Saving General Yang | |
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Traditional Chinese | 忠烈楊家將 |
Simplified Chinese | 忠烈杨家将 |
Hanyu Pinyin | Zhōng Liè Yáng Jiā Jiàng |
Jyutping | Zung1 Lit6 Joeng4 Gaa1 Zoeng3 |
Directed by | Ronny Yu |
Written by |
|
Produced by | Raymond Wong |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Chan Chi-ying |
Edited by | Drew Thompson |
Music by | Kenji Kawai |
Production companies | Pegasus Motion Pictures Pegasus Film & TV Culture (Beijing) Huayi Brothers Henan Film & TV Production Group Henan Film Studio |
Distributed by | Pegasus Motion Pictures Distribution Limited |
Release date |
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Running time | 102 minutes |
Country | Hong Kong |
Languages | Mandarin Cantonese |
Box office | HK$6.3 million [1] |
Saving General Yang is a 2013 Hong Kong film directed by Ronny Yu. The story is based on the legendary Generals of the Yang Family. The film was selected as part of the 2013 Hong Kong International Film Festival. [2]
The film is set in the early Northern Song dynasty, AD 986, of northeastern China. Former Northern Han general and the patriarch of the Yang clan Yang Ye pledges allegiance to the new Han Chinese-ruled Song regime after Northern Han's fall. Years later Yang's seventh son, Yang Yansi, participated in a martial arts tournament with his father's rival Pan Renmei's son Pan Bao in his sixth brother Yang Yanzhao's place to win Later Zhou's former princess Chai Meirong's (who is Yang Yanzhao's childhood sweetheart) hand in marriage, which ended in the latter's death. The following morning Yang and Pan meet with the emperor about the issue; Yang executes 30 whiplashes to his young sons as punishment. Later, Song's border stations are burned, signaling an invasion from the Khitan-ruled Liao regime.
The Khitan army hopes to take its revenge on the Yang Clan and their followers for a past defeat that killed a Khitan general ten years previously. It was noted that the leader of the invading Khitan army is Yelü Yuan, son of the deceased Khitan general. Due to politics and Pan Bao's death, Pan Renmei is awarded with 50,000 troops to repel the Khitan army. As punishment, Gen. Yang is given a lesser task—to lead the charge and be the scout. When the two armies meet, Pan Renmei's lack of experience and inept leadership causes chaos among the Song army, and the Khitan forces emerge with a decisive victory. All the while Gen. Yang is trapped behind enemy lines in an abandoned town in front of Wolf Mountain. The Khitan army surrounds the town, allowing no one to leave. Pan, however, refuses to send troops to rescue Yang as revenge. This leaves Yang Ye's wife, She Saihua, devastated as she sends her seven sons to rescue him. It is later revealed that this is exactly what Yelü Yuan wanted, and the sons fall into his deadly trap.
Led by the eldest son, Yang Yanping, the seven brothers—including the two youngest, who unlike their brothers have never seen combat—set out with a small band of Yang Clan's elite soldiers to fight through an army of thousands to reach to the Wolf Mountain. When they finally arrive in the town, the Khitan army starts bombarding it with catapults and unleashes a fierce attack. The seven escape with their father, but are the only ones of the clan to survive; all the soldiers with them are killed. In the escape the father is wounded with a poisoned arrow (actually wounded in the previous battle). and he ultimately kills himself. The sons decide to bring their father's body home for a proper burial and to allow their mother to see her beloved husband one last time.
Before sending off the seven sons, She Saihua visits a fortune teller, who gives her a slip of paper saying: "Seven will set off, six will return". By the end of the film, Yang Yansi dies after Pan's archers fill him full of arrows under his orders after he escaped from Wolf Mountain, and Yelü Yuan personally hunts Yang Ye's surviving sons and kills five of them. However, Yang Yanzhao alone defeats and kills Yelü in combat, seemingly proving the prediction wrong. It turns out, though, that the message was correct; what it actually meant was that Yang Yanzhao, who was son #6, was the one who would return and have a greater destiny than his siblings. He returned with his father's body, the brothers' weapons and Yelü Yuan's severed head. Although four of Yang Ye's sons' bodies were recovered, two had never been found. After his father's and brothers' funerals, Yang Yanzhao marries Chai Meirong. His victory over Yelü Yuan redeemed his father's failure to stop the Khitan army, and the Khitan empress had to halt her assault on the Song empire due to the loss of her general. Because of the sons' courageous actions, Yang Yanzhao rises to his late father's position as general and the Yang Clan developed a legendary reputation in China.
Zhao Jiong, known as Zhao Guangyi from 960 to 977 and Zhao Kuangyi before 960, also known by his temple name Taizong after his death, was the second emperor of the Song dynasty of China. He reigned from 976 to his death in 997. He was a younger brother of his predecessor Emperor Taizu, and the father of his successor Emperor Zhenzong.
Emperor Taizong of Liao, personal name Yaogu, sinicised name Yelü Deguang, courtesy name Dejin, was the second emperor of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China.
The 14 Amazons is a 1972 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Cheng Kang and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio. The award winning film featured a predominantly female cast. The story is about the female generals of the Yang Family.
Yang Ye (楊業) or Yang Jiye (楊繼業), named Liu Jiye (劉繼業) before 979 and Yang Chonggui (楊重貴) in his youth, was a Chinese military general of the Northern Han and the Northern Song dynasties.
The Generals of the Yang Family is a collection of Chinese folklore, plays and novels on a military family from the earlier years of imperial China's Song Dynasty (960–1279). The stories recount the unflinching loyalty and the remarkable bravery of the Yangs as they sacrificed themselves to defend their country from foreign military powers, namely the Khitan-ruled Liao Dynasty (907–1125) and Tangut-ruled Western Xia (1038–1227).
Yelü Bei, also known as Yelü Tuyu, posthumously honored Emperor Wenxian Qinyi (文獻欽義皇帝) with the temple name Yizong, formally known as Renhuang Wang during his lifetime, known as Dongdan Muhua (東丹慕華) (931) and then Li Zanhua (李贊華) (931–937) as a Later Tang subject, was the eldest son of Emperor Taizu of Liao, the founder of the Liao dynasty. He was declared successor to the Emperor Taizu in 916, but never succeeded to the throne. Rather, after the accession of his younger brother Yelü Deguang, he fled to the Shatuo-led Later Tang dynasty, where he was killed in 937.
Warriors of the Yang Clan is a 2004 Chinese costume drama, based on the Generals of the Yang Family legends.
Empress Cheonchu is a 2009 South Korean period television series based on the title character, an actual historical figure and her lifelong struggle to protect the country her ancestors built. The granddaughter of Goryeo Dynasty founder Taejo Wanggeon, the empress ruled as the regent for her son Mokjong, the dynasty's seventh ruler. Determined to realize her ambitious goals for the kingdom of Goryeo, she dons armor, battles against foreign invaders, and tramples her lover, her son and brother in her rise to power.
The Young Warriors is a 2006 Chinese television series based on a series of novels and plays that detail the exploits of the Generals of the Yang Clan during the early Song Dynasty. The series was jointly produced by Chinese Entertainment Shanghai and Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, and stars an ensemble cast of talents from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the United States and Canada.
Legendary Amazons is a 2011 Chinese film based on the stories of the Yang Clan Generals. The film was directed by Frankie Chan and starred Richie Jen, Cecilia Cheung, Cheng Pei-pei, Liu Xiaoqing and Kathy Chow. The film is based on the same source material as the 1972 Hong Kong film The 14 Amazons.
She Saihua (佘賽花) is a legendary heroine from ancient China's Northern Song Dynasty. The wife of Yang Ye and the mother of their 7 sons, she is a prominent figure in the stories on Generals of the Yang Family.
Pan Mei (潘美) was a military general and statesman in the early years of imperial China's Song dynasty. In the 970s, he was the main commander in Song's conquest of Southern Han and also played pivotal roles in the conquest of Southern Tang and Northern Han. Afterwards he fought the Khitan-ruled Liao dynasty on Song's northern border.
Yang Wenguang was a general in ancient China's Northern Song Dynasty.
Legendary Fighter: Yang's Heroine is a 2001 Chinese costume drama produced by Chinese Entertainment Shanghai Limited in conjunction with Taiwan Television, Singapore Press Holdings and China Film Group Corporation. The plot is based on the Generals of the Yang Family legends, focusing on the women in the stories.
Yang Yanzhao (楊延昭), named Yang Yanlang (楊延朗) before 1012, was a military general in ancient China's Northern Song Dynasty. For over 2 decades he defended Song's northern border against the Khitan-ruled Liao Dynasty, helping Song thwart Liao's repeated invasion attempts between 999 and 1004.
Yang Zongbao (楊宗保) is a character in the Generals of the Yang Family legends. In these largely fictionalized stories, he is the son of general Yang Yanzhao and Princess Chai, the husband of Mu Guiying and the father of Yang Wenguang.
Yang Qilang is a fictional character in the Generals of the Yang Family legends, the 7th eldest and youngest son of Song Dynasty general Yang Ye. In these largely fictionalized stories, he was shot to death with countless arrows by the vengeful Song commander Pan Renmei while seeking reinforcement for his trapped father in battles against the Liao Dynasty army.
Zhao Yanshou, né Liu Yanshou (劉延壽), formally the Prince of Wei (魏王), was a Chinese military general, monarch, poet, and politician. He served as major general of Later Tang of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, as well as the Khitan Liao Dynasty. He first became prominent as a son-in-law of Later Tang's second emperor Li Siyuan, but was captured by Liao's Emperor Taizong when Later Tang fell. He subsequently served Emperor Taizong, who promised him that he would be made the emperor of China if helped Emperor Taizong destroy Later Tang's successor state Later Jin. Emperor Taizong reneged on the promise after doing so, however, leading to Zhao's attempt to seize Liao's Chinese territory after Emperor Taizong's death. He was, however, arrested by Emperor Taizong's nephew and successor Emperor Shizong and held until his death.
Yang Yande is a fictional character in the Generals of the Yang Family legends, the fifth eldest son of Song Dynasty general Yang Ye. In these largely fictionalized stories, he survived the battle against the Liao Dynasty army that killed his father, and left to become a Buddhist monk.