The Blue Kite (1993)
"Lan feng zheng" (original title)

On Dry Well Lane in Beijing in 1953, Chen Shujuan and Lin Shaolong marry. A year later their son, nicknamed Tietou (Iron Head), is born. The Party is everywhere: Mao's photograph, ... See full summary »

Director:

Zhuangzhuang Tian

Writer:

Xiao Mao

Stars:

Tian Yi, Wenyao Zhang, Xiaoman Chen

7 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tian Yi	...	Tietou as an infant
Wenyao Zhang	...	Tietou as a child
Xiaoman Chen	...	Tietou as a teenager
Liping Lü	...	Chen Shujuan
Cunxin Pu	...	Lin Shaolong
Xuejian Li	...	Li Guodong (Uncle Li)
Baochang Guo	...	3rd husband
Ping Zong	...	Chen Shusheng
Quanzhong Chu	...	Chen Shuyan
Xiaoying Song	...	Sis
Hong Zhang	...	Zhu Ying
Yanjin Liu	...	Shujuan's mother
Bin Li	...	Granny
Zhang Lu	...	Mrs. Lan
Donglin Guo	...	Lin Yunwei

Storyline

On Dry Well Lane in Beijing in 1953, Chen Shujuan and Lin Shaolong marry. A year later their son, nicknamed Tietou (Iron Head), is born. The Party is everywhere: Mao's photograph, loud-speaker announcements, visits from the neighborhood committee. Shaolong dies in a reform camp; a close family friend, who protects Shujuan and her son partly out of guilt for lying to authorities about Shaolong, succumbs to malnutrition; a confrontation with the Red Guard leads to injury, imprisonment and death. Shujuan's love for Tietou sustains her, and the child's blue kite embodies hope: "I can make another for you," says Tietou's dad; by the end, Tietou promises this to a small child

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Plot Keywords:

cultural revolution | communism

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

China Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

25 March 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Blue Kite

Box Office

Gross:

$355,974 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Beijing Film Studio, Chu Eyetos & Co., Longwick Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When it became clear at some point during production that the Chinese government would ban this film, the producers smuggled the negative to Japan, completed post production there and sold the rights worldwide. Peking was not amused, and in consequence, director Zhuangzhuang Tian was not allowed to work for several years.

User Reviews

A sensitive subject that touched the nerve of the regime

and consequently, this movie was banned in its homeland. The director has always being the master of contemporary critic, and from his cautious beginning of subtle approach of masking the problems under similar circumstance in earlier history, finally matured into directly confronting the problem. Unfortunately, such bold approach is not tolerated by the regime and the film met its sad fate which is inevitable.