Review from Kesley Connolly

Chen Kaige's Yellow Earth is an amazing movie that portrays the drastic differences between the old world and the new emerging world of communism. Though the movie may be slow at times, and often has moments of little to no dialogue, the film is very interesting and was well received not only in modern China, but around the world as well. Although this movie, as were many movies of the type around that time, was originally banned in China, people later came to see this as a great representation of Chinese culture at the time.

Yellow Earth, originally based off a novel, revolves around the story of a poor family in a small village located in Shaaxi, and their relationship with a young liberation soldier who comes to observe the culture of a poor, rural Chinese province. Many young men and women of the south at that time were sent to the countryside to gather up folk songs and to spread the word of communism. The young soldier, Gu Qing, tries to befriend the small family of three, and ends up becoming very close to the family in the short time he is there, especially the daughter Cui Qiao. Cui Qiao is the best singer of the family, but hides her talent from the soldier as well as from the rest of the village. As Gu Qing tells her stories of the people in the south, Cui Qing becomes more and more interested in idea of communism and the freedom that those who believe in it seem to have. For example, women wearing their hair short, being able to join the army, and marrying whomever they choose. These are all drastically different morals than the morals that the villagers in the rural and old country uphold. Women in the country are portrayed as the housemaids and grunt workers of the rural villages. They get water for their families, cook, clean, make clothing and household necessities, as well as mend shoes. They are forced to marry at a young age to men that have been chosen for them, whether they love them or not. In many cases they are even beaten, but are not allowed to leave their husbands. Such is the case with Cui Qiao's older sister. Cui Qiao herself is also promised from childhood to be given away to a man whom her parents had picked out for her. Because of this fact, it makes sense that the freedom that the women in the south have appeals to Cui Qiao enough to where she is willing to leave her family to go join the Liberation Army. At that time, many young people were influenced by the promised freedom and change that the Liberation Army was falsely advertising.

Many things in this movie are symbolic and can be interpreted in numerous ways. For example, the young soldier Gu Qing is symbolically seen as the epitome of communism itself. Even though I am sure that this was actually done at the time, his job of taking old country songs in order to change the lyrics into a more suitable Maoist mantra shows the overpowering presence of the communism spirit over the old country and their way of thinking. Some viewers even go as far to say that towards the end of the movie the Gu Qing that came back to the village was never actually real. That his presence in that part of the movie was nothing more than the symbolic reference to communism and the Liberation Army's attempt at intergrading themselves into the rural and old country way of life.

The same can be said with the outcome of Cui Qiao when she sails off into the distance with the hope of joining the Liberation Army. The fact that her song cuts out midway through the most important line of the song can be taken to mean that not only did she drown the ocean of communism, but that communism itself did not last long enough to get through the most important and meaning part of what it promised to do. This cut off leaves the movie very open for interpretation, and even though we know the actual fate of China, it makes you wonder what happens to young Cui Qiao.

There is no doubt that Chen Kaige's, as well as Zhang Yimou, He Qun, and Zhao Jiping's experience in the Cultural Revolution played a big role in how this movie was presented and made. I am positive that there is more symbolic and cultural references in this movie than I can even begin to understand. I have never been to China, never experienced communism first hand, and have never really learned much about any of Chinese history in my public school education. Therefore, it is very hard for me to give a straightforward and truthful interpretation of this film. Although there are many symbolisms that I can gather and somewhat figure out, it is very difficult to fully comprehend and fathom what the Chinese went through during the Cultural Revolution and the battle against Japan.

I fully intend to re-watch this movie again once I have researched and understood more about Chinese history and the symbolisms involved in this movie. However, even without having this knowledge, I can still honestly say that the praise that this movie receives is well deserved.