The Go Master

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This article is about the 2006 film. For the novel by Yasunari Kawabata, see The Master of Go.

The Go Master

Directed by	Tian Zhuangzhuang
Produced by	Liu Xiaodian Fortissimo Films
Written by	Ah Cheng Zhou Jingzhi
Starring	Chang Chen Sylvia Chang Akira Emoto Nishina Takashi
Cinematography	Wang Yu
Distributed by	Fortissimo Films
Release date(s)	New York: September 27, 2006
Running time	104 min.
Country	China
Language	Mandarin
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

The Go Master (simplified Chinese: 呉清源; traditional Chinese: 吳清源; pinyin: Wú Qīngyuán) is a 2006 biopic by director Tian Zhuangzhuang of renowned twentieth century Go master Wu Qingyuan, better known by his adopted name of Go Seigen. The film, which premiered at the 44th New York International Film Festival, focuses on the life of this extraordinary player from his meteoric rise as a child prodigy to fame and fortune as a revolutionary strategic thinker, as well as the tumultous global conflicts between his homeland and his adopted nation. The film also features a scene involving the Atomic bomb go game. The film also screened at the AFI's China Film Festival in Silver Spring, Maryland.

1 Plot synopsis
2 Cast and Crew
3 Critical Reception
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Plot synopsis

The film chronicles Qingyuan's discovery as a child prodigy in China, his move to Japan and rise as a champion. Later, he marries the leader of a cult and finds himself being exploited by the group. When relations between Japan and China deteriorate into open war, Qingyuan stays in his adopted nation. Now in his 90s, he lives there to this day, teaching and writing about Go.

[edit] Cast and Crew

Wu Qingyuan is played by Taiwanese actor Chang Chen, who previously appeared in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Three Times. Chang was nominated for the 2006 Golden Horse Award for best actor for his portrayal. The real Wu Qingyuan makes a short cameo appearance in the film's prologue.^[1]

Also appearing are Sylvia Chang (Shu Wen), Xin Baiqing (Wu Yan), Ito Ayumi (Nakahara Kazuko), Emoto Akira (Segoe Kensaku), Matsuzaka Keiko (Kita Fumiko), Betty Huang (Wu Qingying), and Li Xuejian (Li Yutang).

Produced by Liu Xiaodian with executive producers Wang Jun, Own Chen, Wouter Barendrecht, and Michael J. Werner. The screenplay was written by Ah Cheng. Costume design was by the acclaimed Emi Wada, famous for such films as Kurosawa's Ran, Dreams, as well as Zhang Yimou's Hero and House of Flying Daggers.

[edit] Critical Reception

A.O. Scott, in the New York Times called The Go Master, "a stately and respectful biopic", as well as, "deliberate and contemplative rather than dramatic or psychologically probing" and "gorgeously shot".^[2]

[edit] References

^ Havis, Richard James (2006-10-10). The Go Master. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 2007-06-02.
^ Scott, A.O.. "A Prodigy's Life Is Played Out In a Japanese Game of Skill", The New York Times, March 14, 2007.

[edit] External links

The trailer
The Go Master at the Internet Movie Database
The Go Master at Allmovie
The Go Master at Rotten Tomatoes
The Go Master at Fortissimo Films

v • d • e Films directed by Tian Zhuangzhuang

Red Elephant (1982) • Jiuyue (1984) • On the Hunting Ground (1984) • The Horse Thief (1986) • Drum Singer (1987) • Rock 'n' Roll Kids (1988) • Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch (1991) • The Blue Kite (1993) • Springtime in a Small Town (2001) • Delamu (2004) • The Go Master (2006)

v • d • e Cinema of China

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