Yellow Earth Essay, Research Paper

Yellow Earth ( 1984 )

Original Title: Huang Tu Di

Filming: Zhang Yimou

Yellow Earth is a tragic film. The chief character, Young Cuiqiao, was destined by destiny to be married to a adult male she has ne’er met. Besides, the huge landscape of her small town seems to ensnare her. The hills are like dry walls that plaster has been skining off of for centuries. The lone thing that seems to hold some life beginning in it is the river that Cuiqiao sings her folk vocals in when she collects H2O from it everyday.

The film begins with a nuptials. There, the manager introduces us with different shootings of the facets of society at that clip. It was really interesting to see how the whole small town gathered together for the nuptials jubilation. There were besides close-up shootings of the different nutrients that were served. The beginning of the film was a really good debut to the Chinese civilization.

Subsequently on in the film, there is a treatment between Cuiqiao s male parent and Brother Gu, a soldier from the Communist ground forces, about the nuptials. It is revealed that the miss that married was about 14 old ages old and the 9th girl to be married off in that household. This was highly flooring to me chiefly because I live in a modern western society. First of wholly, the really idea of being married at such a immature age is wholly absurd to me. This kid is forced to take the function of an grownup at such an early age. Furthermore, she must hold been married to a adult male that is no younger than thirty old ages of age. Brother Gu makes a statement stating that the miss was excessively immature to be married and that misss should take their ain lucifer. Cuiqiao s father, instead surprised, answers that she was non immature at all. In fact, in incredulity he says, No matcher? A adult female is worthless to merely go forth with a adult male. The soldier so says, Girls are non for sale and the South has changed. But Cuiqiao s male parent answers that the husbandmans haven Ts changed and they have their ain regulations. This exchange shows the spectator the clang of the cultural traditions of northern China with the freshly formed communist authorities. This scene in the film besides nicely foreshadows Cuiqiao s destiny.

Traveling back to Brother Gu, we are foremost introduced to him at the nuptials. He is a soldier from Yan an that comes to the Shaanxi state to roll up folk vocals. He stays with Cuiqiao s household for the clip he is at that place. He opens Cuiqiao s eyes to the alterations in the South. He tells her of the adult females who work in the Fieldss, who cut their hair short and fight the Nipponese alongside the work forces. This stirs up her involvement but she is afraid to demo it to Brother Gu.

One of the funnier minutes in the film was when Cuiqiao finds Brother Gu stitching. She asks, Can work forces run up excessively? . It was really amusing to see her incredulity in seeing a adult male sew. I would see that sort of incredulity if I saw Brother Gu turning a 2nd caput.

Another facet of the film that was really interesting was the portion when the whole small town of work forces and male childs came together to pray for the Dragon King to direct rain for the harvests. They all wore the same particular costume for this event. All of these people were on their bare articulatio genuss praying for their xanthous Earth to boom so their harvests can turn. There is an amazing chi that flows through the Earth and that Earth is everything to these husbandmans. There is even a line in the film that states, Love depends on grain.

Finally, the clip for Brother Gu to go forth has come. Cuiqiao, who is now engaged to a adult male she has ne’er met, wants to go forth with Gu to get away her sisters destiny of a matrimony of maltreatment and unhappiness. But he can non take Cuiqiao because he needs permission from the ground forces. She makes him assure he will come back for her. As clip goes by, and no word from Brother Gu, she gets despairing as it nears her marrying day of the month. She decides to take her destiny into her ain custodies and canvass off in the river to happen Yan an and the ground forces. Ironically there is a vocal in the terminal that states that it is the Communists who save people. After Cuiqiao s eyes of what could be, Brother Gu couldn t even salvage her from her ain destiny.

All in all, the film is a sad one but it shows a good image of communism, Chinese civilization, and the predicament of adult females at that clip. I found myself basking the film really much. It wasn T at all drilling, it was in colour, and it didn t retarding force on but still made a strong point in the terminal.