Evening Bell (film)

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Evening Bell
Traditional Chinese 晚鐘
Simplified Chinese 晚钟
Hanyu Pinyin Wǎn zhōng
Directed by Wu Ziniu
Written byWu Ziniu
Wang Yifei
Starring Chong Peipei
Tao Zeru
Ge Yaming
Cinematography Hou Yong
Edited byZong Lijang
Music by Ma Jianping
Release date
  • 1988 (1988)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryChina
LanguageMandarin

Evening Bell is a 1988 Chinese war film directed by Wu Ziniu. The film stars Tao Zeru, Chong Peipei, and others, and was produced in part by the August First Film Studio, a production company associated with the People's Liberation Army.

Contents

It was one of three war films Wu directed in 1988, the other two being Joyous Heroes , and its sequel Between Life and Death .

Plot

Taking place in the immediate aftermath of the Second Sino-Japanese War (the Chinese branch of the Second World War), Evening Bell follows a small platoon of five Chinese soldiers who must negotiate a devastated landscape, burying bodies, disarming mines, and eventually facing off against a starving band of Japanese soldiers who do not yet know that the war has ended.

Censorship and reception

Evening Bell went through a rigorous four-part process with Chinese censors. While the final result was much changed from Wu's original vision, the film nevertheless did well critically both home and abroad. [1] The film won Wu a Golden Rooster award for best direction in 1989 as well as a Silver Bear - Special Jury Prize at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival. [1] [2]

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References

  1. 1 2 Zhang, Yingjin & Xiao, Zhiwei (1998). Encyclopedia of Chinese Film. Taylor & Francis, p. 372-73. ISBN   0-415-15168-6.
  2. "Berlinale: 1989 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Archived from the original on 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2011-03-13.