Problems about Red Sorghum Field

[Roland Domenig]

Stefan Kramer's book on the Chinese filmmakers of the fifth generation
"Schattenbilder" (first published in 1996 by Projekt Verlag in Dortmund,
revised edition published by Metzler Verlag in 1997) includes an analysis of
"The Red Sorghum". He interprets the Red Sun as a symbol of Mao:

"Die rote Sonne und der Erzaehleinschub, der von der durch das rote Licht
hervorgerufenen Augenerkrankung des Jungen erzaehlt, weisen auf die
Herrschaft Mao Zedongs hin. Dieser hat das Land im Zeichen der roten
Nationalflagge und der Selbststilisierung als rote Sonne mit seiner
totalitaeren Herrschaft und dem Blut des Volkes ueberzogen. Letzteres ist
mit seinem Versuch zur Selbstbestimmung und Gewinnung kultureller Identitaet
gescheitert und hat dies millionenfach mit dem Tode bezahlen muessen. So ist
dieses Rot in der letzten Sequenz auch nicht mehr die kraeftige, Leben
symbolisierende leuchtende Farbe, sondern das schwarz verfaerbte
'Jungfrauenrot', welches ein boeses Schicksal verheisst." (S. 484)

Zhang Yingjin gives in his essay "Ideology of the body in Red Sorghum.
National Allegory, National Roots and Third Cinema" (in Wimal Dissanayake,
Ed. "Colonialism and Nationalism in Asian Cinema", Indiana University Press
1994) a different interpretation. For him the final scene is a projection of
the sedan carrier and his young son referring to the red wine, which is a
symbol of his passion.
 
Both interpretations have little to do with the Japanese occupations.
All my Chinese friends whom I asked about this scene sustained Kramer's
interpretation. For them references to Japan were of minor importance. Zhang
could have chosen the time of the Japanese occupation to avoid censorship.

[Just to add it: According to the Japanese translation of the script, in the
final song the boy sings of the 'Western sky'.]
 
Stefan Kramer also did an interview with Zhang Yimou for the Sueddeutsche
Zeitung (18.5.1995).


Roland Domenig
Institute for Japanese Studies
University of Vienna


 
> Hello everybody.
> 
> I have some problems about a Chinese movie which has much Japan-relation:
> "Red Sorghum Field" directed by Zhang Yimou ( China 89 ).
> 
> I have once written a work for my university about this film, and the main
> point of it was that this film originally was not a "Anti-Japanese-Movie",
> but more sort of a critical movie against the
> system of society, here the suppressor personated by the Japanese army
> ( as this critical theme can often be seen in Zhang Yimou's movies ).
> 
> While rewriting it, the last scene causes some headache to me:
> the eclipse of the sun.
> 
> Zhang Yimou could have made it just for optical ( dramatical ) reasons,
> but here the voice of the storyteller says: "... as I looked into the sun
> this day, I became blind..." ( in the German version ).
> I do not want to over-interpret this scene, but I think there could be a
> chance to see the sun as a symbol for Japan ( and therefor the suppressor in
> society ).
> Does anybody know what Zhang Yimou?himself said about it, or where I can
> find something written about it in English or German language ( or
> just what you think about my idea ?)
> 
> Thanks for reading in spite of my bad English !
> 
> Sven Koerber
> University of Munich, Japanese Studies
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