Wild Boar Forest

Director：Chen Huaiai, Cui Wei
Cast: Li Shaochun, Yuan Shihai, Du Jinfang, Su Weiming, Sun Shengwu
1962 | B&W | DCP | Mandarin | Chi Subtitles | 136min | Beijing Opera

In 1950, Beijing opera great Li Shaochun adapted literary classic, The Water Margin, for the stage, starring as the male lead Lin Chong and staging altogether some 1,000 shows to critical acclaim. Opposite him was the celebrated hualian (painted-face) actor Yuan Shihai who played another outlaw hero, Lu Zhishen. A decade later, the opera was reinvented on the big screen. Cinematic technology makes the transition of time and space more fluid while keeping intact the artistic excellence of the maestros. The plotline sheds light on the chivalry of Lin and Lu who stand tall against oppression, as well as Lin's inner struggles when he is exiled to the faraway Cangzhou. Invaluable record of a performing art at its peak.

Print courtesy of the China Film Archive

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