Decisive Engagement: The Liaoxi-Shenyang Campaign

Decisive Engagement: The Liaoxi-Shenyang Campaign (Chinese: 大决战之辽沈战役) is a 1991 Chinese epic war film directed by Li Jun, Yang Guangyuan, Wei Lian, Cai Jiwei, Zhao Jilie, Zhai Junjie and Jing Mukui, written by Li Pingfen, Shi Chao and Wang Jun, and starring Gu Yue, Su Lin, Ma Shaoxin, Lu Jixian, Zhao Hengduo, and Wu Zhiyuan.[1] The film premiered in China on January 1, 1992. The film is about the Liaoshen Campaign of the Chinese Civil War.[2]

Decisive Engagement: The Liaoxi-Shenyang Campaign
Traditional Chinese大決戰之遼沈戰役
Simplified Chinese大决战之辽沈战役
Literal meaningGreat Decisive Battle: Liaoxi–Shenyang Campaign
Hanyu Pinyindà juézhàn zhī Liáo Shěn zhànyì
Directed byLi Jun
Yang Guangyuan
Wei Lian
Cai Jiwei
Zhao Jilie
Zhai Junjie
Jing Mukui
Written byLi Pingfen
Shi Chao
Wang Jun
Produced byYang Qingwei
StarringGu Yue
Su Lin
Ma Shaoxin
Lu Jixian
Zhao Hengduo
Wu Zhiyuan
CinematographyQu Peiming
Sang Hua
Zhu Lutong
Yin Qiaofang
Edited byKou Honglie
Music bySun Juzhen
Fei Lanxin
Cui Denggao
Zhao Changsheng
Production
company
Distributed byAugust First Film Studio
Release date
  • 1 January 1992 (1992-01-01)
Running time
220 minutes
CountryChina
LanguageMandarin

Plot

edit

In the spring of 1948, during the Chinese Civil War, the Central Military Commission commands the Fourth Field Army control Jinzhou, a communication hub in northeast China and even a vital importance of military strategists. The Liaoshen campaign broke out, the People's Liberation Army fight against the Nationalist forces in northeastern China, then the land was occupied by the Chinese Communist Party.[3]

Cast

edit

Main

edit

Supporting

edit

Chinese Communist Party characters

edit

Kuomintang characters

edit

Production

edit

Development

edit

In 1950s, the August First Film Studio was planning films about the three major campaigns: Liaoshen campaign, Huaihai campaign and Pingjin campaign. But because of the limits of conditions, the project had been put on hold. In January 1986, the then General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Hu Yaobang ordered the relevant organizations to turn the three major campaigns into a feature. The Central Military Commission began to negotiate with the August First Film Studio to produce a film. In February 1986, Li Pingfen (李平分), Shi Chao (史超) and Wang Jun (王军) signed on to write the script for the film. They consulted a lot of data, including the memoirs of veterans, interviewed more than 300 campaign participants, and also surveyed the old battlefields. The then vice-chairman of Central Military Commission Yang Shangkun and the then director of the General Political Department Yang Baibing had repeatedly summoned the producers to discuss the film. At the end of 1987, the film finally finished writing. Li Jun (李俊) was signed to direct the film and Yang Qingwei (杨庆卫) served as general producer. At the end of 1989, the directors visited Nie Rongzhen, a commander in the Pingjin Campaign. The title of the film was written by Jiang Zemin, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. After seeing the film, Deng Xiaoping said, "The film is very good. I watch it every year."[4][5]

Filming

edit

Gu Yue, Lu Qi and Ma Shaoxin (马绍信) were cast in respective lead roles of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Lin Biao for the film. Zhao Hengduo (赵恒多) was selected to cast as Chiang Kai-shek and Su Lin (苏林) was selected to cast as Zhou Enlai.[4][5]

Filming

edit

Filming took place in Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, Ningxia, Shandong. Nearly 800 of the 1000 workers in the August First Film Studio participated in the shooting. PLA soldiers from Shenyang Military Region, Beijing Military Region, Jinan Military Region, Nanjing Military Region and Lanzhou Military Region participated in the film.[6] The scenes of Mao Zedong labours up the hillside and the Yellow River of ice is thawing were filmed in north Shaanxi. The camera crew worked hard in the Yellow River for two years to get the scenes.[4][5]

Release

edit

Decisive Engagement: The Liaoxi-Shenyang Campaign premiered in the Great Hall of the People on August 1, 1991, with wide-release in China on January 1, 1992.[4][5]

Accolades

edit
Date Award Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Notes
1992 Golden Rooster Awards Best Picture Decisive Engagement: The Liaoxi-Shenyang Campaign Won
Best Director Director Group Won
Best Fireworks Decisive Engagement: The Liaoxi-Shenyang Campaign Won
Best Art Direction Decisive Engagement: The Liaoxi-Shenyang Campaign Won
Best Editing Kou Honglie Won
Best Props Decisive Engagement: The Liaoxi-Shenyang Campaign Won
Best Writing Li Pingfen, Shi Chao and Wang Jun Nominated
Hundred Flowers Awards Best Picture Decisive Engagement: The Liaoxi-Shenyang Campaign Won

References

edit
  1. ^ 解放战争时期:《大决战--辽沈战役》. China.com.cn (in Chinese). 2012-05-31. Archived from the original on 2015-05-06. Retrieved 2018-01-04.
  2. ^ 三十年经典电影:《大决战》系列(1991~1992). sina (in Chinese). 2008-12-09.
  3. ^ 电影《大决战——辽沈战役》. Tencent (in Chinese). 2011-05-20.
  4. ^ a b c d 高层指示《大决战》拍摄细节 邓小平每年必看(图). haiwainet.cn (in Chinese). 2013-10-30.
  5. ^ a b c d 高层指示《大决战》拍摄细节 邓小平每年必看(图). Hundred Year Tide (in Chinese). 10. Beijing. 2008. ISSN 1007-4295.
  6. ^ 《大决战》:三大战役组成鸿篇巨制. sina (in Chinese). 2012-07-31.
edit