Zhang Yimou's Contributions To The Film Industry In China

Zhang Yimou and His Contributions to the Film Industry in ChinaNameInstitutional AffiliationDate Introduction Yimou Zhang is one of the celebrated persons in the film industry in China. He made a number of contributions to the film industry in China through a number of inventions that have been taken up by modern film directors as part of making their work stand out as the best. Zhang began his film career in 1982 many years before the Olympic ceremonies as a cinematographer when he had graduated from the Beijing Film Academy CITATION Tem01 \l 1033 (Tempest, 2001). Zhang was one of the filmmakers referred to as the Fifth Generation of Chinese Filmmakers. The term is used to refer to the first ones who graduated from the academy after the end of the Cultural Revolution CITATION Dru95 \l 1033 (Gladney, 1995). The Fifth Generation first film was produced in the year 1984 and it was called One and Eight. The film was well received both in China and the Western world where they praised the aspect of creativity that was employed in the film. In the same year, Zhang was also involved in the production of another film that was called Yellow Earth. Just like One and Eight film, the film was well received at the various international film events in various parts of the world. Both early films demonstrated that their works were far much better and they had introduced a nice aspect of creativity that was lacking in the films that were produced by their predecessors. Having succeeded in the previous films, Zhang was recognized in his work and in the year 1987, he became a director. His first work as a director was that of Red Sorghum. It was an award-winning film that involved a peasant woman who did her best to survive in an environment where there was oppression. After he became a director, Zhang was recognized worldwide for his efforts and in the research paper, we will evaluate the timeline of the films that Zhang directed or produced as part of illustrating how he revolutionized the film industry in China. The paper will also identify social and cultural aspects that have been used in the films produced by Zhang Yimou. Timeline of Films Directed by Zhang Yimou Red Sorghum is one of the films that were directed by Zhang in the year 1988. The film was adapted from the novel written by Mo Yan called the Red Sorghum. The film is set in the 1920s and it is told in the form of flashbacks by a man who recalls the life of his grandparents who live and they make struggles to protect their village from the Japanese invaders CITATION Jia01 \l 1033 (Jiao, 2001). The film appears to challenge the various traditions that oppressed women. It is during this time that there were a number of injustices and inequalities that were happening in China. The film has also been made in such a way that it reflects the title or the context of the film since Zhang is one of the directors who ensured that there were nice visual elements in the film that reflected the incidences that were happening in the film. The use of the red color is also observed at the end of the film where there is the red setting sun, perhaps reflecting the Japanese conquerors or perhaps the shortness of the human life. After the release of the film, the Chinese leader at the time, Dean Xiaoping...