“The Fifth Generation continues to leave an indelible imprint on the development of Chinese cinematic trends. Even the rise of so-called “underground” or independent filmmaking benefited from the support and sponsorship of Tian Zhuangzhuang” (Berry, 2006)
The works of the 5th generation of film makers have received so much critical acclaim worldwide – and at home. This essay will point out some factors why the films of the younger generation, the 6th generation, might find it tough trying to make a mark. Will Li Yang achieve the same success as Zhang Yimou has? Certain factors are crucial in determining the chances, for example, Film Style, Time, and Money.

Zhang Yimou and Li Yang may be as different as day and night in the films that they did, but the similarities cannot be ignored. Thus, it may only be right to first point out the similarities before the differences when the common factors between them are integral to the essay. Both Zhang and Li has the same motivation for making films. Li Yang mentioned in an interview that: “The focus of my film…was not simply to show the brutal situation in which the miners live, but to express the struggle, conflicts and contradictions in their lives. I wanted to portray how human nature degenerates under the attraction of money, and the good side of humanity in this transitional period.” (Chan, 2003). While Zhang said that: “with the Cultural Revolution as the background, I want to show the fate of people… and the most valuable things in human nature that survived this recent period of Chinese history” (Cardullo, 2007).

Both directors are interested in the portrayal of human nature in their films. When Zhang made his first film, Red Sorghum, he had also started out with a very low budget. Both Red Sorghum and Blind Shaft (Li’ s first film) are Social Realist films. While Red Sorghum speaks of a poor woman who was sold off to marry a rich leper in exchange for a mule – “Gongli’s portrayal of the headstrong owner of a winery in Red Sorghum was a breakthrough in terms of the representation of women in Chinese films”(Cornelius, 2002, p. 79) ,

Blind Shaft touches on the modern day society in China where two men makes use of the corrupted system in the Mining Industry to earn money – by committing murder – to provide for the education of their children back at home. Blind Shaft speaks on the issue of Humans in the era where people are seen to be disposable. The two crooks establish fake family ties in order to earn the compensation money for the death of a kin. And in the film, a character mentioned that China lacks everything but people(Chow, 2007, p. 167-179). And this might be where the similarities end.

Comparing Red Sorghum to Blind Shaft, Red has achieved a lot more awards and recognition. From winning the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival and other awards for Best Cinematography, Sound, Music and Artistic Achievement, the film has also been marketed overseas as well as succeeding in box office takings in Zhang’s home-ground, China. “Many critics regard Red Sorghum as a milestone of Chinese cinema that marks an end to avant-gardism and a beginning of commercialism… Red pleased a wide spectrum of audiences with its sophisticated cinematic techniques and lavish ethnographic elements. Unlike previous fifth generation films, which gathered praise abroad, but failed in the domestic market, Red proved a box-office success in China.”(Zhang, 2004, p. 238) On the other hand, Blind Shaft has won its fair share of recognition overseas. Praised for being truthful and critical, the film has won the Silver Bear Award in the BIFF, along with awards for Best Film, and Best Narrative Feature. However, the film has been banned in China.

There are many ways to prove a point, some more discreet, some more straightforward. The more discreet methods may not be ineffective. The more straightforward methods may not be the best. The film style of Zhang and Li differs, although they wanted to tell similar stories and both had limited funds available. Li Yang mentioned that his simple and direct style is crucial in that it does not make the movie seem exaggerated. (Teo, 2003) Without adding music, having the camera only placed at the height of a human’s eye level, and hand holding the camera for every shot, his idea was that this simplicity of style would be more effective in endearing the audiences to the characters and the narrative (Teo, 2003). Li has a background in making documentaries. However, he did not intend for Blind Shaft to be one. Adapting from a book ShenMu, Li made substantial changes, making the story in the movie stronger. Li added the element of suspense, so that “the audience can continue watching, to anticipate how the two miners will kill the boy.” (Teo, 2003, para. 60) As Li puts it, “you’re telling a story and you want to tell it well, to make the audience watch.” (Teo, 2003, para. 59)

Zhang, on the other hand, insists on the importance of visuals in his movies. He mentioned that “you cannot afford to get self-indulgent or too isolated and self-involved.” (Cardullo, 2007). But he emphasizes that he does not mean for films to look like Hollywood commercial movies. He said that what he makes in his movies look good, in the visual art sense. (Cardullo, 2007). His films have a very high production value. The cinematography in Red Sorghum is very well accomplished. Red is a symbolic color in the movie. Sex is not explicitly shown like in Blind Shaft, but implied. Other than the look, he also makes sure that the audiences understand his movies.

However, Red Sorghum may be an accomplished movie but it has come under criticism for a weak storyline and underdeveloped character arcs. “Red Sorghum is a visually sumptuous film, rich in symbolism… (but) I said once in another review that cinematography alone can never save for me a film with a poor story line.” , said a film critic under the online name of Metalluk (2006).

Both Li and Zhang does movies for the audience, but they have different views. Li puts more emphasis on story and characterization in Blind Shaft as compared to the story and characterization in Red Sorghum which is weaker. However, Red Sorghum is more visually stunning than Blind Shaft can be. Blind Shaft can contest for story and direction, but would stand no chance against other films for music and other artistic elements. There is no music in Blind Shaft other than the occasional whistling, and the singing in the KTV.

Further more, Zhang thinks that: “Looking back now at films like Yellow Earth and Red Sorghum, I can tell you that they both have warm blood and intense life, which are missing from the works of the Sixth Generation. I think this is because the Sixth Generation was subject to too many practical considerations…the need for money, the dilemma caused by censorship, the awards offered at international film festivals.” (Cardullo, 2007).

Another thing we should discuss in Film Style is the way Zhang and Li prefer to put across their messages. Censorship is a bane for both generations. Zhang prefers the discreet manner, while Li’s style is more straightforward. In Red, the bride can be said to be practicing collectivism. As her background was poor as well, she request the workers to join her in the winery rather than work under her, although she has control over the winery (Metalluk, 2006).

In the film, if one had not thought of such political backgrounds, one would not have thought twice about the bride’s statements which consist of dialogues like “If we are able to do the business well, everybody has one share” and “there is no grading thing in our winery” (Red Sorghum, 1988). In Blind Shaft on the other hand, corruption in the mining industry was clearly put forward in the scene where the crooks were trying to bargain for more compensation money. The mine boss said that “the county and bureau chiefs are my friends. We’ve got people in the coal bureau too.” When the sidekick of the boss suggests to murder the two crooks, and simply settle the matter by “getting in touch with your (mine boss) police chief pals”, the boss rejects and says that they (the police) would want a lot of money, even more than a hundred grand. (Blind Shaft, 2003). The corruption in the movie is so obvious that Blind Shaft’s ban in China was no surprise. Zhang says that the trick some directors employ to avoid any political issues is to place the film in another time period. That was what he did at the start, motivating him to make historical films. (Cardullo, 2007). Zhang knows how to make use of allegories and subtexts, which works most of the time.

The second factor is the issue of Time when they produced their films, and the West’s demand of films from China. Saying that the appearance of the 6th generation was particularly badly timed, Dai Jin Hua (a famous film critic in China) said that the environment in the 1990s was not advantageous for films of the sixth generation. She claimed that art films were seen to be the poison of box offices. The fifth generation could avoid this problem as they were well funded by investors internationally who also had a clear idea on what type of films that they wanted made. (Veeck, 2006, p. 165)

Dai said “riding high on the crest of the wave of orientalism, the fifth generation undoubtedly produced a china fever… a hunger for Chinese film in European and American art film festivals” but it was not so for the sixth. Funding was an issue. (Veeck, 2006, p. 165)

This could be where Zhang got the better hand. Zhang’s style is full of culture that attracts the attention of the west easily. The west want films that are unique to them. Li Yang’s Blind Shaft looked like it could be shot anywhere else in the world, like Cambodia, etc. Blind Shaft has won many awards in the film festival circuit, but Dai has other views on the sixth generation’s achievements. Claiming that the fifth generation was the one who attracted the west’s attention in the first place; because the films made by “Zhang Yimou and his imitators” satisfied the oriental impression of China, the sixth generation now caught their attention only because their films satisfied the west’s negative expectations of China. (Veeck, 2006, p. 165-166) She thinks that film festivals are more interested in the fact that the sixth generation produced underground films, rather than the actual quality of their work. (Veeck, 2006, p. 165-166). Dai has easily dismissed the West’s interest in sixth generation films as being superficial.

The third factor is money. Before Zhang’s period, the film attendance in 1983 was 650 million lower than 1982, thus there was a RMB37 million loss. On the other hand, production costs were rising. The studios were losing a lot of money. Only twenty per cent managed to earn back the money invested in the films in 1986. (Zhang, 2004, p. 239) Red Sorghum’s success both internationally and domestically set it apart from the other films of the fifth generation. Red proved that an art film could be a well rounded success.( Zhang, 2004, p. 239) Because of the degrading economy of films, the measurement of the value of a film changed. The most important aspect now became how well the movie can fare in the theatres. Artistic value was second. (Veeck, 2006, p. 161) Investors would only want to invest in films that are ‘value for money’ and would promise a good return. Zhang, with limited budget, could produce a film with such a high production value it definitely fits the bill.

“While Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige have become the new darlings of china’s mainstream culture, almost every sixth generation director experienced harsh treatment in the censorship and regulatory system. (Gary, 2007, p. 47) ” This system comes into place not only after the film is made, but also before, when the film maker will submit a script to the Film Bureau and approved scripts will get funding. But in the case of Li Yang’s Blind Shaft, the script will never be approved. Other than Li, there are may sixth generation film makers who would simply stop sending their scripts for approval. Thus, came the ‘underground’ phenomenon. As expected, Li Yang’s Blind Shaft never got any revenue to boast of, other than the string of awards it won.

Moving on to commercial films, Zhang said that film makers cannot neglect the audience and make films that only serve to be self indulgent, that reaps awards but not the interest of the public. (Cardullo, 2007) He said that making mainstream movies is a good practice. Be fluent in that aspect before one does art films. (Cardullo, 2007) Zhang also mentioned that a director has the responsibility to make sure that his investors will break even for his film. It is because of this believe and practice that he never had to worry about funding. (Cardullo, 2007)

All these factors contribute to why Blind Shaft does not make as successful a film as compared to Red Sorghum. The film style, the most determinant factor to the popularity of a film, of Red Sorghum works. If the young film makers follow Li Yang’s pattern, the days of epic visual storytelling will be long gone in China. With the money factor, Li Yang is not as efficient a director as Zhang Yi Mou. Even though the demand for Li’s films are there, his films are best appreciated in places outside of China. But for whom did Li Yang make Blind Shaft for?

Written By Tan Shu Jun, RAY.

References:

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Cardullo, B. (March, 2007). Beyond the Fifth Generation : An Interview with Zhang Yimou. Retrieved July 31, 2009, from http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/58/58zhangiv.html

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Veeck, G. (2006). China’s Geography: Globalization and the Dynamics of Political, Economic, and Social Change [Electronic version]. Cultural and Culture Change In Urban China, Chapter 6, 154-166.

Zhang, Y.M. (Producer), & Zhang, Y.M. (Director). (Feb, 1988). Red Sorghum [Motion picture]. China: Xi’an Film Studio.

Zhang, Y. (2004). Chinese National Cinema. 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001: Routledge.