1960s - Old Chinese Movie Posters - Centennial of Chinese Cinema

Author: Wang Haiming / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The film The Heroine of Yangmen is a Peking Opera stage art film adapted from the traditional play The Twelve Widows Conquer the West. It won the Best Peking Opera Film Award at the 6th Dazhong Diary Hundred Flowers Awards in 1962. The film promotes the spirit of patriotism and resonated strongly among overseas Chinese upon its release. During the reign of Emperor Renzong in the Northern Song Dynasty, the Western Xia army invaded the borders. Marshal Yang Zongbao led his troops to resist the enemy but. Meanwhile, in the Tianbo Mansion, the centenarian Grandmother She Taijun was holding a banquet to celebrate her grandson Yang Zongbao's 50th birthday when the news of his death arrived, causing the entire family to grieve. The enemy situation was dire, but all the male members of the Yang family had sacrificed for the country, leaving only the young great-grandson Yang Wenguang as the last hope. The faction advocating for ceding territory gained the upper hand in the court. For the sake of the nation, Grandmother She Taijun suppressed her grief, refuted the arguments of the peace advocates, and personally took command to lead the troops into battle. Yang Wenguang also wanted to join the fight, but Princess Chai, his grandmother, worried about losing the last hope of the Yang family and refused. Grandmother She Taijun decided to have a martial arts competition between Wenguang and his mother Mu Guiying to determine whether he could go. On the training ground, his mother secretly held back, allowing Wenguang to win and gain permission to accompany her. The Yang family army fought bravely and completely annihilated the invading enemy. The film poster prominently features the stage images of the heroic grandmothers She Taijun and Mu Guiying, as well as the "greenhorn" Yang Wenguang. Behind them stands Grandmother She Taijun, holding a command flag with the character "Commander" on it. She is depicted at the top of the poster with her silver hair and youthful appearance, a solemn and commanding expression, dressed in a bright red robe, exuding the dignity of a family leader and the loyalty of a patriotic hero. Since her husband had fallen in battle, Mu Guiying in the center of the poster is dressed in mourning attire but is not overcome by grief. Instead, she bravely dons armor and charges into battle to avenge both national and family grievances. In the lower left corner of the poster is the youthful Yang Wenguang, also in mourning attire, with his eyes fixed forward as if looking down on the enemy, fully embodying his youthful heroism and spirited nature. Through the portrayal of these three typical characters' stage costumes, the film poster showcases the heroic spirit and patriotic deeds of the Yang family's generations in resisting the enemy and serving the nation. It is a symphony of grandeur and a magnificent epic. The film poster, hand-painted using watercolor techniques, features a black-and-white illustration in the lower right corner depicting the Yang family heroines capturing the enemy commander on the Peking Opera stage. This not only reflects the intense dramatic conflicts in the film but also highlights its genre and characteristics. P7