Letter with Feather
Encyclopedia
Leather with Feather (also known as Urgent Letter) is a 1954 Chinese film directed by Shi Hui
and written by the playwright and filmmaker, Zhang Junxiang. A war film
that was targeted at children
, Leather with Feather focuses on a young boy who, through his wits, delivers an important message to the 8th Route Army while evading Imperial Japanese forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War
.
leader. One day, he is entrusted with urgent dispatch that must be brought to the Communist Eighth Route Army
, which is fighting the Imperial Japanese Army in northeast China. The letter is marked with three feathers, indicating its importance. He embarks on his mission but must avoid the many Japanese patrols. At one point, he is forced to hide the dispatch under a sheep while posing as a shepherd. Later, he is captured by the Japanese who force him to act as a guide and scout. Using his wits, he leads the Japanese forces into an ambush
, where they are killed and he is rescued. Delivering the important letter, the Communist army is able to use the information contained therein to capture a Japanese commander.
.
Abroad, the film was also well received, winning a Best Film Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival
in 1955.
Shi Hui (actor)
Shi Hui , born Shi Yutai , was a Chinese actor and film director who gained prominence throughout the 1940s through 1950s. Despite his fame, Shi became a victim of the Anti-Rightist Movement in the mid-1950s and committed suicide soon thereafter....
and written by the playwright and filmmaker, Zhang Junxiang. A war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
that was targeted at children
Children's film
A children's film is a film aimed for children as its audience. As opposed to a family film, no special effort is made to make the film attractive for other audiences. The film may or may not be about children. In Unshrinking the Kids: Children's Cinema and the Family Film which is a chapter in In...
, Leather with Feather focuses on a young boy who, through his wits, delivers an important message to the 8th Route Army while evading Imperial Japanese forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
.
Plot
Haiwa (Cao Yuanyuan) is a twelve-year old boy and the son of a guerrillaGuerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
leader. One day, he is entrusted with urgent dispatch that must be brought to the Communist Eighth Route Army
Eighth Route Army
The Eighth Route Army was the larger of the two major Chinese communist forces that formed a unit of the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China which fought the Japanese from 1937 to 1945. In contrast to most of the National Revolutionary Army, it was controlled by the Communist...
, which is fighting the Imperial Japanese Army in northeast China. The letter is marked with three feathers, indicating its importance. He embarks on his mission but must avoid the many Japanese patrols. At one point, he is forced to hide the dispatch under a sheep while posing as a shepherd. Later, he is captured by the Japanese who force him to act as a guide and scout. Using his wits, he leads the Japanese forces into an ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
, where they are killed and he is rescued. Delivering the important letter, the Communist army is able to use the information contained therein to capture a Japanese commander.
Reception
Letter with Feather was extremely popular in China, with its message of patriotism to children. Indeed, it was one of a handful of films made before 1966 that was widely available during the Cultural RevolutionCultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
.
Abroad, the film was also well received, winning a Best Film Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival
Edinburgh International Film Festival
The Edinburgh International Film Festival is an annual fortnight of cinema screenings and related events taking place each June. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival...
in 1955.