"The Last Eunuch in China"
Basic Information
"The Last Eunuch in China" is a feature film directed by Zhang Zhiliang and starring Mo Shaocong and Wen Bixia. The
film tells the story of a poor child who came to Xi to ask for adequate food and clothing for his family, but when he encountered the abolition of the monarchy, he went to learn opera. Later, to escape the warlord’s pursuit, he mixed into the Forbidden City and became a eunuch. He was expelled from the Forbidden City shortly afterwards. And the story of the beginning of a wandering career. The film was released in Taiwan, China on October 24, 1987.
Synopsis
set off an anti-Qing climax at home and abroad, and the Qing Dynasty has passed three years of Xuantong. The eunuchs in the palace resigned after seeing the decline of the imperial court. An 8-year-old poor boy in Dongliumu Village, Hebei Province, came to see the village eunuch Xiaode Zhang "returning home in splendor", but he was suddenly envied and begged his father to purify his body in order to obtain adequate food and clothing for the whole family. He became a victim of ignorance. Soon, the Republic of China overthrew the Qing Dynasty, abolished the monarchy, and no longer recruited eunuchs in the palace, and a happy dream came to nothing. So, his father sent him to Beijing to learn opera.
10 years later, Laixi (played by Mo Shaocong) was successful in learning arts, and happened to be in a brothel when he met his childhood playmate and recruited his brother. Zhao's brother mistakenly believed that he was a member of the Revolutionary Party, so he agreed with his body and agreed to escape together. After his identity was exposed, Zhao's brother left in pain, and he re-emerged as an eunuch in the Forbidden City to escape the warlord's tracking. Corruption prevailed in the palace at that time, and he was victimized by others. Fortunately, the eunuch chief Ding Gonggong (Wuma ornaments) rescued him. Soon, the emperor used a fire to drive away all the eunuchs, and Laixi reunited to recruit his younger brother in Beijing. The two lived together for several years. Later, Ding Gonggong visited and persuaded Lai Xitong to wait for Pu Yi, who was under house arrest at the Japanese Consulate. Unexpectedly, Ding was brutally murdered by the Japanese outside the consulate, and when Laixi returned to Zhao's brother, her revolutionary husband also came and picked her up.
Behind the scenes
- The film is adapted from a semi-autobiographical novel by the eunuch Sun Yaoting.
- This film is Zhang Zhiliang’s directorial debut. When Sammo Hung asked him to be the director, Zou Wenhuai, who invested in Fang Jiahe, had some doubts. Sammo Hung took a chest to ensure that Zhang Zhiliang could shoot well before letting him become the director.
- When Zhang Zhiliang was shooting the film, Jiahe had always prepared, if Zhang Zhiliang couldn't do it, he would switch to Wu Ma to guide, but Wu Ma has been encouraging Zhang Zhiliang.
- director Zhang Zhiliang and Andy Lau were classmates when they were on TVB, so Andy Lau was invited to guest-star in the film.
- Film Evaluation
"The Last Eunuch in China" depicts the life tragedy of a "lowest" little man in the background of the great era, which is unique in the selection of materials. The film not only described the ups and downs of Laixi in detail, but also pointed out the ignorance and sorrow of modern Chinese. The scenes of the film are calmly arranged, and the story exudes a clear freshness, with a popular and real beauty. (Comment on "Chinese and Foreign Film and Television Famous Works") "The Last Eunuch in China" reflects the strange political and social phenomena of the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China from the perspective of a small person. It has a certain degree of criticality and humane care. It is a good work by the screenwriter Fang Lingzheng. (The Bund Pictorial)
movie evaluation
Douban score 6.8
Wonderful movie review
The tragedy of a eunuch and the Chinese ignorance at that time, Sammo Hung gags at the end of melancholy Bixia, Mo and Tiancong’s sad eyes, Liu and Tiancong’s sad eyes They are full of legends and moving.
is so tender at that time. It feels like Zhang Zhiliang has been restrained. On the one hand, he wants to talk about some depth, on the other hand, he has to take into account the entertainment and fun. As a result, the styles are mixed and the film becomes weird. The ending is really bloody. It looks better than expected. In 1987, Mo Shaocong, although he played the last eunuch in China, was very MAN, full of flesh and blood. In 1987, Wen Bixia was very pure, with a little baby fat; in 1987 Andy Lau, not even the second male number.
