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Synopsis
Zhang Yimou, often regarded as China's leading contemporary filmmaker, directed this drama chronicling the ebb and flow of one family's fortunes, set against the backdrop of China's tumultuous history between the 1940s and the 1970s. Fugui (Ge You) is the father of a once-wealthy family whose addiction to gambling and chronic bad luck causes him to lose his home in a game of dice with Long'er (Ni Dabong). Fugui's wife Jiazhen (Gong Li) abandons him, and he finds himself working as a peddler, until the man who now owns his home gives him a pair of shadow puppets. Fugui learns the art of puppetry and travels as a performer; while on the road, he is arrested by Nationalist forces, until he is liberated by advancing Red Army factions, and he comes him home to his wife and children as they adapt to the nation's new leadership. While once a lazy spendthrift, Fugui vows to change his ways, and he struggles to become a better worker and citizen. But Fugui and his family soon realize that there is adversity waiting for them around every corner, and the onset of the Cultural Revolution makes it clear that China's new regime can be as corrupt and callous as the old order. While a Grand Prize winner at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and recipient of the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 1995 BAFTA Awards, Huozhe did not fare well in its homeland. Chinese censors objected to the film's commentary about political abuses in China's past, as well as Zhang Yimou's attempts to present the film at several international festivals. As punishment, he was forced to write a formal apology and was not allowed to make another film for two years. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast

Gong Li Jiazhen
Niu Ben Town Chief
Deng Fei Youqing
Ge You Fugui
Guo Tao Chunsheng
Jiang Wu Erxi
Liu Tianchi Fengxia, as an adult
Ni Dabong Long'er

Production Crew

Cao Jiuping Art Director
Barbara Robinson Associate Producer
Yu Hua Book Author
Lu Yue Cinematographer
Zhao Jiping Composer (Music Score)
Dong Huamiao Costume Designer
Zhang Yimou Director
Du Yuan Editor
Christophe Tseng Executive Producer
Kow Fu-Hong Executive Producer
Tao Jing Musical Direction/Supervision
Chiu Fu-Sheng Producer
Christophe Tseng Producer
Kow Fu-Hong Producer
Hu Shaofeng Production Manager
Zhang Zhenyan Production Manager
Lu Wei Screenwriter
Yu Hua Screenwriter
Tao Jing Sound/Sound Designer
Year: 1994
Runtime: 125
Country: China
MPAA Rating: NR
Category: Feature

Genre
Drama

Sound
Dolby

Produced by
Era International
Shanghai Film Studios

Release
by Samuel Goldwyn Company

Awards
1994 - Best Foreign Film - National Board of Review
1994 - Best Foreign-Language Film - Golden Globe
1994 - Grand Jury Prize - Cannes International Film Festival
1994 - Grand Jury Prize - Cannes Film Festival
1994 - Best Foreign Language Film - Hollywood Foreign Press Association