ZHANG Yimou Zhāng Yìmóu 张艺谋 B

◀ ZHANG Daqian Comprehensive index starts in volume 5, page 2667.

ZHANG Yimou Zhāng Yìmóu 张艺谋 b. 1951 Film, stage, and 2008 Olympics opening ceremonies director

Zhang Yimou is one of China’s most cele- and Raise the Red Lantern (1991) provide an oblique cri- brated and commercially successful film di- tique on contemporary society by adopting the theme of rectors. His martial arts blockbusters since traditional society’s oppression of women. 2002 contrast with films from the early part of To Live (1994) reminds audiences of the tumult of Chi- na’s twentieth history while affirming the universal theme his career that focused on China’s tumultuous of the struggle to survive and maintain dignity despite history. An acclaimed stage director, Zhang hardship and tragedy. Zhang’s new cinematic language has directed operas, ballets, folk musicals, combined with social and historical critique launched and the spectacular opening ceremonies to his international stardom and established Zhang as one the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. of the key representatives of the fifth generation of filmmakers in China. Between 1992 and 2000 Zhang experimented with a range of cinematic styles, especially neo-realism. Whereas orn in Xi’an on November 14, 1951, Zhang Yi- mou has been one of China’s most celebrated and commercially successful filmmakers since Gong Li, in a scene from the filmRed Sorghum, the 1980s. Zhang graduated from the Beijing Film Acad- Zhang Yimou’s first film to become a major hit. emy in 1978 and was assigned to work as a cinematog- Zhang Yimou filmed it at Xi’an Studio. Photo rapher in the Guangxi Film Studio in 1982. Founded in courtesy of Joan Lebold Cohen. 1958 and located in the southwestern city of Nanning, this studio is one of the major state-owned film and television studios in China. Zhang served as the cinema- tographer for Yellow Earth (1984), which was directed by classmate Chen Kaige. The film’s stark shots, sparse dialogue, and politically ambiguous message marked a radical change from the revolutionary themes and so- cialist realist style of films made during the Maoist era (1949–1976). His directorial debut Red Sorghum (1987) received no- table international acclaim for its rich imagery and pow- erful narrative about a rural winery’s opposition to the Japanese occupation of northeast China. Ju Dou (1990) 2619 B © 2009 by Berkshire Publishing Group LLC 2620 Berkshire Encyclopedia of China 宝库山中华全书 his earlier films featured stories from China’s past, The Story of Qiu Ju (1992), The Road Home(1999), and Not One Less (2000) are set in recent China and address contemporary social issues such as legal rights, universal edu- cation, and family values. The latter two films represent a shift away from a critique of China to a call for audiences to assist in China’s social development. These films moved Zhang closer to the government and shaped the trajectory of his future career. Following on the heels of the success of Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Zhang sought to create a Chinese blockbuster and capture global box office re- ceipts by appealing to the international audience’s interest in an exotic, mythical China and the Chinese audience’s taste for historical costume dramas and martial arts. Hero (2002) is an action-packed and visually mesmeriz- A scene from the film Red Sorghum, by Zhang Yi- ing film about a failed assassination attempt on China’s mou. Photo courtesy of Joan Lebold Cohen. first emperor.House of Flying Daggers (2003) and Curse of the Golden Flower (2007) feature increased budgets and star-studded casts, and despite their unconvincing plots, achieved success at the box office. people on television. The spectacular show included a The spectacle of Zhang’s films are also presented on display of 35,000 fireworks, designed by acclaimed art- stage as ballets, operas, theatre, and pageantry. Zhang di- ist Cai Guo-qiang, and 15,000 performers of acrobatics, rected Puccini’s opera Turandot in Italy (1997) and in an martial arts, and a variety of musical performances, in- historically unprecedented performance in Beijing’s For- cluding the countdown performed by 2,008 drummers. bidden City (1998), he adapted Raise the Red Lantern into The magnificent performance represented China’s global a ballet (2001), and directed The First Emperorat the Met- prominence and symbolically displayed the Chinese gov- ropolitan Opera in New York (premiered in 2007). He has ernment’s emphasis upon solidarity, harmony, and tech- also directed the outdoor folk music spectaculars Third nological progress. Sister Liu (since 2003) in southwestern China and Impres- Jonathan NOBLE sion Lijiang in scenic Yunnan Province (since 2006). After having directed the 2001 short film to promote Beijing’s Olympic bid and China’s eight-minute perfor- Further Reading mance at the closing ceremonies of the 2004 summer Clark, P. (2006). Reinventing China: A generation and its Olympics in Athens, Zhang was selected to direct the films. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press. opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Gateward, F. (Ed.). (2001). Zhang Yimou: Interviews. Jack- Beijing. The nearlyfour- hour show, described by many as son: University of Mississippi. dazzling, was held in the Bird’s Nest, China’s newly built Zhen Ni (2002). Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy: and iconic national stadium. It was attended by an un- The genesis of Chinas fifth generation. Durham, NC: precedented eighty world leaders and viewed by 1 billion Duke University Press.

ZHANG Zhidong ▶