zifeng, and Li Jun. Following the realistic principle, their films endeavor to unveil the nature of life, reflect the time, and exhibit the contradictions in a profound way. Besides, they have also made some beneficial explorations and attained gratifying achievements in demonstrating local and ethnic flavors. The most glaring director of this generation is Xie Jin. Alongside the influential movies like Women Basketball Player No. 5, The Red Detachment of Women, and Stage Sisters before the Cultural Revolution, Xie also made a group of influential movies like Legend of Tianyun Mountain, Hibiscus Town, Wreathes at the Foot of the Mountain, and Herdsman. So far, Xie Jin has six times won the Flowers Film Award, which is directly voted by the audience. During this period, a lot of excellent performers also have come to the fore. The influential actresses are Yu Lan, Xie Fang, Tian Hua, and Zhang Ruifang, while the prominent actors include Sun Daolin, Yu Yang, and Chen Qiang.

Author: Jeff

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