The Go Master

:This article concerns the 2006 biopic about Go Seigen. Yasunari Kawabata's novel with a similar name (The Master of Go) is based on a match between Honinbo Shusai and Kitani Minoru.Infobox Film
name = The Go Master


director = Tian Zhuangzhuang
writer = Ah Cheng
Zhou Jingzhi
producer = Liu Xiaodian
Fortissimo Films
cinematography = Wang Yu
starring = Chang Chen
Sylvia Chang
Akira Emoto
Nishina Takashi
distributor = Fortissimo Films
released = New York:
September 27, 2006
runtime = 104 min.
language = Mandarin
country=China
budget =
imdb_id = 0439885
amg_id = 1:375750

"The Go Master" (zh-stp|s=呉清源|t=吳清源|p=Wú Qīngyuán) is a 2006 biopic by director Tian Zhuangzhuang of renowned twentieth century Go master Wu Qingyuan, better known by his adopted name of Go Seigen. The film, which premiered at the 44th New York Film Festival, focuses on the life of this extraordinary player from his meteoric rise as a child prodigy to fame and fortune as a revolutionary strategic thinker, as well as the tumultous global conflicts between his homeland and his adopted nation. The film also features a scene involving the Atomic bomb go game. The film also screened at the AFI's China Film Festival in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Plot synopsis

The film chronicles Qingyuan's discovery as a child prodigy in China, his move to Japan and rise as a champion. Later, he marries the leader of a cult and finds himself being exploited by the group. When relations between Japan and China deteriorate into open war, Qingyuan stays in his adopted nation. Now in his 90s, he lives there to this day, teaching and writing about Go.

Cast and crew

Wu Qingyuan is played by Taiwanese actor Chang Chen, who previously appeared in "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" and "Three Times". Chang was nominated for the 2006 Golden Horse Award for best actor for his portrayal. The real Wu Qingyuan makes a short cameo appearance in the film's prologue. [cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003223435 |title=The Go Master|author = Havis, Richard James| publisher = "The Hollywood Reporter" |date=2006-10-10|accessdate=2007-06-02]

Also appearing are Sylvia Chang (Shu Wen), Xin Baiqing (Wu Yan), Ito Ayumi (Nakahara Kazuko), Emoto Akira (Segoe Kensaku), Matsuzaka Keiko (Kita Fumiko), Betty Huang (Wu Qingying), and Li Xuejian (Li Yutang).

Produced by Liu Xiaodian with executive producers Wang Jun, Own Chen, Wouter Barendrecht, and Michael J. Werner. The screenplay was written by Ah Cheng. Costume design was by the acclaimed Emi Wada, famous for such films as Kurosawa's "Ran", "Dreams", as well as Zhang Yimou's "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers".

Critical reception

A.O. Scott, in the New York Times called The Go Master, "a stately and respectful biopic", as well as, "deliberate and contemplative rather than dramatic or psychologically probing" and "gorgeously shot". [cite news |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D03EFDC1131F937A25750C0A9619C8B63|title=A Prodigy's Life Is Played Out In a Japanese Game of Skill |work=The New York Times |last=Scott |first=A.O. |date=2007-03-14| accessdate=2008-05-27]

References

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMGt4_NvlBU The trailer]
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* [http://fortissimofilms.com/catalogue/title.asp?filmID=304 "The Go Master"] at Fortissimo Films