The Life of Wu Xun

Infobox Film
name = The Life of Wu Xun
director = Sun Yu
producer =
writer = Sun Yu
starring = Zhao Dan
Huang Zongying
Zhou Boxun
cinematography = Han Zhongliang
editing =
distributor =
released = 1950
runtime = 204 min.
country = People's Republic of China
language = Mandarin
music =
awards =
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0457630

"The Life of Wu Xun" (zh-stp|s=武训传|t=武訓傳|p=Wǔ Xùn Zhuàn) is a 1950 Chinese film directed by Sun Yu and starring Zhao Dan. A black-white movie, it was produced by Kun Lun Film Studio. It deals with a true story of a figure in Chinese history, Wu Xun, who spent years collecting money as a beggar to eventually found a school for indigent children free of charge.

It was initially well received as one of ten best films of the year, but was soon severely criticized by Chinese authorities. It was rehabilitated in 1986.

Background

taff and cast

Plot

Criticism

"The Life of Wu Xun" attained its unique status in Chinese movie history because of the lengthy political criticism campaign that was enacted against it. On May 20, 1951, after the editorial "Ought to Emphasize the Discussion on 'The Life of Wu Xun"' was published in the People's Daily, there emerged the very first large-scale excoriation of a film in the history of the People's Republic of China.Fact|date=June 2008 A group of politicians, led by Kang Sheng, leveled various charges on the film for political gain. As a result, the production staff of the film, and even the historical figure of Wu Xun, suffered from extensive and unjust accusations. This campaign of criticism would begin a period where Party politics severely interfered with the Chinese film industry.

The reputation of the film was not completely restored until nearly forty years later, in 1986.Fact|date=June 2008

External links

*imdb title|id=0457630|title=The Life of Wu Xun
* [http://www.dianying.com/en/title/wxz1950 "The Life of Wu Xun"] from the Chinese Movie Database