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2020 film by Guan Hu, Frant Gwo and Lu Yang From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sacrifice (Chinese: 金刚川; pinyin: Jīngāng chuān; lit. 'Kumgang River') is a 2020 Chinese anthology war drama film directed by Guan Hu, Frant Gwo, and Lu Yang, and starring Zhang Yi, Wu Jing, Li Jiuxiao, Vision Wei, and Deng Chao.[5] The film depicts the Korean War from three perspectives and segments, each directed by a different director.
The Sacrifice | |
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Traditional Chinese | 金剛川 |
Simplified Chinese | 金刚川 |
Literal meaning | Geumgang River |
Hanyu Pinyin | Jīngāng Chuān |
Directed by | Guan Hu Frant Gwo Lu Yang |
Written by | Guan Hu |
Produced by | Fu Ruoqing Liang Jing Guan Hu |
Starring | Zhang Yi Wu Jing Li Jiuxiao Vision Wei Deng Chao |
Cinematography | Gao Weizhe Han Qiming Michael Yoo Luo Pan |
Edited by | Lu Di Ye Xiaochang He Yongyi |
Music by | Roc Chen (阿鲲) Andrew Kawczynski |
Production companies | China Film Co., Ltd. Seven Impressions Film and Television Media (Haikou) Ltd. Frant Gwo Culture Media (Beijing) Ltd. Beijing Free Ku Jing Cinema Ltd. Huaxia Film Distribution Huayi Brothers Media Corporation |
Distributed by | China Film Co., Ltd. (Mainland China) Emperor Motion Pictures (Hong Kong) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 122 minutes[1] |
Country | China |
Languages | Mandarin English Nanchang dialect[2][3] |
Box office | US$173.8 million[4] (1.12 billion RMB[1]) |
The film is noted for having done its production in less than two months. Filming started for the film in August 2020 and wrapped on September 20, 2020. The film was originally scheduled to be screened on 25 October 2020, but the date was moved up to 23 October. The tagline on the promotional poster is "National defense brooks no delay" (保家卫国刻不容缓).
In 1953, the Korean War is reaching its final stage. The People's Volunteer Army is launching its last large-scale campaign, the Jincheng Campaign, in Kumsong. In order to arrive at the designated time and bring more firepower to the front lines in Kumsong, the soldiers of the People's Volunteer Army, short of supplies and with a huge disparity in equipment, withstand continuous bombing from enemy planes. They sacrifice their flesh and blood to repair a wooden bridge amidst the flames of war. A little-known chapter of history slowly unfolds above the surging Geumgang River, from which the film takes its Chinese-language title.
The events of the film are presented in three main segments from three perspectives: "Soldiers", "Adversaries", and "Gunners". These are followed by a final segment, "Bridge".[6]
The project was officially greenlit in August 2020. Reports indicated that Wu Jing had begun filming in Dandong, Liaoning.[7][8]
It is noteworthy that filming started in early August and the final touches were officially applied on 20 September, meaning that the movie was filmed in less than two months. Online commentators expressed concern that the tight production schedule might affect the final quality of the film,[9] but also pointed out that based on precedents such as The Mission and Young and Dangerous, the film might still be worth looking forward to.[10]
The film's release date was set for 23 October 2020,[11] including 2D, IMAX, CGS, CINITY, and 4DX versions. Its release coincided with a week of official celebrations commemorating the 70th anniversary of China's participation in the Korean War.[12][13]
The film grossed $173.8 million.[4] It was the box office number-one film in China for weeks 42–45 of 2020.
Audience reactions were positive. On the day of the film's release, its average rating out of 10 was 9.4 on Maoyan and 9.5 on Taopiaopiao.[12]
Critics noted the film's originality, especially its polyphonic storytelling and its focus on the heroic role of ordinary soldiers.[14][15][16]
Lu Fang of the Qianjiang Evening News wrote that although some viewers felt the movie's three-part structure made it repetitive, this was actually its most creative aspect. Lu praised the film's cinematography and acting, especially Zhang Yi's performance as gunner Zhang Fei, and said the third segment "Gunners" was thrilling.[14]
American film critic Derek Elley wrote that the film was offbeat and original.[6]
Critics felt that the second part of the film ("Adversaries"), focused on American pilots, was its weakest, with Derek Elley calling it "cliched and corny" and the Qianjiang Evening News describing the segment as too long and the acting overexaggerated.[6][14]
Deutsche Welle reported that the September 2021 release of the film in South Korea was canceled by the local distributor after fierce opposition from veterans and politicians.[17]
At the 12th Macau International Movie Festival, Zhang Yi won the Golden Lotus Award for Best Actor and Guan Hu won the Golden Lotus Award for Best Writing for The Sacrifice.[18][19][20]
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