Xie Jin
Encyclopedia
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
.
Xie was a popular director amongst the older generations of Chinese, with six of his films being voted Best Picture in the Hundred Flowers Awards
. He was the only Chinese director to date to be a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
as well as the Directors Guild of America
.
, Zhejiang Province. He spent his childhood in his hometown, and attended primary school for one year there. In the 1930s, he moved to Shanghai
with his parents and continued his education. In 1938, he followed his father to Hong Kong
and studied there for one year. When returning to Shanghai in 1939, Xie enrolled in Daxia Affiliated High School and Jishan High School. In leisure time, Xie took courses at Huaguang Drama School and Jinxing Film Training School. His teachers included Huang Zuolin and Wu Renzhi. Meanwhile, he participated students drama activities led by Yu Ling, and acted as Yue Yun in multi-stage play Yue Yun.
In 1941, Xie enrolled in the play department of Jiang'an National Drama School in Sichuan
, and was educated by Cao Yu
, Hong Shen, Jiao Juyin
, Ma Yanxiang, Chen Liting, among other notable figures. In 1943, he voluntarily ceased his study and started working in China Youth Play Agency in Chongqing
, and became stage manager, scenario writer and actor. In 1946, Xie reassumed his study at National Drama School in Nanjing
, majoring in directing. In 1948, he entered Datong Film Corporation and became assistant director, and associate director.
After establishment of PRC
, Xie enrolled in the research institute of politics of North China Revolutionary University. Later, he became an associate director and a director in Changjiang Film Studio and Shanghai Film Studio
.
Xie directed more than 20 films in his career. His debut work, Woman Basketball Player No. 5
, was the first colored sports film in PRC, which won the silver prize in 6th International Youth Film Festival in 1957, and the Silver Hat Prize in Mexico International Film Week in 1958.
The Red Detachment of Women won the Best Picture and Best Directing of the 1st Hundred Flowers Awards
, and it also won the Wanlong Prize of 3rd Asia-Africa Film Festival in 1964.
Two Stage Sisters
won the Sutherland Trophy of British Film Institute Awards in 24th London Film Festival
. It also won prizes in Portugal and Manila international film festivals. However, it was attacked in his home country because it “advocated the reconciliation of social classes.” Xie recalled in the 2002 interview that his parents committed suicide amid the political pressure — his mother jumping off a building and his father overdosing on sleeping pills — and he had to collect their bodies himself.
Jia Zhangke
remarked it was still risky for Xie to make films about this traumatic period in the 1980s, which he did, when China had started to open up and implement economic reforms.
On 23 August 2008, Xie Jin's son died of cancer. Two months later, on the morning of 18 October 2008, Xie Jin's body was discovered in his hotel room in Shangyu
. Hundreds of celebrities and thousands of other people attended his funeral. After he died, Song Zude
, known as the King of Media Hype in mainland China, made a series of derogatory statements about Xie Jin. Millions of people stood against Song Zude
in respect of the late Xie Jin.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. He rose to prominence in 1957, directing the film Woman Basketball Player No. 5
Woman Basketball Player No. 5
Woman Basketball Player No. 5 is a 1957 Chinese film presented by Tian Ma Film Studio and directed by Xie Jin, starring Qin Yi, Liu Qiong, Cao Qiwei and Wang Qi...
. Most recently he was known for the direction of The Opium War
The Opium War (film)
The Opium War is a 1997 Chinese historical epic film directed by Xie Jin. The winner of the 1997 Golden Rooster and 1998 Hundred Flowers Awards for Best Picture, the film was screened in several international film festivals, notably Cannes and Montreal...
.
Xie was a popular director amongst the older generations of Chinese, with six of his films being voted Best Picture in the 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...
. He was the only Chinese director to date to be a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
as well as the Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
.
Biography
Xie was born in ShangyuShangyu
Shangyu is a county-level city which is part of the prefecture-level city of Shaoxing in the Northeast of Zhejiang province of the People's Republic of China. Its 2004 population was over 770,000, up from 722,523 in the 2000 census. Shangyu is roughly fifty kilometers from north to south and about...
, Zhejiang Province. He spent his childhood in his hometown, and attended primary school for one year there. In the 1930s, he moved to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
with his parents and continued his education. In 1938, he followed his father to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and studied there for one year. When returning to Shanghai in 1939, Xie enrolled in Daxia Affiliated High School and Jishan High School. In leisure time, Xie took courses at Huaguang Drama School and Jinxing Film Training School. His teachers included Huang Zuolin and Wu Renzhi. Meanwhile, he participated students drama activities led by Yu Ling, and acted as Yue Yun in multi-stage play Yue Yun.
In 1941, Xie enrolled in the play department of Jiang'an National Drama School 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...
, and was educated by Cao Yu
Cao Yu
Cao Yu , born as Wan Jiabao , was a renowned Chinese playwright, often regarded as China's most important of the 20th century. His most well-known works are Thunderstorm , Sunrise and Peking Man...
, Hong Shen, Jiao Juyin
Jiao Juyin
Jiao Juyin was a Chinese director, translator, and theater theorist. He was born in Tianjin on Dec 11 1905. His original name was Chengzhi, and had used several pen names such as 居颖,居尹 and 亮俦. He used Juying as stage name， and later changed it into 菊隐.Jiao was very poor when he was young, and had...
, Ma Yanxiang, Chen Liting, among other notable figures. In 1943, he voluntarily ceased his study and started working in China Youth Play Agency in Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
, and became stage manager, scenario writer and actor. In 1946, Xie reassumed his study at National Drama School in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, majoring in directing. In 1948, he entered Datong Film Corporation and became assistant director, and associate director.
After establishment of PRC
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Xie enrolled in the research institute of politics of North China Revolutionary University. Later, he became an associate director and a director in Changjiang Film Studio and 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:...
.
Xie directed more than 20 films in his career. His debut work, Woman Basketball Player No. 5
Woman Basketball Player No. 5
Woman Basketball Player No. 5 is a 1957 Chinese film presented by Tian Ma Film Studio and directed by Xie Jin, starring Qin Yi, Liu Qiong, Cao Qiwei and Wang Qi...
, was the first colored sports film in PRC, which won the silver prize in 6th International Youth Film Festival in 1957, and the Silver Hat Prize in Mexico International Film Week in 1958.
The Red Detachment of Women won the Best Picture and Best Directing of the 1st 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...
, and it also won the Wanlong Prize of 3rd Asia-Africa Film Festival in 1964.
Two Stage Sisters
Two Stage Sisters
Two Stage Sisters is a 1964 Chinese drama film produced by Shanghai Tianma Film Studio and directed by Xie Jin, starring Xie Fang and Cao Yindi. Made just before the Cultural Revolution, it tells the story of two female Yue Opera practitioners from the same troupe who end up taking very different...
won the Sutherland Trophy of British Film Institute Awards in 24th London Film Festival
London Film Festival
The BFI London Film Festival is the UK's largest public film event, screening more than 300 features, documentaries and shorts from almost 50 countries. The festival, , currently in its 54th year, is run every year in the second half of October under the umbrella of the British Film Institute...
. It also won prizes in Portugal and Manila international film festivals. However, it was attacked in his home country because it “advocated the reconciliation of social classes.” Xie recalled in the 2002 interview that his parents committed suicide amid the political pressure — his mother jumping off a building and his father overdosing on sleeping pills — and he had to collect their bodies himself.
Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke is a Chinese film director. He is generally regarded as a leading figure of the "Sixth Generation" movement of Chinese cinema, a group that also includes such figures as Wang Xiaoshuai and Zhang Yuan....
remarked it was still risky for Xie to make films about this traumatic period in the 1980s, which he did, when China had started to open up and implement economic reforms.
On 23 August 2008, Xie Jin's son died of cancer. Two months later, on the morning of 18 October 2008, Xie Jin's body was discovered in his hotel room in Shangyu
Shangyu
Shangyu is a county-level city which is part of the prefecture-level city of Shaoxing in the Northeast of Zhejiang province of the People's Republic of China. Its 2004 population was over 770,000, up from 722,523 in the 2000 census. Shangyu is roughly fifty kilometers from north to south and about...
. Hundreds of celebrities and thousands of other people attended his funeral. After he died, Song Zude
Song Zude
Song Zude , known as "the King of Media Hype", is a famous person in the entertainment circle of mainland China. From 2002 to 2008, his accusations and allegations toward different celebrities have been responded by national attention....
, known as the King of Media Hype in mainland China, made a series of derogatory statements about Xie Jin. Millions of people stood against Song Zude
Song Zude
Song Zude , known as "the King of Media Hype", is a famous person in the entertainment circle of mainland China. From 2002 to 2008, his accusations and allegations toward different celebrities have been responded by national attention....
in respect of the late Xie Jin.
Filmography
| Year | English Title | Chinese Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 1957 in film The year 1957 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 21 - The movie Jailhouse Rock, starring Elvis Presley, opens.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue-Awards:... |
Woman Basketball Player No. 5 Woman Basketball Player No. 5 Woman Basketball Player No. 5 is a 1957 Chinese film presented by Tian Ma Film Studio and directed by Xie Jin, starring Qin Yi, Liu Qiong, Cao Qiwei and Wang Qi... |
女篮五号 | |
| 1961 1961 in film The year 1961 in film involved some significant events, with West Side Story winning 10 Academy Awards.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:* Atlantis, the Lost ContinentB... |
The Red Detachment of Women | 红色娘子军 | |
| 1962 1962 in film The year 1962 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May - The Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards are officially founded by the Taiwanese government.... |
Big Li, Little Li and Old Li | 大李，小李和老李 | |
| 1965 1965 in film The year 1965 in film involved some significant events, with The Sound of Music topping the U.S. box office.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:... |
Two Stage Sisters Two Stage Sisters Two Stage Sisters is a 1964 Chinese drama film produced by Shanghai Tianma Film Studio and directed by Xie Jin, starring Xie Fang and Cao Yindi. Made just before the Cultural Revolution, it tells the story of two female Yue Opera practitioners from the same troupe who end up taking very different... |
舞台姐妹 | |
| 1975 1975 in film The year 1975 in film involved some significant events, with Steven Spielberg's thriller Jaws topping the box office.-Events:*March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London.... |
Chunmiao | 春苗 | |
| 1977 1977 in film The year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network.... |
Youth | 青春 | |
| 1979 1979 in film The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released.... |
Cradle | 啊！摇篮 | |
| 1980 1980 in film - Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year .... |
Legend of Tianyun Mountain Legend of Tianyun Mountain Legend of Tianyun Mountain is a 1980 Chinese film about Chinese people's sufferings from the long-term political campaigns from "Anti-rightists" in 1950s until the fall of Gang of Four. It depicted the individuals' hardship in the political turmoils and critically reflected the impact of that... |
天云山传奇 | Golden Rooster winner |
| 1982 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... |
The Herdsman The Herdsman 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... |
牧马人 | |
| 1984 1984 in film -Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film.... |
Qiu Jin | 秋瑾 | |
| 1985 1985 in film -Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out Of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.* Bliss wins AFI Award for best Movie... |
Wreaths at the Foot of the Mountain Wreaths at the Foot of the Mountain Wreaths at the Foot of the Mountain is a 1984 Chinese film about the life of the soldiers in a PLA army company before, during and after the Sino-Vietnamese War... |
高山下的花环 | |
| 1986 1986 in film -Events:*April 12 - Actor Morgan Mason marries The Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle.*April 26 - Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger marries television journalist Maria Shriver.*May - Actress Heather Locklear marries Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.... |
Hibiscus Town Hibiscus Town Hibiscus Town is a 1986 Chinese film directed by Xie Jin, based on a novel by the same name written by Gu Hua. The film, a melodrama, follows the life and travails of a young woman who lives through the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution and as such is an example of the "scar drama" genre that... |
芙蓉镇 | Golden Rooster winner |
| 1989 1989 in film -Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million... |
The Last Aristocrats | 最后的贵族 | |
| 1992 1992 in film The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards... |
Bell of Purity Temple Bell of Purity Temple Bell of Purity Temple is a 1992 Chinese film about the life of a Japanese infant deserted in China after Sino-Japanese War. It is presented by Shanghai Film Studio and directed by Xie Jin, starring Pu Cunxin, Komaki Kurihara, Ding Yi, You Yong and Zhu Xu.... |
清凉寺的钟声 | |
| 1993 1993 in film The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:... |
An Old Man and His Dog | 老人和狗 | |
| 1996 1996 in film Major releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.-Events:... |
Penitentiary Angel Penitentiary Angel Penitentiary Angel Penitentiary Angel Penitentiary Angel (also known as Behind the Wall of Shame, is a 1994 Chinese drama film starring Zhao Wei and directed by Jin Xie. The film was adapted from the same name novel. Official selection of 1995 UN's Women Conference.-Cast:... |
女儿谷 | Also known as Behind the Wall of Shame |
| 1997 1997 in film -Events:* The original Star Wars trilogy's Special Editions are released.* Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.* Titanic becomes the first film to gross US$1,000,000,000 at the box office making it the highest grossing film in history until Avatar broke the record in 2010.*... |
The Opium War The Opium War (film) The Opium War is a 1997 Chinese historical epic film directed by Xie Jin. The winner of the 1997 Golden Rooster and 1998 Hundred Flowers Awards for Best Picture, the film was screened in several international film festivals, notably Cannes and Montreal... |
鸦片战争 | Golden Rooster winner |
| 2001 2001 in film The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy... |
Woman Soccer Player No. 9 | 女足九号 | |
External links
- Biography of Xie Jin
- Xie Jin at the Chinese Movie Database
- Xie Jin at Film Reference
- "Two stage sisters: The blossoming of a revolutionary aesthetic," by Gina Marchetti Jump Cut, no. 34, March, 1989, pp. 95–106