Peacock (2005 film)

Peacock
Promotional poster for Peacock
Traditional 孔雀
Simplified 孔雀
Mandarin kǒngquè
Directed by Gu Changwei
Produced by Dong Ping
Er Yong
Gu Changwei
Written by Li Qiang
Starring Zhang Jingchu
Feng Li
Lu Yulai
Music by Dou Peng
Cinematography Yang Shu
Edited by Sha Liu
Tao Yan
Distributed by Asian Union Film
Release date
  • February 18, 2005 (2005-02-18)
Running time
 144 minutes
Country China
Language Mandarin

Peacock (Chinese: 孔雀; pinyin: kǒng què) is a 2005 film directed by Gu Changwei, written by Li Qiang. This is Gu's first film as director after a lengthy career as a cinematographer for some of China's top directors. The film premiered simultaneously in both China and in competition at the 2005 Berlin International Film Festival, going on to receive Berlin's Jury Grand Prix Silver Bear.[1]

Its original runtime was over four hours, but was reduced to 144 minutes for its theatrical release.

Synopsis

The story is set in the late 1970s and early 1980s, in a small town in Mainland China. A middle-aged couple has three children. The eldest son is obese and mentally challenged, a social outcast and is constantly teased by others. The second child, the daughter, is energetic and independent, and isn't afraid of doing anything to pursue her dreams or to survive. The youngest child is an introverted, quiet boy who is ashamed of his older brother and tries to break away from his family's misery.

Breaking into three sections, each focusing on one of the siblings, Peacock allows us to look into the lives of ordinary Chinese people immediately after the Cultural Revolution.

Cast

  • Zhang Jingchu as Gao Weihong, sister; a young woman who wishes to join the local paratrooper unit of the People's Liberation Army.
  • Feng Li as Gao Weiguo, elder brother.
  • Lu Yulai as Gao Weigiang, younger brother.
  • Huang Meiying as mother of the Gao family.
  • Zhao Yiwei as father of the Gao family.
  • Liu Lei as Guo Zi
  • Wang Lan as Jin Zhi, the wife of Weiguo in an arranged marriage.
  • Yu Xiaowei as Paratrooper, a soldier who lands one day in a field near the Gao family's home.
  • Shi Junhui as Xiaowang, the driver for a local official who married Weihong.
  • An Jing as Zhang Lina, a singer and wife of the youngest sibling, Weigiang
  • Liu Guonan as Zhang Xi
  • Wang Yingjie as Godfather, an accordion player who strikes up a friendship with Weihong.
  • Zong Ping as a teacher
  • Yang Meng as Tao Meiling
  • Gu Changwei as a blind man

References

  1. ↑ Meza, Ed (2005-02-21). "'Carmen' cops gold". Variety. Retrieved 2008-05-31.

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