Heroes of Heaven and Earth: A Breakthrough of China Western Films in the New Century?

Wu's Old Well is the first film in western China. As an outstanding director of the fourth generation, Wu's works continue the realistic tradition of the fourth generation directors in China, and also to a great extent continue the tragic and aesthetic meaning that runs through China's films in 1930s and 1940s. "Gao Jialin's Choice" has become a topic of the times, reflecting the confusion of a whole generation in China's transition period. Sun Wangquan's persistent fighting spirit guides the people of China and inspires the people of China in the new era to explore hard. The Yellow Land directed by Chen Kaige was shot by Zhang Yimou. The irregular composition and the loess covering the sky made the most profound theme of China western films in the future, that is, exploring the relationship between man and land, man and nature, and man and fate. Zhang Yimou's "Red Sorghum" completely changed the realism tradition of the fourth generation, and got rid of the inherent concept of "shadow play" in China films, with bold freehand brushwork and lyrical fables. It can be said that the fifth generation directors are the main force of China western films, and they are also brilliant creators. He Ping's Guns Hit Two Lights, Knights in Shuangqi Town, Huang Jianxin's black cannon incident, Wu Kui, Zhou Youchao's Sister-in-law in Northern Shaanxi, A Tree, Feng's red river valley, The Yellow River Lost in Love and other works, together with Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, constitute the most magnificent scenery of western movies. After 2000, the representatives of the fifth generation directors, such as Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, gradually turned to the production of commercial blockbusters, but the fifth generation directors still made indelible contributions to the development of western new films. He Ping 1990' s Knights in Shuangqi Town shocked the film industry and created a model of western martial arts movies. Later, films such as "Double Lights with Guns" and "Sunshine Canyon" were released one after another. After six years of seclusion, He Ping returned to the film industry in 2003 with a new concept of martial arts masterpiece "Heroes of Heaven and Earth". After red river valley, Feng introduced The Yellow River Lost Love and Purple Sun in the new century, which perfected his war trilogy, fused rich national style with exotic feelings, and restored a new China from a foreigner's perspective. In 2002, Yang Yazhou's Beautiful Feet showed the differences and exchanges between urban and rural areas in modern western China, which was full of the characteristics of the times. Both the expert judges of the Golden Rooster Award and the contemporary college students at the College Film Festival were moved by Zhang's beautiful story. On the one hand, it is the unremitting efforts of the fifth generation directors; On the other hand, new groups of directors have also joined in the creation of western new films, among which the achievements of the sixth generation directors are particularly eye-catching. At the beginning of their debut, the directors of the sixth generation were completely in the shadow of the huge figure of the directors of the fifth generation who represented the elite culture. Their popularity is not high, and they can't get financial support from the system and international funds, but in this way, they have successfully made cultural breakthroughs and filmed many excellent works. For young directors, the style of westerns is more suitable for their attention to marginal figures, and their timely introduction has also injected fresh vitality into China westerns. Lu Chuan's Hoh Xil, Wang Quanan's Surprise, Eclipse, tuya's Marriage, Jin Chen's Chrysanthemum Tea and Li Yang's Blind Well all expand the narrative mode and expression means of western movies to some extent. They have no intention to explore the folk customs and history of the west, but focus more on the real west, projecting a unique charm from content to expression style. There are also some directors who can't be classified into genealogy by generation. They are collectively referred to as "new generation" directors.