King of the Children [Háizǐ Wáng] **** (1987, Chen Shaohua, Xie Yuan, Yang Xuewen) – Classic Movie Review 12,255

In his most ambitious film, the 1987 Chinese drama King of the Children [Háizǐ Wáng], Chen Kaige examines the topics of learning and creativity through the experiences of a rebellious young man assigned to teach children at a rural school in a remote mountain village in a poverty-stricken area of Yunnan province.

King of the Children is both moving and visually spectacular. Kaige evokes the oppressive mood of the period of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) with a wonderful use of epic-scale landscape and contrasting intimate compositions.

It stars Chen Shaohua, Xie Yuan, Yang Xuewen, Zhang Caimei, and Xu Guoqing.

The screenplay by Chen Kaige and He Jianjun is based on a novella by Ah Cheng.

King of the Children is directed by Chen Kaige, runs 107 minutes, is made by Xi’an Film Studio, is written by Chen Kaige and He Jianjun, based on a novella by Ah Cheng, is shot by Gu Changwei, is scored by Qu Xiaosong.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,255

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