The Herdsman
Encyclopedia
The Herdsman is a 1982
Chinese film
about the life of a herdsman
in western China from 1950s through the Cultural Revolution
, and his reunion with his father from America. It was produced by the Shanghai Film Studio
and directed by Xie Jin
, starring Zhu Shimao.
entrepreneur, Xu Jingyou ( Liu Qiong), returns to China, and finds his son, Xu Lingjun ( Zhu Shimao), a herdsman working in Chilechuan Ranch in northwestern China. The father wants to take his son to the United States to inherit his assets. However, the junior Xu is very distant with his father. More than 30 years ago, the father had abandoned his wife and son to do business in America. His mother died of disease and Xu becomes an orphan. After graduating from high school, Xu became a teacher. In 1957, he was classified as a "rightist" and sent to work in a ranch in the underdeveloped northwest. In 1962, when the labor penalty was terminated, Xu stayed at the ranch as a herdsman. Due to despair, Xu even attempted to commit suicide. But his fellow ranchers, especially Grandpa and Grandma Dong and Guo Zi, give him the courage and strength to carry on. During Cultural Revolution, Guo Zi and other ranchers protect him from political persecution. In 1972, Xu marries Li Xiuzhi, a village girl who had fled the famine in Sichuan
. They give birth to a son, Little Qingqing, and the family lived a carefree life. Xu was rehabilitated in 1979 and returned to his post as a teacher. In the evening when Xu meets his father at the Peking Restaurant, his heart is uneasy. He recalls his past at the ranch and his wife's trust in his returning, which consolidates his decision to stay in China. The senior Xu finally understands his son, and the two resume their kinship. After sending his father home, Xu returns to the ranch and to his friends and family.
) and Best Editing ( Zhou Dingwen) in 1983 at the 3rd Golden Rooster Awards
. It also won Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor ( Niu Ben
) at the 6th Hundred Flowers Awards
. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard
section at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival
.
1982 in film
-Events:* March 26 = I Ought to Be in Pictures, starring Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret and Dinah Manoff is released. Manoff would not appear in another movie until 1987's Backfire.* June = PG-rated film E.T...
Chinese film
Cinema of China
The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Since 1949 the cinema of mainland China has operated under restrictions imposed by the Communist Party of China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and...
about the life of a herdsman
Herder
A herder is a worker who lives a possibly semi-nomadic life, caring for various domestic animals, in places where these animals wander pasture lands....
in western China from 1950s through the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, and his reunion with his father from America. It was produced by the Shanghai Film Studio
Shanghai Film Studio
Shanghai Film Studio is the film division of the Shanghai Film Group Corporation in Shanghai, China. It is responsible for the production of Chinese films and TV programs.-History:...
and directed by Xie Jin
Xie Jin
Xie Jin was an important Chinese film director. He rose to prominence in 1957, directing the film Woman Basketball Player No. 5. Most recently he was known for the direction of The Opium War....
, starring Zhu Shimao.
Plot
In autumn of 1980, an elderly Chinese AmericanChinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
entrepreneur, Xu Jingyou ( Liu Qiong), returns to China, and finds his son, Xu Lingjun ( Zhu Shimao), a herdsman working in Chilechuan Ranch in northwestern China. The father wants to take his son to the United States to inherit his assets. However, the junior Xu is very distant with his father. More than 30 years ago, the father had abandoned his wife and son to do business in America. His mother died of disease and Xu becomes an orphan. After graduating from high school, Xu became a teacher. In 1957, he was classified as a "rightist" and sent to work in a ranch in the underdeveloped northwest. In 1962, when the labor penalty was terminated, Xu stayed at the ranch as a herdsman. Due to despair, Xu even attempted to commit suicide. But his fellow ranchers, especially Grandpa and Grandma Dong and Guo Zi, give him the courage and strength to carry on. During Cultural Revolution, Guo Zi and other ranchers protect him from political persecution. In 1972, Xu marries Li Xiuzhi, a village girl who had fled the famine in Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
. They give birth to a son, Little Qingqing, and the family lived a carefree life. Xu was rehabilitated in 1979 and returned to his post as a teacher. In the evening when Xu meets his father at the Peking Restaurant, his heart is uneasy. He recalls his past at the ranch and his wife's trust in his returning, which consolidates his decision to stay in China. The senior Xu finally understands his son, and the two resume their kinship. After sending his father home, Xu returns to the ranch and to his friends and family.
Reception
The film won Best Supporting Actor ( Niu BenNiu Ben
NIU Ben , original name ZHANG Xuejing , born in Tianjin, lives in Shanghai currently, one of the earlier generation of Chinese actors, with the reputation of "Ever green in Chinese filmdom".-Biography:...
) and Best Editing ( Zhou Dingwen) in 1983 at the 3rd Golden Rooster Awards
Golden Rooster Awards
China Golden Rooster Film Festival also known as Golden Rooster Awards are the most prestigious awards in film given in mainland China, equivalent the China's Academy Awards. The awards are given annually, beginning in 1981. The name of the award came from the year of the Rooster in 1981...
. It also won Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor ( Niu Ben
Niu Ben
NIU Ben , original name ZHANG Xuejing , born in Tianjin, lives in Shanghai currently, one of the earlier generation of Chinese actors, with the reputation of "Ever green in Chinese filmdom".-Biography:...
) at the 6th Hundred Flowers Awards
Hundred Flowers Awards
The People's Hundred Flowers Film Festival or Hundred Flowers Awards, equivalent the China's Golden Globes, are considered, together with the Golden Rooster Awards, the most prestigious film awards in China...
. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
section at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival
1983 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*William Styron *Henri Alekan *Yvonne Baby *Sergei Bondarchuk *Youssef Chahine *Souleymane Cissé *Gilbert de Goldschmidt *Mariangela Melato *Karel Reisz...
.
External links
- The Herdsman at the Chinese Movie Database