Behind the Forbidden City (1996)
"Dong gong xi gong" (original title)

In China, homosexuality isn't illegal, but homosexuals are routinely persecuted by police and arrested for "hooliganism". The film focuses on a young gay writer A-Lan who, being attracted ... See full summary »

Director:

Yuan Zhang

Writers:

Wang Xiaobo, Yuan Zhang

Stars:

Si Han, Jun Hu, Jing Ye

3 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Si Han	...	A Lan
Jun Hu	...	Xiao Shi
Jing Ye
Wei Zhao

Storyline

In China, homosexuality isn't illegal, but homosexuals are routinely persecuted by police and arrested for "hooliganism". The film focuses on a young gay writer A-Lan who, being attracted to a young policeman, manages to have himself interrogated for a whole night. His life-story which he tells during the interrogation reflects the general repression of the Chinese society. The policeman's attitude shifts from the initial revulsion to fascination and, finally, to attraction.

---

Plot Keywords:

policeman | gay | police | park | repression | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Country:

China

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

24 July 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Behind the Forbidden City

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$28,024 (USA) (11 September 1998)

Gross:

$46,470 (USA) (29 January 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amazon Entertainment Ltd., Ocean Films, Quelqu'Un D'Autre Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 1997 the Chinese government put director 'Zhang, Yuan' under house arrest and confiscated his passport. His friends smuggled this movie out of the country so it could be shown at the 1997 Cannes film festival.

---

Connections

Referenced in Naamsaang-neuiseung (1998)

User Reviews

Excruciatingly boring, dull

I understand this film was banned in China because it deals with homosexuality. I prefer to think that it was banned because it could bore its audiences to death. Basically the story of a frustrated and screwed-up little Chinese queen who falls for a policeman who arrests him for cruising the park, this attempt at a movie is badly directed, incredible badly edited, static to the point of being a series of still pictures at times, with actors who maintain a single expression and have little to make one feel sympathy for them. Good grief... I sat through it though my hand itched to fast-forward to the end of this dreary exercise in movie-making. Skip this one...