The Children of Huang Shi
Encyclopedia
The Children of Huang Shi (Chinese
: 黄石的孩子; working title
: The Bitter Sea, also known as Escape from Huang Shi and Children of the Silk Road) is a Chinese
2008 film. The film centres on the story of George Hogg
and the sixty orphans that he led across China in an effort to save them from conscription during the Second Sino-Japanese war
.
) is a young British journalist from Hertfordshire
in England
. In 1938, during the early days of the Japanese occupation of China, he sneaks into Nanjing
, China, by pretending to be a Red Cross aid worker. Hogg is captured by the Japanese while photographing them committing atrocities and is about to be executed when Chen Hansheng (Chow Yun-fat
), a Chinese communist resistance fighter, saves him. While hiding in the rubble with his new allies, Hogg witnesses the execution of two of his colleagues by the Japanese. Overwhelmed by shock, he inadvertently reveals their presence. A firefight ensues, and Hogg is wounded. While convalescing, he is sent to an orphanage with 60 boys in Huangshi
to help Lee Pearson (Radha Mitchell
), the American nurse who runs it. Soon after his arrival, the boys savagely attack Hogg with sticks; thankfully, Lee arrives just in time and threatens to abandon the boys, leaving them without medical supplies or food.
At Lee's insistence, Hogg helps her to convince the boys that the treatment of lice by flea powder does not hurt. Lee's demonstration of the treatment on a naked Hoggs in the middle of the courtyard manages to convince the boys and they all promptly accept treatment. Lee leaves for two months, and Hogg reluctantly stays behind so as not to leave the boys abandoned. Hogg gains the boys' respect by repairing the lighting, being their teacher, and getting food for them.
Fleeing from the nationalists who want to conscript the boys into their army to fight the Japanese, they make a three-month journey across the snow-bound Liu Pan Shan mountains to safety on the edge of the Mongolian desert, the first 900 km on foot. To their relief, for the last part of the journey they are supplied with four trucks.
At the destination they are supplied with a building that they turn into a new orphanage. In 1945 Hogg dies of tetanus
. This was foreshadowed by Lee, when she had described the horrors of the disease to him earlier.
The film features the Rape of Nanking and the Sankō Sakusen
, and ends with a few brief interview snippets with some of the surviving orphans.
reported that 31% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 71 reviews. Metacritic
reported the film had an average score of 49 out of 100, based on 22 reviews. The New York Times
gave the film an overall positive review, praising the acting and its "realistic depiction of war-ravaged China".
The film has been criticized for ignoring the role of Rewi Alley
, a Communist New Zealander celebrated in China's revolution. Conversion of the nurse played by Radha Mitchell from a New Zealander (Kathleen Hall, associated with Alley) to an American also received negative attention. The omission of Alley in particular has been called a blatant misrepresentation by at least one critic.
and Spain
, and $1 million in the US and Australia
.
Chinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
: 黄石的孩子; working title
Working title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...
: The Bitter Sea, also known as Escape from Huang Shi and Children of the Silk Road) is a Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
2008 film. The film centres on the story of George Hogg
George Hogg (adventurer)
George Aylwin Hogg was an English adventurer. He was a graduate of Oxford University in economics. He is known as a hero in China for saving 60 orphaned boys during the Second Sino-Japanese War, including leading them through dangerous mountain passes, escaping the approaching Japanese secret...
and the sixty orphans that he led across China in an effort to save them from conscription 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 summary
George Hogg (Jonathan Rhys-MeyersJonathan Rhys-Meyers
Jonathan Rhys Meyers is an Irish actor and model.He is best known for his roles in the films Velvet Goldmine, Mission Impossible III, Bend It Like Beckham, Match Point and his television roles as Elvis Presley in the biographical miniseries Elvis, which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor,...
) is a young British journalist from Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 1938, during the early days of the Japanese occupation of China, he sneaks into Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, China, by pretending to be a Red Cross aid worker. Hogg is captured by the Japanese while photographing them committing atrocities and is about to be executed when Chen Hansheng (Chow Yun-fat
Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...
), a Chinese communist resistance fighter, saves him. While hiding in the rubble with his new allies, Hogg witnesses the execution of two of his colleagues by the Japanese. Overwhelmed by shock, he inadvertently reveals their presence. A firefight ensues, and Hogg is wounded. While convalescing, he is sent to an orphanage with 60 boys in Huangshi
Huangshi
Huangshi is a prefecture-level city in China's Hubei province.-Geography and climate:The prefecture-level city of Huangshi is located in southeastern Hubei province, along the southwestern bank of one of the major bends in the Yangtze River. It is located 100 km south-east of Wuhan, and...
to help Lee Pearson (Radha Mitchell
Radha Mitchell
Radha Rani Amber Indigo Anunda Mitchell is an Australian actress. Her film roles include Finding Neverland, Phone Booth, Man on Fire, Silent Hill, and the The Crazies-Early life:...
), the American nurse who runs it. Soon after his arrival, the boys savagely attack Hogg with sticks; thankfully, Lee arrives just in time and threatens to abandon the boys, leaving them without medical supplies or food.
At Lee's insistence, Hogg helps her to convince the boys that the treatment of lice by flea powder does not hurt. Lee's demonstration of the treatment on a naked Hoggs in the middle of the courtyard manages to convince the boys and they all promptly accept treatment. Lee leaves for two months, and Hogg reluctantly stays behind so as not to leave the boys abandoned. Hogg gains the boys' respect by repairing the lighting, being their teacher, and getting food for them.
Fleeing from the nationalists who want to conscript the boys into their army to fight the Japanese, they make a three-month journey across the snow-bound Liu Pan Shan mountains to safety on the edge of the Mongolian desert, the first 900 km on foot. To their relief, for the last part of the journey they are supplied with four trucks.
At the destination they are supplied with a building that they turn into a new orphanage. In 1945 Hogg dies of tetanus
Tetanus
Tetanus is a medical condition characterized by a prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. The primary symptoms are caused by tetanospasmin, a neurotoxin produced by the Gram-positive, rod-shaped, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani...
. This was foreshadowed by Lee, when she had described the horrors of the disease to him earlier.
The film features the Rape of Nanking and the Sankō Sakusen
Three Alls Policy
The Three Alls Policy was a Japanese scorched earth policy adopted in China during World War II, the three alls being: "Kill All", "Burn All" and "Loot All" . In Japanese documents, the policy was originally referred to as...
, and ends with a few brief interview snippets with some of the surviving orphans.
Cast
- Jonathan Rhys Meyers as George HoggGeorge Hogg (adventurer)George Aylwin Hogg was an English adventurer. He was a graduate of Oxford University in economics. He is known as a hero in China for saving 60 orphaned boys during the Second Sino-Japanese War, including leading them through dangerous mountain passes, escaping the approaching Japanese secret...
- Radha MitchellRadha MitchellRadha Rani Amber Indigo Anunda Mitchell is an Australian actress. Her film roles include Finding Neverland, Phone Booth, Man on Fire, Silent Hill, and the The Crazies-Early life:...
as Lee Pearson - Chow Yun-fatChow Yun-FatChow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...
as Chen Hansheng - Michelle YeohMichelle YeohMichelle Yeoh Choo-Kheng is a Hong Kong-based Malaysian Chinese actress, well known for performing her own stunts in the action films that brought her to fame in the early 1990s....
as Mrs. Wang - Guang LiGuang Li-Early life:Li was born in China and moved to Sydney, Australia at the age of 2. He won the lead role in his school musical when he was 8 years old. He attended Sydney Grammar School, and graduated from St Andrew's Cathedral School in 2007...
as Shi-Kai - Lin Ji as Horse Rider
- Matt Walker as Andy Fisher
- Anastasia Kolpakova as Duschka
- Ping Su as Eddie Wei
- David WenhamDavid WenhamDavid Wenham is an Australian actor who has appeared in movies, television series and theatre productions. He is known in Hollywood for his roles as Faramir in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Carl in Van Helsing and Dilios in 300 and Neil Fletcher in Australia...
as Barnes
Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews from Western critics. The review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 31% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 71 reviews. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 49 out of 100, based on 22 reviews. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
gave the film an overall positive review, praising the acting and its "realistic depiction of war-ravaged China".
The film has been criticized for ignoring the role of Rewi Alley
Rewi Alley
Rewi Alley, 路易•艾黎, Lùyì Àilí, QSO, , was a New Zealand-born writer, educator, social reformer, potter, and member of the Communist Party of China....
, a Communist New Zealander celebrated in China's revolution. Conversion of the nurse played by Radha Mitchell from a New Zealander (Kathleen Hall, associated with Alley) to an American also received negative attention. The omission of Alley in particular has been called a blatant misrepresentation by at least one critic.
Box office performance
The film grossed around $7.4 million worldwide, including $1.6 million in ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and $1 million in the US and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
External links
- Official site
- Official site
- The Children of Huang Shi Michelle Yeoh Web Theatre. Detailed information & image site.
- James MacManus (scriptwriter). "The long march of a forgotten English hero". Times Online. February 12, 2007.