The Orphan of Anyang
Encyclopedia
The Orphan of Anyang is a 2001 Chinese film
from Sixth Generation writer-director Wang Chao
. It is Wang's first feature film as director (he had previously served as an assistant director to Chen Kaige
), and is based on a novel
written by the director. The film constitutes the first part of a loose trilogy on life in modern China
, followed by Day and Night (2004), and Luxury Car
(2006). The film was produced by the independent Beijing-based Laurel Films
, founded by screenwriter Fang Li. International distribution was by the French company Onoma.
The Orphan of Anyang tells the story of a recently unemployed factory worker in the city of Anyang
in Henan
province, who comes across an abandoned child. Discovering that the child belongs to a local prostitute and mobster, the poor worker agrees to take care of the baby. When the mobster discovers that he is dying of cancer, however, he attempts to take the child back, now his only heir.
The film is marked by its use of static cameras and a naturalistic use of lighting and sound, prompting one critic to note its similarity to the films of Italian neorealism
and the Dogma 95 manifesto.
Of the three leads, only Yue Senyi, who plays the tough prostitute, Feng Yanli was hired from Beijing
. Wang noted that she possessed "slight stubbornness" but a "strong spirit," such that she could play the part of a prostitute without "conveying misery." Extras, meanwhile, also came primarily from Anyang. Most of the thugs that surround Si-de, for example, were local criminals. Wang noted that he could never find actors who could walk in groups the way that real criminals could.
's New Directors/New Films Series, critic Elvis Mitchell
gave high praise to Wang's debut work. Mitchell writes that the film "with its no-frills honesty, is an arresting achievement..." and when he asks himself if The Orphan of Anyang can be considered one of the best films of the year, he answers simply, "Quite possibly." Generally critics mirrored this praise to one degree or another, one calling the film "deceptively simple film of great depth, maturity, sensitivity and vision," while another gave it more subdued praise, but noted that Wang would be "a new talent to monitor on the indie Mainland scene."
The film's artistic pretensions (the slow pace and the use of non-professional actors for example) did garner the film the scorn of a few critics, with one opining that The Orphan of Anyang suffered from the unintentional humor of bad acting, ultimately calling the film's relatively short 82 minute runtime as nevertheless being like "a life sentence."
Such reviews, however, were outnumbered by positive accounts, with the review database website Rotten Tomatoes
giving the film a 75% Fresh rating out of nine published reviews as of early 2008.
Cinema of China
The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Since 1949 the cinema of mainland China has operated under restrictions imposed by the Communist Party of China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and...
from Sixth Generation writer-director Wang Chao
Wang Chao (director)
Wang Chao is a Chinese film director and screenwriter, sometimes considered part of the loosely defined "sixth generation." Wang began his career serving as an assistant director to the fifth generation auteur, Chen Kaige, working with the elder director on epics like Farewell My Concubine and...
. It is Wang's first feature film as director (he had previously served as an assistant director to Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige is a Chinese film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema. His films are known for their visual flair and epic storytelling.-Early life:...
), and is based on a novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
written by the director. The film constitutes the first part of a loose trilogy on life in modern China
People's Republic of China
China , 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...
, followed by Day and Night (2004), and Luxury Car
Luxury Car (film)
Luxury Car is a 2006 film directed by Wang Chao. The film was produced by China's Bai Bu Ting Media and France's Rosem Films, and in association with Arte France Cinéma....
(2006). The film was produced by the independent Beijing-based Laurel Films
Laurel Films
Laurel Films is an independent Beijing-based production company, operated by producer and screenwriter Fang Li. The company has produced several independent films from directors like Wang Chao, Li Yu and Lou Ye....
, founded by screenwriter Fang Li. International distribution was by the French company Onoma.
The Orphan of Anyang tells the story of a recently unemployed factory worker in the city of Anyang
Anyang
Anyang is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, People's Republic of China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively....
in Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
province, who comes across an abandoned child. Discovering that the child belongs to a local prostitute and mobster, the poor worker agrees to take care of the baby. When the mobster discovers that he is dying of cancer, however, he attempts to take the child back, now his only heir.
The film is marked by its use of static cameras and a naturalistic use of lighting and sound, prompting one critic to note its similarity to the films of Italian neorealism
Italian neorealism
Italian neorealism is a style of film characterized by stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed on location, frequently using nonprofessional actors...
and the Dogma 95 manifesto.
Casting
The film consisted primarily of non-professional actors with most coming locally from Anyang itself. Director Wang Chao took four separate trips to Anyang in preparation for the making of the film, three of which were devoted to the purpose of casting the leads. Wang gathered ten locals to audition for the role of Yu Dagang, the tender but lonely and desperate factory worker who finds himself the caretaker of a baby. The role would eventually go to Sun Guilin, who Wang chose in part because he possessed "calm, but also with some personality and a little dignity and hope." Zhu Jie, the actor chosen to play Boss Si-De, the dying triad gangster and the father of the titular orphan, was another local actor found in Anyang.Of the three leads, only Yue Senyi, who plays the tough prostitute, Feng Yanli was hired from Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. Wang noted that she possessed "slight stubbornness" but a "strong spirit," such that she could play the part of a prostitute without "conveying misery." Extras, meanwhile, also came primarily from Anyang. Most of the thugs that surround Si-de, for example, were local criminals. Wang noted that he could never find actors who could walk in groups the way that real criminals could.
Reception
The film was not given wide distribution, but nevertheless was widely praised by critics. During its premiere in New York City, as part of MOMAMuseum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
's New Directors/New Films Series, critic Elvis Mitchell
Elvis Mitchell
Elvis Mitchell is an American film critic, host of the public radio show The Treatment, and visiting lecturer at Harvard University. He has served as a film critic for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the LA Weekly, The Detroit Free Press, and The New York Times...
gave high praise to Wang's debut work. Mitchell writes that the film "with its no-frills honesty, is an arresting achievement..." and when he asks himself if The Orphan of Anyang can be considered one of the best films of the year, he answers simply, "Quite possibly." Generally critics mirrored this praise to one degree or another, one calling the film "deceptively simple film of great depth, maturity, sensitivity and vision," while another gave it more subdued praise, but noted that Wang would be "a new talent to monitor on the indie Mainland scene."
The film's artistic pretensions (the slow pace and the use of non-professional actors for example) did garner the film the scorn of a few critics, with one opining that The Orphan of Anyang suffered from the unintentional humor of bad acting, ultimately calling the film's relatively short 82 minute runtime as nevertheless being like "a life sentence."
Such reviews, however, were outnumbered by positive accounts, with the review database website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten 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...
giving the film a 75% Fresh rating out of nine published reviews as of early 2008.
Awards and nominations
- 20012001 in filmThe year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
Chicago International Film FestivalChicago International Film FestivalThe Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
- FIPRESCIFIPRESCIThe International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in...
Award
- FIPRESCI
- 20012001 in filmThe year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
Amiens International Film FestivalAmiens International Film FestivalThe Amiens International Film Festival is an annual special-interest film festival focusing on the cinemas of Europe, Africa and Latin America. The festival has been held annually in Amiens, France, since 1980....
- NETPACNetwork for the Promotion of Asian CinemaThe Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema is a worldwide organization of 29 member countries. It was created as the result of a conference on Asian cinema organized by Cinemaya, the Asian Film Quarterly, in New Delhi in 1990 at the instance and with the support of UNESCO, Paris.Headquartered...
Award
- NETPAC
- 20012001 in filmThe year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
Entrevues Film Festival- Grand Prix
- 20022002 in filmThe year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
Tromsø International Film FestivalTromsø International Film FestivalThe Tromsø International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Tromsø, Norway.The inaugural Tromsø International Film Festival was held in 1991, and today TIFF is the largest film festival in Norway as considered by attendance figures; in 2010 there were 58 267 admissions. In 2006 TIFF...
- Aurora Special Award
- 20022002 in filmThe year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
Kerala International Film Festival- Golden Crow Pheasant
- 20022002 in filmThe year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent CinemaBuenos Aires International Festival of Independent CinemaThe Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente is an international festival of independent films organized each year in the month of April, in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.The festival is managed by the Ministerio de Cultura del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, it is not...
- ADF Cinematography Award - Special Mention, Xi Zhang
- SIGNIS Award
- 20022002 in filmThe year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
Vancouver International Film FestivalVancouver International Film FestivalThe Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
- Dragons and Tigers AwardDragons and Tigers AwardVIFF Dragons and Tigers Award for Young Cinema is an award from the Vancouver International Film Festival for a film director from Asia-Pacific region. It awards a creative and innovative film, made early in the director's career, which has not yet won significant international recognition...
- Special Citation
- Dragons and Tigers Award
- 20022002 in filmThe year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
Warsaw International Film FestivalWarsaw International Film FestivalWarsaw International Film Festival , also known as the Warsaw FilmFest, is a film festival held every October in Warsaw, Poland. The festival has been held every year since 1985....
- Special Citation
External links
- The Orphan of Anyang at the Chinese Movie Database