SACRIFICE
China, 2010, 122 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Chen Kaige.
Sacrifice is a pageant of Chinese history, warfare and betrayals. It has been directed by Chen Kaige, noted for his operatic and theatrical style in such films as Farewell, my Concubine, The Emperor and the Assassin, and the film including the siege of Nanking, Forever Enthralled.
The sacrifice of the title belongs to a doctor, insignificant in the ordinary run of things, but becoming involved with the wife of a general who has been assassinated, delivering her child, keeping it from the dictator who wants to eliminate all his rivals. After the battles and the death of the child’s father, the doctor brings up the baby as his own. But the dictator also takes an interest in the child, becoming a godfather and helping him train.
Ultimately, the truth comes out, the boy divided in his loyalties between the doctor and his godfather, and the doctor fulfilling the sacrifice he had made of his own child and his wife.
1. Chinese history, audience interest, Chinese audiences, worldwide? The world popularity of this genre?
2. Period, costumes, decor, musical score?
3. Chen Kaige and his career, his moving into the martial arts, Chinese history genre? Success?
4. The settings, the sets, vast, the Royal Palace, the soldiers? The contrast with the ordinary sequences, the doctor and his friend, his wife giving birth? The action sequences? The musical score?
5. Action, stunts, editing and fast pace?
6. The history, the Emperor, his sister’s marriage, the general, young, ambitious? The contrast with general children General Zhao? The rivalry, the command? The taunts to General Tuan, the Emperor commenting if he had married the sister? The war, General Zhao and his victory? The accidents, the attempt on his life, tripping the horse, the arrow?
7. Zhao, his wife, her pregnancy, his being killed, his wife putting the pillow as if she were pregnant, giving birth? The hostile soldier, the messenger of Tuan, his allowing her to live? Her killing herself? the doctor and the taking of the baby?
8. Tuan, rounding up all the children, to kill the baby? The doctor, his age, talking with his friend, the birth of his child, love his wife? Tuan and his decree? The issue of saving the heir and sacrificing his son? Tuan and his menace?
9. The theme of sacrifice, his wife dying, saving the child and going to Tuan to serve him?
10. Tuan, his manipulating the deaths, the scientist and the insects and the cinnamon and the bites, more deaths? The death of the general who would have looked after the heir?
11. Tuan and becoming the godfather, the years passing, his treatment of the boy?
12. Ching, the former soldier, their plotting, the son reaching the age of 15, to tell him or not, the result, his not believing?
13. The boy, calling both men father, his dependence on Tuan, the gift of armour, the training?
14. His eagerness to get a battle, enjoying it, his being pursued, Tuan rescuing him?
15. The confrontation, the truth, the boy getting the pill to heal Tuan? Their talk, the swords? The fight?
16. The boy, the killing of children, Ching being stabbed?
17. Ching, dead, walking into the city, the vision of his wife?
18. How typical of this kind of martial arts and historical Chinese film?
