The East Is Red (film)
Encyclopedia
The East Is Red is a 1965 Chinese film directed by Wang Ping. It is a a "song and dance epic" promoting Communism
, especially the Maoism
prevalent in the Communist Party of China
, produced in the early 1960s. The musical is commercially available today on both CD and video, as well as online with English subtitles.
The film is also known as The East Is Red: A Song and Dance Epic.
depicts the history of the Communist Party of China under Mao Zedong
from its founding in July 1921 to the establishment of "New China" in 1949. Detailed in the musical are several key events in CCP history such as the Northern Expedition (taken up by the Kuomingtang National Revolutionary Army
with Chinese Communist and Soviet support), the KMT-led Shanghai massacre of 1927
, the Nanchang Uprising
and formation of the People's Liberation Army
, the Long March
, guerrilla warfare
of the PLA during the Second United Front (during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression), the subsequent coup de grâce
delivered to the Nationalist Republic of China
administration of Mainland China
by the PLA in the decisive phase of the Chinese Civil War
, and the founding of the PRC on October 1, 1949.
Singers in the film include Wang Kun
, Tseten Dolma
, Hu Song Hua and Guo Lanying
.
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, especially the Maoism
Maoism
Maoism, also known as the Mao Zedong Thought , is claimed by Maoists as an anti-Revisionist form of Marxist communist theory, derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong . Developed during the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely applied as the political and military guiding...
prevalent in the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
, produced in the early 1960s. The musical is commercially available today on both CD and video, as well as online with English subtitles.
The film is also known as The East Is Red: A Song and Dance Epic.
Plot summary
The musicalMusical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
depicts the history of the Communist Party of China under Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
from its founding in July 1921 to the establishment of "New China" in 1949. Detailed in the musical are several key events in CCP history such as the Northern Expedition (taken up by the Kuomingtang National Revolutionary Army
National Revolutionary Army
The National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
with Chinese Communist and Soviet support), the KMT-led Shanghai massacre of 1927
Shanghai massacre of 1927
The April 12 Incident of 1927 refers to the violent suppression of Chinese Communist Party organizations in Shanghai by the military forces of Chiang Kai-shek and conservative factions in the Kuomintang...
, the Nanchang Uprising
Nanchang Uprising
The Nanchang Uprising was the first major Kuomintang-Communist engagement of the Chinese Civil War, in order to counter the anti-communist purges by the Nationalist Party of China....
and formation of the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
, the Long March
Long March
The Long March was a massive military retreat undertaken by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China, the forerunner of the People's Liberation Army, to evade the pursuit of the Kuomintang army. There was not one Long March, but a series of marches, as various Communist armies in the south...
, guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla 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...
of the PLA during the Second United Front (during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression), the subsequent coup de grâce
Coup de grâce
The expression coup de grâce means a death blow intended to end the suffering of a wounded creature. The phrase can refer to the killing of civilians or soldiers, friends or enemies, with or without the consent of the sufferer...
delivered to the Nationalist Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
administration of Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
by the PLA in the decisive phase of the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
, and the founding of the PRC on October 1, 1949.
Singers in the film include Wang Kun
Wang Kun (singer)
Wang Kun is a noted and influential Chinese singer, actress, musical director, and teacher specializing in revolutionary repertoire. She is most famous for her interpretations of songs such as "Nanniwan" ....
, Tseten Dolma
Tseten Dolma
Tseten Dolma is a Tibetan soprano. She was born on August 1, 1937 to a to a serf family in Shigatse, Tibet. Tsetsun was influenced by Tibetan folk music from very young age, and first performed on stage in 1956....
, Hu Song Hua and Guo Lanying
Guo Lanying
Guo Lanying is a noted Chinese operatic soprano best known for singing patriotic songs such as "My Motherland" and "Nanniwan" ....
.
Soundtrack
- Orchestra, ensemble and choirs - "The East is Red" (with dance)
- Orchestra, ensemble and choirs - "Northern October Winds"
- Orchestra, ensemble, choirs and lady duettists - " (For the Red Army)Wooden Hunan Shoes"
- Orchestra, ensemble, and male choir - Three Rules and Eight Notices (Adaptation of Military song of ChinaMilitary song of ChinaThe military song of China is a Chinese patriotic song that dates back to the formation of the New Armies of the late Qing Dynasty. The succeeding Chinese regimes recycled the music and changed the lyrics....
) - Orchestra, ensemble and choirs - Crossing the Dadu River (with dance)
- Orchestra, ensemble and lady soloist - Song of the Yi People
- Orchestra, ensemble and male choir - "The Armies Have Reunited (Long Live the Red Army)"
- Orchestra, ensemble, choirs and male soloist - "The Long March"
- Orchestra, ensemble and soloists - "On Songhua RiverOn Songhua River"On Songhua River" is a patriotic song from the Second Sino-Japanese War, which is called the War of Resistance in both the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China.-History:...
" (Ballad of the Northeasters) - Orchestra and ensemble- March of the VolunteersMarch of the VolunteersMarch of the Volunteers is the national anthem of the People's Republic of China , written by the noted poet and playwright Tian Han with music composed by Nie Er. This composition is a musical march...
(1st performance) - Orchestra, ensemble and choir - Song of Guerrillas
- Orchestra, ensemble, ladies choir and soloist - NanniwanNanniwanNanniwan is a revolutionary song written in 1943 with lyrics by communist playwright and poet He Jingzhi and music by Ma Ke. It was made popular by the Communist Party of China and continues to be one of the most recognisable songs in the People's Republic of China.Nanniwan is a gorge about 90km...
- Orchestra, ensemble and choirs - "Defend the Yellow River" from the Yellow River CantataYellow River CantataThe Yellow River Cantata is a cantata by Chinese composer Xian Xinghai . Composed in Yan'an in early 1939 during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the work was inspired by a patriotic poem by Guang Weiran, which was also adapted as the lyrics...
- Orchestra, ensemble and male choir - Military Anthem of the People's Liberation ArmyMilitary anthem of the People's Liberation ArmyThe Military Anthem of the Chinese People's Liberation Army , also known as the March of the Chinese People's Liberation Army , is a patriotic song of the People's Republic of China...
- Orchestra, ensemble, choirs and duettists- "The People's Liberation Army Captures Nanking City" (One of Chairman Mao's poems)
- Orchestra and ensemble - March of the VolunteersMarch of the VolunteersMarch of the Volunteers is the national anthem of the People's Republic of China , written by the noted poet and playwright Tian Han with music composed by Nie Er. This composition is a musical march...
(2nd performance) (National Anthem of the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, played at the beginning of Act 6, in the Tiananmen Square scene) - Orchestra, ensemble and choirs - Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New ChinaWithout the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China"Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China" is a popular Communist propaganda song in the People's Republic of China, which originated in 1943 in response to the phrase "Without Kuomintang there would be no China".-Background:...
- Orchestra, ensemble, and male soloist - PaeanPaeanA paean is a song or lyric poem expressing triumph or thanksgiving. In classical antiquity, it is usually performed by a chorus, but some examples seem intended for an individual voice...
- Orchestra, ensemble, ladies choir and soloists - Song of Liberated Tibetan Serfs
- Orchestra, ensemble and choirs - Ode to the Motherland
- Orchestra, ensemble and choirs - "The InternationaleThe InternationaleThe Internationale is a famous socialist, communist, social-democratic and anarchist anthem.The Internationale became the anthem of international socialism, and gained particular fame under the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1944, when it was that communist state's de facto central anthem...
" (Words by Eugène Pottier, music by Pierre DegeyterPierre DegeyterPierre Chretien De Geyter was a Belgian socialist and a composer, known for writing the music of The Internationale.- Early life :De Geyter's parents, originally from the French Flanders, moved to Ghent to work in the textile...
, Chinese translation by Qu Qiubai) Only the first verse is sung at the finale scene.