Chen Kaige is one of the most renowned Chinese directors, whose directorial debut, “Yellow Earth”, is considered a turning point in the cinematography of his homeland. Together with Zhang Junzhao‘s “One and Eight” (1983) it marks the beginning of the Fifth Generation, a group of filmmakers who rejected the socialist-realist tradition typical of their predecessors, and were critical of the ideological purity of Cultural Revolution movies. Although causing significant unease among the censors, “Yellow Earth” was not banned in China. What’s more, it was met with critical acclaim abroad and won awards at the 38th Locarno International Film Festival, among others.
Based on the novel “Echoes in the Deep Valley” by Ke Lan, the story is set in 1939, during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Gu Qing (Wang Xueqi), a communist soldier, travels to a rural area in Northern China. He is entrusted with the task of writing down the lyrics of folk songs, which will be modified later to fit the political narrative of the government in order to boost the morale of its troops. He stays with a local peasant family while establishing relationships with each of its members. During conversations with the head of the family (Tan Tuo), he talks about social changes that are happening in China. He also manages to befriend his kids, Hanhan (Liu Quiang) and Cuiqiao (Xue Bai). The girl is especially interested in Brother Gu’s talk about equality and female soldiers in the Red Army.
The Fifth Generation directors tried to depart from traditional storytelling methods and opted for a more symbolic approach. During an interview with Richard James Havis, Kaige admitted: “We wanted to create something very fresh, something visually based. You can see that in our first movies. The colour, the light, and so on, are more noticeable than the dialogue.” This approach is distinctly visible in “Yellow Earth”, as its essence is mostly conveyed not through the conversations, but through the images. The narrative shows the rural reality of peasants, and how reluctant to change they are, especially when it comes to women’s rights. Through discussions, mainly between the head of the peasant family and Brother Gu, this attachment to tradition is juxtaposed with hope and the desire for change.
Zhang Yimou, who later became a well-known director himself, did a perfect job shooting the film. The slow-paced and static cinematography underlines the world that’s changing in an unhurried way, which gives the audience plenty of room for reflection. This calm and harmonious rustic picture is complemented by Zhao Jiping’s score consisting of traditional songs.
Natural and believable acting by the cast full of debutants strengthens the film’s realistic, to the point of documentary-like, feeling. Deserving attention are especially the performances of Wang Xueqi and Xue Bai. The former plays the determined soldier who firmly believes in the government narrative but does not impose his views on others. The latter embodies the need for change, as she wants to go against tradition and join the army. Despite solid acting across the board, only Wang Xueqi became a professional actor who appears in movies to this day.
“Yellow Earth” is a contemplative journey into the past. One of its merits is the subtlety in presenting different views and ideas, thanks to which its critique of neither the political system, nor peasants’ attachment to old values is blatant. The context definitely helps in understanding how essential it is regarding China’s film history, but the difficulty in nailing down its meaning makes it an engaging experience in itself.
