Zhang Yimou's Contribution in Cinematography - Movie Review Example

Zhang Yimou Case Study Analysis Name Institution Zhang Yimou Case Study Analysis Zhang Yimou Early Life Zhang Yimou was born on November 14, 1950 in Xi’an, Shaanxi province in China immediately after the communist armies led by Tse-tung defeated the country’s Nationalist government. Yimou often used the traditional Chinese ordering of the names, which placed the family name first then the name given. His father served as the National Kuomintang Army dermatological officer while one of his brother fled to Taiwan. With all such factors, Yimou experienced difficult life especially with the dawning of Cultural Revolution. Upon completion of high school, the parents sent him to work as a Chinese peasant in the farm fields before his transfer to Xianyang City to work in a textile factory (Notable Bibliographies, n.d). Film and visual imagery fascinated Yimou even during when government propaganda films were the only approved sources of entertainment. Besides, he sold his house to acquire camera. After Mao’s death in 1976, restrictions associated with Cultural Revolution lessened leading to Yimou’s application at the Beijing Film Academy (Farquhar, 2002). Yimou exceeded the regulation age of admission since he was 27 years though he persuaded the officials to make an exception after displaying his photographs. With commitment and perseverance, Yimou became part of the Fifth Generation trainees in the school. Yimou’s classmates managed to include some young directors who lived through the Cultural Revolution and became sceptical of the totalitarian state of China. However, in 1982 he graduated from the academy. Carrier Life After graduation, Yimou started working as a cinematographer.Chen Kaige’s Yellow Earth (1987) is a film that Yimou featured which played a significant role in introducing the contemporary Chinese cinema among the Western audiences. Most people hailed Yimou’s films due to their visual appearances, which were based on specific colour theme that pervaded the whole work. As a director, Yimou focused on touring the countryside locations tirelessly with an aim of searching for the backdrop that required specific scenes. In 1987, Yimou served as both cinematographer and actor in Old Well film that focused on the rural tale that returned him to his hometown of Xi’an. Based on his provincial background, Yimou was able to transfer wide cinematic education (Wei & Ke, 2009). Moreover, Yimou knew much on American film traditions and to some extent used the non-Chinese personnel like Chris Doyle, the Chinese-speaking Australian cinematographer. Beside, after graduation, Yimou went to small inland studious as a cinematographer, which never had the entrenched apprenticeship system of the big coastal studios since the local studios, then, gained more control over production of film as the state-owned systems dismantled progressively. Yimou found his true vocation as a director in Xi’an Film Studio with Red Sorghum (1987) becoming his directorial debut that captured the mass domestic audience. Yimou’s Contribution in Cinematography Yimou played significant role in the Chinese film industry. Some years after Cultural Revolution, mid-1980s, cases of Fifth Generation of Chinese Filmmakers began to be popular both locally and across the borders. Among the graduates after Cultural Revolution, Yimou was one of them, started jettisoning the old techniques of telling the stories, and chose for free and unorthodox technique. Yimou showed significant performance and leading potential among the various directors. During such periods, another a genre of literature recognized as the Scar Literature that portrayed the suffering of the cadres and intellectuals during post-War II, particularly with the encounters procured during Cultural Revolution. The films from the Fifth Generation portrayed scar-literature-based adaptations (Yuan, 2012). The integration of cinema and literature contributed to the rise of the Chinese cinema. Within such period, the Chinese cinema began reaping the rewards associated with international attention such as the Best Foreign Language Film from the Academy Awards. Yimou won several awards including the Best Cinematographer after filming the Yellow Earth (1987) with Chen Kaige as the director and another Fifth Generation filmmaker. In 1985, Yimou won the Chinese Golden Rooster Award, which laid foundation for his directorial debut after releasing Red Sorghum (1987). Besides, the award brought Yimou to the forefront of the world’s art directors that won him the Golden Bear for Best Picture at festival held in 1988 in the Berlin International Film Festival (Hao, 2010). After decades of success, Yimou transitioned in subjects, narrations, and various genres since the millennium, which yielded mixed judgments from the public. With reference to the film Hero (2002), the art is considered extensive as the iconic work carried by Yimou (Zhang & Gateward, 2001). However, Yimou’s film has transitioned through various stages categorized based on the years: 1987-2000, 2002-2006, and 2008-2011. In the early years, Yimou adapted some of his films based on scar literature. The books used include Mo Yan’s and Su Tong’s to direct the Red Sorghum and Raise the Red Lantern respectively. While seeking the root, avant-garde, and the neo-historicist novels, there is a need to explore in depth humanities and the lives of women within the ethnical perspectives (Beugnet, 2007). With the benefits associated with various novels, Yimou used his experience in the distinctive cinematography in making the stories on the paper alive on the screen that in the end positioned his name in the Chinese film industry and made him as one of the successful directors of the Fifth Generation. After millennium, literature work had a series of transition while the artistes and novelists were emphasizing much on the form and skills rather than the stories. However, the literature work undertaken by Yimou shifted from the literature-based adaption to the second phase that symbolized the typical milestone as seen in the film Hero. Within the second stage, Yimou enforced the colour metaphor which had its origin from Red Sorghum through making the film with the high contrast pictures, but stopped his manner of the seeking the truth history. Nonetheless, such transformation was unpleasant for the part of the market. The skills of manipulating the colour are the reason behind the praise and criticism that Yimou met simultaneously. Most people criticized such extreme pursuit for the visual impact, his negligence associated with the humanistic care, and storytelling, which shone points Yimou’s work. It is undeniable of Yimou’s experience in cinematic aesthetics especially cracking the colour codes, shapes, and composition. With regards to such genre, Yimou is the brand with his works focusing on the colourful scenes, magnificent frames, sharply contrary conflicts, exaggerated visual effects, and ingenuity in details. Moreover, Yimou paid much attention to the national conventions in appreciating the colour making it easier for his films being accepted within the nationwide cinema. Case Study 1: Hero (2002) Western aesthetics uses realistic styles. However, Yimou expressed the Chinese traditional aesthetics, which he claims to be symbolic and put much emphasis on the concerned meaning hiding behind the presentation. Most Chinese arts, abstracts, and simple objects often have imaginative themes that require appreciation and realization of the hidden meanings. In all the films of Yimou, it is easy to spot various artistic elements reproduced with respect to the Chinese traditional aesthetics. The artistic expressions associated with Yimou’s work include using the formative arts such as the sets and costumes and make-ups (Ding, 2012). Yimou is the master in using the symbolic image in characterizing and pushing forward the plot without much assistance of the lines. Moreover, the remarkable work associated with the transition of Hero is the typical icon reflecting his skills in manipulating the cinematic aesthetics (Kaldis, 2009). As an earlier cinematographer, Yimou likes and has skills in using the fine art elements especially the colour in expressing himself. Colour is used both for visual impact and for communication as it reveals the hidden meanings. Colours often evoke the physiological, psychological, and emotional responses, which are reactions to associations people make with their experiences and the cultural heritage. Hero is the film representing the achievements of Yimou under blockbuster films on aesthetics and claimed the complete and extraordinary feast of colour manipulation (Zheng, 2010). The story, Hero, is based on the adaptation from the attempts to kill King of Qin who united China. However, most people disapproved his dictatorial methods of leading. During the early stages of the film, a man from a small town arriving in the palace with an aim of meeting the King. The man is known as Nameless. With the attempts on his life, the king survived including the assignation attempts from Long Sky, Broken Sword, and Flying Snow all from the Zhao state (Stewart, 2015). The rules do not allow any man to approach the king 100 paces within the main hall except the person that kills the top assassinators with Nameless claiming to have assassinated the three assassins and displayed their weapons as evidence. Therefore, the King guards allow him to sit 10 in front of the king. The Hero commences with a pure black tone, which resembles Qin palace colour. Moreover, the armour of the King, the clothes of worriers and Nameless were black reflecting solemnity and mysteriousness of the environment. In Chinese culture, there are five elements: the earth is important as it represents their philosophy and a basic element standing for the people, golden, water, wood, and fire. Wearing yellow reflects a person bringing justice for others, and shows care (Mackey, 2004). The Chinese colour usually use conflicting colours such as black and yellow in a bid to distinct between justice and evil. However, Nameless’ black wear means king’s servant and protector. Nameless’ second recall uses the information on the death Sky to alienate Sword and Snow’s relationship owing to their early love. The calligraphy of the school and the entire is themed red to show where the cortege of Snow and Sword live. The story portrays Sworn and Snow as impulsive and narrow-minded. The red colour represents the Sword’s jealousness and the anger and impulsion of the Snow, and avengement of the moon including violence, blood, and death according to the interpretation of the red colours in the western values (Larson, 2008). The last scene is the impaling Snow through the body of the moon as the sword, and Moon fall down the ground. As the moon falls, the environment becomes golden yellow before turning red. Such colours reflect the complex motion relating to love. Besides, such colours also play an important role in the war of Zhao and Qin. Zhao and Qin’s army wear red and black respectively with each case having different meaning. The long-lived spirit connected with the unyielding and challenge between the warm-blooded patriotism and wanton war. In such case, red depicts the keen of the Chinese style: righteous, warm, and positive. Case study 2: The Road Home The story commences with the businessperson Luo Yusheng as he returns home in Sanheturn village after the demise of Luo Changyu, the father of his schoolteacher. However, the body of the father remained unclaimed in the hospital as Zhao Di, the mother, insists that young men carry the body to the village, as the tradition requires. Nonetheless, despite Changyu being a revered community member, teaching the generation of children within the social house, the village has inadequate manpower to undertake the required profession since most young men left for work in the cities. Then thing that follows is how the parents of Luo met when Di was 18 years and met with the schoolteacher in 1958 I China. Di was determined to know Changyu better to an extent of being ready to cross the paths the handsome teacher and neither ready to hear the sound of voices instructing the children within the city (Leong, 2001). Di underwent many sufferings from the town to working the slave hours in the kitchen preparing the dumpling for her found love. Unfortunately, when they are just beginning to hit it off, Changyu received a message recalling him to the city to take part in the ongoing political investigation. The most disheartening moment in the film is when Di makes the effort of catching up with Changyu on the foot with an aim of giving him some dumpling since he would be going for a long trip to the city. Stumbling on the way contributed to her heartbreak, which the audiences also share. Even though Changyu might be gone, the hope and resolve are still intact as she devotes all her strength in ensuring that she reunites with Changyu consider that was her true love. Moreover, while recounting the story, it becoming very clear of the love. Besides, at her age, Di still has strong feelings for her late husband which is carried back home on the road which plays a critical role in their love affair. With his warm cinematography, Yimou fashioned the raw emotions and simple narrative into a deeply heartfelt masterpiece. The central focus of the movie with regards to love is simple and narrated decidedly through the eye of Di. The director puts the film irresistible and pulls out the emotions through the execution of lyrics and materials as in the Shi Bao’s novel, Remembrance. Both Di and Changyu shared few scenes together and exchanged few words, which ensures their undeniable connection. The love between Di and Changyu is evident through Di’s eyes and naïve actions. Concerning such experience, there is a series of indelible images conveying the unshakable devotion (Zhang, Sun, Zhang, & Bao, 2007). In addition, focusing on her prior stealthy glances towards the school building when fetching water and being forlorn along the street vigil and in a tempest waiting for her adoration's arrival, it clear that this romantic tale is described in its most straightforward terms and untainted with the blight connected with skepticism. Such force proceeds until the end of the film where both the over a significant time span crash in feeling as Changyu at last is brought home and let go inside the village. The film leads bring energy and appeal to her paramount and well-thrown depiction of the young Di. The western groups of onlookers interface the young performing artist with the vivacious and dazzling Jen inside "Crouching Tiger, Concealed Dragon" while "The Street Home" broadening their energy about including her emotional flexibility and reinforcing the unmatched screen nearness. References Beugnet, M. (2007). The Aesthetics of Sensation. In Cinema and Sensation: French Film and the Art of Transgression. London: London Edinburgh University Press. Ding, H. (2012). An Unprecedented Matial Art Feast: Creativity in Zhang's Hero. Movie Review 2012 (13). Farquhar, M. (2002, May). Zhang Yimou • Great Director profile • Senses of Cinema. Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://sensesofcinema.com/2002/great-directors/zhang/ Hao, C. (2010). Three Transformation of Zhang Yimou's Cinematic Aesthetics. Movie Literature 2010 (21). Kaldis, N. (2009). A Brief Response to Wendy Larson's ‘Zhang Yimou's Hero : dismantling the myth of cultural power’. Journal of Chinese Cinemas, 3(1), 83-88. Larson, W. (2008). Zhang Yimou's Hero : dismantling the myth of cultural power. Journal of Chinese Cinemas, 2(3), 181-196. Leong, A. (2001). The Road Home Movie Review. Retrieved May 10, 2016, from www.mediacircus.net/roadhome.html Mackey, R. (2004, August 15). FILM; Cracking the Color Code of 'Hero' - The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/15/movies/film-cracking-the-color-code-of-hero.html Notable Bibliographies. (n.d.). Zhang Yimou Biography - life, family, name, story, history, school, young, son, old, born, movie, husband. Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/supp/Supplement-Sp-Z/Zhang-Yimou.html Stewart, J. A. (2015). Seeking the Elder Hero in Zhang Yimou's Film, Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles. Jung Journal, 9(3), 31-43. Wei, L., & Ke, B. (2009). Zhang Yimou: From a man of Northwest China to the chief director of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Beijing: China Pictorial Publishing House. Yuan, W. (2012). Intercommunication between TraditionalAesthetics and Modern Film Arts: An Exploration of ArtisticConception in Zhang Yimou's Films. Journal of Sichuan Theatre 2012 (3). Zhang, Y., & Gateward, F. K. (2001). Zhang Yimou: Interviews. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. Zhang, Y., Sun, H., Zhang, Z., & Bao, S. (2007). The road home. China: Beauty Culture Communication. Zheng, Y. (2010). What Makes a Genre Blockbuster Good to Look At: Zhang Yimou's Transformative Modus Operandi in Hero. Film International, 8(1), 47-62. Read More

After decades of success, Yimou transitioned in subjects, narrations, and various genres since the millennium, which yielded mixed judgments from the public. Concerning the film Hero (2002), the art is considered extensive as the iconic work carried by Yimou (Zhang & Gateward, 2001). However, Yimou’s film has transitioned through various stages categorized based on the years: 1987-2000, 2002-2006, and 2008-2011. In the early years, Yimou adapted some of his films based on scar literature.

The books used include Mo Yan’s and Su Tong’s to direct the Red Sorghum and Raise the Red Lantern respectively. While seeking the root, avant-garde, and neo-historicist novels, there is a need to explore in-depth humanities and the lives of women within the ethnical perspectives (Beugnet, 2007). With the benefits associated with various novels, Yimou used his experience in the distinctive cinematography in making the stories on the paper alive on the screen that in the end positioned his name in the Chinese film industry and made him one of the successful directors of the Fifth Generation.

            After the millennium, literature work had a series of transitions while the artists and novelists were emphasizing much on the form and skills rather than the stories. However, the literature work undertaken by Yimou shifted from the literature-based adaption to the second phase that symbolized the typical milestone as seen in the film Hero. Within the second stage, Yimou enforced the color metaphor which had its origin from Red Sorghum through making the film with high contrast pictures but stopped his manner of seeking the truth history.

Nonetheless, such transformation was unpleasant for the part of the market. The skills of manipulating the color are the reason behind the praise and criticism that Yimou met simultaneously. Most people criticized such extreme pursuit for the visual impact, his negligence associated with the humanistic care, and storytelling, which shone points Yimou’s work. It is undeniable of Yimou’s experience in cinematic aesthetics especially cracking the color codes, shapes, and composition.

With regards to such genre, Yimou is the brand with his works focusing on the colorful scenes, magnificent frames, sharply contrary conflicts, exaggerated visual effects, and ingenuity in details. Moreover, Yimou paid much attention to the national conventions in appreciating the color making it easier for his films to be accepted within the nationwide cinema.            Western aesthetics uses realistic styles. However, Yimou expressed the Chinese traditional aesthetics, which he claims to be symbolic, and put much emphasis on the concerned meaning hiding behind the presentation.

Most Chinese arts, abstracts, and simple objects often have imaginative themes that require appreciation and realization of the hidden meanings. In all the films of Yimou, it is easy to spot various artistic elements reproduced concerning the Chinese traditional aesthetics. The artistic expressions associated with Yimou’s work include using the formative arts such as the sets and costumes and make-ups (Ding, 2012). Yimou is the master in using the symbolic image in characterizing and pushing forward the plot without much assistance of the lines.

Moreover, the remarkable work associated with the transition of Hero is the typical icon reflecting his skills in manipulating the cinematic aesthetics (Kaldis, 2009). As an earlier cinematographer, Yimou likes and has skills in using fine art elements, especially color in expressing himself. Colour is used both for visual impact and for communication as it reveals the hidden meanings. Colors often evoke the physiological, psychological, and emotional responses, which are reactions to associations people make with their experiences and cultural heritage.

Hero is the film representing the achievements of Yimou under blockbuster films on aesthetics and claimed the complete and extraordinary feast of color manipulation (Zheng, 2010). The story, Hero, is based on the adaptation of the attempts to kill the King of Qin who united China.

Read More