The children of the silk road

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Movie
German title The children of the silk road
Original title The Children of Huang Shi
Country of production Australia ,
China ,
Germany
original language English and a.
Publishing year 2008
length 114 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Roger Spottiswoode
script Jane Hawksley ,
James MacManus
production Arthur Cohn ,
Martin Hagemann ,
Peter Loehr ,
Wieland Schulz-Keil ,
Jonathan Shteinman
music David Hirschfelder
camera Zhao Xiaoding
cut Geoffrey Lamb
occupation

The Children of the Silk Road ( en : The Children of Huang Shi , also: Children of the Silk Road ) is an Australian-Chinese-German historical drama from 2008 by director Roger Spottiswoode with Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Radha Mitchell in the main and Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh in supporting roles. The script for the refugee epic set in China during World War II was written by Jane Hawksley and James MacManus . In reproducing the historical events, the film takes some narrative liberties.

action

At the time of the Second Sino-Japanese War (without a formal declaration of war ), the young photojournalist George Hogg , an Oxford graduate and a pacifist by nature, pretended to work for the Red Cross in 1937 and sneaked through the city of Nanjing, which was occupied and destroyed by Japanese . There he witnessed a mass execution by the Japanese and took photos. Japanese soldiers arrest him, he is interrogated and the images are developed. The officer on duty wants to cut off his head without further ado. The partisan Chen "Jack" Hansheng and his men can save his life from a distance. Chen and George watch the execution of a British compatriot in the ruins, in which they cannot intervene.

Chen is dragging Hogg out of Nanjing after he and his comrades had blown up a tax office. Hogg witnesses her dusty camp on the railway line being attacked by planes. Chen, who studied at Westpoint , sends him to the attractive nurse Lee Pearson, who runs a makeshift orphanage or school in Huangshi . Throughout the film, emaciated refugees roam the country by the thousands and thousands.

On site, Hogg made the acquaintance of the war orphans who would not let themselves get down. Some of the children are traumatized , medical care is inadequate and the food issue is unsolved. George Hogg helps Lee Pearson with the technical installations and procures seeds and medicines from Mrs. Wang. After initial friction, he became a teacher and soon embraced the children (and introduced basketball there). Chen, who has malaria , joins them. George and Lee gradually fall in love.

Hogg, who is now the high-Chinese dominated, negotiated with the nationalists, the building confiscate want because the Japanese advance. In 1944 he decided to go with Chen and Lee and their 60 children on a 700 mile march "up the Silk Road " to the edge of the Gobi desert , including over the Liupan Mountains , in the coldest winter in 20 years. One child hangs himself, one falls victim to fighting, another is killed by a car. Later they were given four trucks. You are on the road for more than three months and you find a new place to stay in Shandan .

In 1945, Hogg died of tetanus .

The story ends here. In brief conversations, some of “his” authentic children who are now in their eighties have the floor for ten minutes.

Reviews

  • “A badly underrated director […] 'The Children of Huang Shi' is not his best work - a more contoured script would have been necessary - but it exudes intelligence. How many historical epics can this be said of these days? "( The Christian Science Monitor )
  • "Chow Yun-Fat steals the show [...] Roger Spottiswoode staged war-torn China realistically (where it was filmed) in an old-fashioned way and without sweetness, and with a cast that is able to convey the seriousness and imperturbability of it. The great cameraman Zhao Xiaoding tries hard with the dust devils and bullet hail, as well as with the glowing face of Michelle Yeoh, whose enterprising war widow adds political nuances to a rather apolitical script. Hogg himself remains a little opaque [...], which is exactly why the statements made by contemporary witnesses in the end credits are surprisingly touching. ”( Jeanette Catsoulis : The New York Times )
  • "As beautiful as a film [...] strongly glamorous [...] lovely to watch and tells a wonderful story, even if badly." ( Steve Rhodes : rec.arts.movies.reviews)
  • “The staging is gentle, but not original; one child is rebellious, another learns quickly and so on, and there is a goat that complains every time it is in the picture [...] underwhelming [...] I liked to look at it "( Roger Ebert )
  • "As aimless as real life." ( Tasha Robinson : A. V. Club)
  • "Uncouth, looks wonderful [...] charisma, emotion or style is completely absent [...] humanists usually do not produce the most grateful roles" ( Robert Koehler : Variety )
  • "A cold, dry film with the taste of water and white bread" (Reel.com)
  • "Somewhere in the unsatisfactory drama there is a great documentary that wants to get out." (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
  • “Rhys Meyers is too sleek for the role, Mitchell too pretty. [...] Ugly people are missing completely. "( David N. Butterworth : Offoffoff.com)
  • "With the noble goals and the terrible methods of The Ewige Gärtner and Blood Diamond to China [...] ultimately the colonial arrogance still has the upper hand" ( Fernando F. Croce : Slate)

Lewis Beale found words of praise for Radha Mitchell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Chow Yun-Fat, and further: "Old-fashioned craftsmanship [...] runs like clockwork".

Others

The fact that the work of New Zealanders Rewi Alley and Kathleen Hall (inspiration for Lee Pearson ) was ignored in the events presented was judged by The Dominion Post in New Zealand to be grossly inappropriate.

The film was shot in Dunhuang , Gansu, China; Liancheng , Gansu, China; Melbourne , Victoria, Australia and Shanghai , China.

The film had a budget of $ 17.7 million and grossed over $ 7 million.

Up to 1,000 extras were used in individual scenes, and 50 mules, 80 camels and 120 horses played in one day.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ see George Hogg in Wikipedia.
  2. ↑ a b MacManus, s. Web links.
  3. ↑ Peter Rainer : Review: 'The Children of Huang Shi'. In: The Christian Science Monitor . May 23, 2008, accessed on January 3, 2009 (English): "A vastly underrated director [...]" The Children of Huang Shi "is not his best work - it could have used a much sharper script - but it radiates intelligence. Of how many historical epics can that be said these days? "
  4. ^ Jeanette Catsoulis: Invasion of the Heart. In: The New York Times . May 23, 2008, accessed on January 3, 2009 (English): “Chow Yun-Fat, stealing the movie […] Roger Spottiswoode directs with old-fashioned style, avoiding the saccharine with realistic depictions of a war-ravaged China (where he filmed) and a cast well versed in stiff-upper-lip. The terrific cinematographer Zhao Xiaoding photographs dust devils and bullets as carefully as the luminous face of Michelle Yeoh, whose role as an enterprising war widow adds political nuance to a determinedly apolitical script. Yet it's difficult to care about Hogg himself, whose personality and motivations remain unplumbed. That's why the testimonies from some of his former charges, played over the end credits, are so unexpectedly moving "
  5. ↑ Steve Rhodes: The Children of Huang Shi. (No longer available online.) In: rec.arts.movies.reviews. reviews.imdb.com, 2008, formerly in the original ; accessed on January 3, 2009 (English): "Pretty as a picture [...] highly glamorized [...] lovely to look at and tell a wonderful story, albeit badly"
  6. ^ Roger Ebert : The Children of Huang Shi (R). In: rogerebert.suntimes.com. June 6, 2008, accessed on January 3, 2009 (English): “The filmmaking is careful but not original; one kid is a rebel, one kid is a quick learner, and so on, and there is a goat that bleats every time it is on the screen. [...] underwhelming [...] I'm pleased to have seen the film "
  7. ^ Tasha Robinson: The Children Of Huang Shi. In: A. V. Club. May 22, 2008, accessed on January 3, 2009 (English): "But at least it gets across the way Hogg stumbled into his life's work unintentionally: Even great lives don't always work out as intended. [...] acknowledges the messiness of real life "
  8. ^ Robert Koehler: The Children of Huang Shi. (No longer available online.) In: Variety . May 2, 2008, archived from the original on January 25, 2009 ; accessed on January 3, 2009 (English): "cloddish if gorgeous-looking [...] without any vibrancy, emotion or style [...] humanitarians frequently don't make for the most vivid film characters" Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.variety.com
  9. ↑ Chris Cabin: The Children of Huang Shi (2008). In: Reel.com. Retrieved on January 4, 2009 : "It's a cold, dry movie with all the taste of water and white bread"
  10. ↑ Review: 'The Children of Huang Shi'. (No longer available online.) In: Minneapolis Star Tribune. www.pittsburghlive.com, June 27, 2008, formerly in the original ; accessed on January 4, 2009 (English): "Somewhere inside this unsatisfactory drama is a great documentary struggling to get out"
  11. ^ David N. Butterworth: Hogg wild. In: www.offoffoff.com. June 2, 2008, accessed on January 3, 2009 (English, also groups.google.com ): “Rhys Meyers comes across as too clean cut for the lead, Mitchell too pretty. [...] He, could we get some ugly people here please! "
  12. ↑ Fernando F. Croce: The Children of Huang Shi. (No longer available online.) In: Slate. May 22, 2008, archived from the original on May 27, 2008 ; accessed on January 3, 2009 (English): "takes the good intentions and terrible methods of The Constant Gardener and Blood Diamond and takes them to China [...] in Children of Huang Shi colonialist condescension still has the final word" Info: The archive link was used automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.slantmagazine.com
  13. ↑ See web links.
  14. ^ Graeme Tuckett: Film review: Children of the Silk Road . In: The Dominion Post. November 8, 2008, accessed January 3, 2009 .
  15. ^ A b Paul Byrnes: Children Of The Silk Road. In: The Sidney Morning Herald. July 3, 2008, accessed January 3, 2009 .
  16. ↑ IMDb , "Filming locations".
  17. ^ The Children of Huang Shi. In: Box Office Mojo. IMDb.com, Inc, accessed January 3, 2009 .
  18. ^ The Children of Huang Shi - About the Production. In: www.childrenofhuangshi.com. www.childrenofhuangshi.com, accessed January 3, 2009 .