''Black Snow'' () is a 1990 Chinese

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by Xie Fei. It was written and adapted from a novel by Liu Heng. It was entered into the

40th Berlin International Film Festival The 40th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 9 to 20 February 1990. The festival opened with ''Steel Magnolias'' by Herbert Ross, which was shown out of competition. The Golden Bear was awarded ''ex aequo'' to the American fi ...

, where it won the

Silver Bear The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

for an outstanding single achievement. Although the English film title follows the original name of the novel,Liu Heng 刘恒 ''菊豆 ; 秋菊打官司 ; 本命年 ; 大路朝天 : 刘恒影视作品集:'' Liu Heng Film Novels Collection 1993 Page 58 "根据作者的小说《黑的雪》改编,是作者电影剧本的处女作,剧本原题同小说;影片定名为《本命年》,谢飞导演,姜文、程琳主演;曾获 1990 年第十三届大众电影百花奖最佳故事片奖, 1990 年第四十届西柏林国际电影节银熊奖。 " the Chinese film title 本命年 ''běnmìngnián'' means the year when someone is aged 12, 24, 36, and so on when the Twelve Terrestrial Branches come round again.

Plot

The film captures the social impact of political change in China at the time. A semi-literate who was deprived of schooling during the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...

, Li Huiquan, is released from labor camp. He arrives back in his native

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

to find that he has no family or prospects or friends, just his underworld contacts trying to drag him back into a life of crime. His attempts to make good are continually thwarted. His street stall selling clothes puts him on the fringe of the black market, and he soon gets lured back into his old neighbourhood gangs. His disenchanted comrades include a nightclub chanteuse as well as an escaped convict. The film's lurking handheld camera visually presents realistic footage of a man destined for the past from which he left behind.

Cast

* Cai Hongxiang as Cui Yongli *

Jiang Wen Jiang Wen (born 5 January 1963) is a Chinese actor, screenwriter, and director. As a director, he is sometimes grouped with the "Sixth Generation" that emerged in the 1990s. Jiang is also well known internationally as an actor, having starred wit ...

as Li Huiquan, nickname Quanzi * Lin Cheng as Zhau Yaqiu *

Yue Hong Yue Hong (born 13 August 1962) is a Chinese actress. She is noted for her roles as Gui Lan and Da Lian in the films ''Wild Mountains'' and ''A Tale of Two Donkeys'' respectively. Early life Yue was born and raised in Chengdu, Sichuan. After Res ...

* Meng Jin *

Liu Xiaoning Liu Xiaoning (; born in Qingdao, Shandong) is a Chinese former volleyball player, a member of the China women's national volleyball team from 1995 to 2001. She was part of the Chinese national team, the silver medalist at the 1996 Summer Olympi ...

* Liang Tian *

Fang Zige A fang is a long, pointed tooth. In mammals, a fang is a modified maxillary tooth, used for biting and tearing flesh. In snakes, it is a specialized tooth that is associated with a venom gland (see snake venom). Spiders also have external fangs ...

Reception

Awards

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

, 1990 **Fei Xie Silver Berlin Bear (won) **Fei Xie Golden Berlin Bear (nominated) *

Hundred Flowers Awards The Hundred Flowers Awards () are, together with the Golden Rooster Awards, the most prestigious film awards honouring the best in Chinese cinema, as well as Hong Kong cinema and the Cinema of Taiwan, they are classified as the Chinese equivale ...

, 1990 **Best Film (won) tied with

Jue zhan zhi hou Jue may refer to: * ''Jue'' (vessel), an ancient 3-legged Chinese wine pitcher * Jue, a minor character in ''The Animatrix'' * Japan University of Economics People with the surname * Bhawoh Jue, NFL Free Safety * Dong Jue, court official and gen ...

(1991)

DVD release

In 2010, Black Snow was released as a DVD in a new High-Definition transfer and a booklet featuring essay by author and academic Professor Shaoyi Sun. It includes a 32-minute interview with Xie Fei, in which the director discusses a variety of topics from his training in cinema, to the Cultural Revolution and his approach to teaching filmmaking.

References

External links

*
Second Run DVD
- Official DVD release company {{DEFAULTSORT:Black Snow 1990 films 1990s Mandarin-language films 1990 drama films Films directed by Xie Fei Arts in China Films with screenplays by Liu Heng Chinese drama films