The Founding of a Republic

The Founding of a Republic
Film poster
Traditional	建國大業
Simplified	建国大业
Mandarin	Jiàn Gúo Dà Yè
Cantonese	Gin3 Gwok3 Daai6 Jip6
Directed by	Huang Jianxin Han Sanping
Produced by	Huang Jianxin Han Sanping
Written by	Chen Baoguang Wang Xingdong
Starring	Tang Guoqiang Zhang Guoli Xu Qing Liu Jin Chen Kun Wang Wufu
Music by	Shu Nan
Cinematography	Zhao Xiaoshi
Edited by	Xu Hongyu
Production company	China Film Group Shanghai Film Studio Media Asia Films Emperor Motion Pictures Universe Entertainment Polybona Films China Movie Channel Beijing Guoli Changsheng Movies & TV Productions Beijing Hualu Baina Film & TV Production Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation DMG Entertainment Beijing Xinbaoyuan Movie & TV Investment
Distributed by	China Film Group Beijing Polybona Film Distribution (China) Universe Films Distribution (Hong Kong)
Release dates	September 16, 2009 (2009-09-16)
Running time	135 minutes
Country	China
Language	Mandarin
Budget	$8.8–$10 million
Box office	$62.5 million[1][2]

The Founding of a Republic is a 2009 Chinese historical film commissioned by China's film regulator and made by the state-owned China Film Group (CFG) to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. The film was directed by Huang Jianxin and China Film Group head Han Sanping.

Although the film premiered on September 17, 2009 in mainland China, it has yet to receive publicity in Taiwan. The film was produced with the backing of the Communist Party, but in response to reactions outside Mainland China, Huang Jianxin, the film's co-director, "has said it was unfair to describe The Founding of a Republic as propaganda, since modern Chinese audience were too sophisticated to swallow a simplistic rendering of history."^[3] While the Taiwan government has asserted that it has no plans to actively censor the film, it has yet to be released because Taiwan's 2009 annual quota of 10 mainland films was already reached.^[4]

The film retells the tale of the Communist ascendancy and triumph, and has a star-studded cast including Andy Lau, Ge You, Hu Jun, Leon Lai, Zhang Ziyi, Donnie Yen, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Zhao Wei, and directors Jiang Wen, Chen Kaige and John Woo, many of whom make cameo appearances so brief they could be easily missed; the leading roles are played by actors equally renowned in China, such as Tang Guoqiang and Zhang Guoli, but they are less well-known internationally. A CFG spokesman said many stars answered Han Sanping's call to appear in the film, and waived their fee. Thus, the movie kept to its modest budget of 60–70 million yuan (US$8.8–$10 million). According to the executive at one of China's top multiplex chains, the film unusually marries "the core of an 'ethically inspiring' film with commercial packaging."^[5]

Plot

In 1945 after the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Mao Zedong and members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) travel to Chongqing for a meeting with Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang (KMT). With help from the China Democratic League, the Double Tenth Agreement is signed between the KMT and CPC, with both sides agreeing to stop the civil war and to establish a multi-party government in China.

The following year, Chiang Kai-shek calls for a National Assembly in Nanjing and is elected as President of the Republic of China (ROC). At the same time, the peace negotiations between the CPC and KMT fail and the civil war continues. Other political figures such as Zhang Lan, Soong Ching-ling and Li Jishen, support the CPC because they oppose Chiang's government, even though they are in non-battleground areas such as Shanghai and Hong Kong.

In May 1948, the CPC declares the opening of a "War of Liberation" against Chiang's ROC government, with many other political parties responding to the call and taking the CPC's side. The Red Army scores victories against the NRA in subsequent battles and eventually Chiang's forces retreat to Taiwan in December 1949. On 1 October 1949, Mao Zedong proclaims the People's Republic of China with its capital at Beijing, marking the start of a new era for China.

Cast

Main figures

Chinese Communist Party figures

Kuomintang figures

China Democratic League figures

Other notable historical figures

Foreign political figures

Fictional characters

See also

• The Founding of a Party

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Founding of a Republic.

External links

• The Founding of a Republic at the Internet Movie Database
• The Founding of a Republic at the Chinese Movie Database