Yellow Earth

"After tradition… comes revolution."

1984 1h 31m ZH

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 61

DramaMusicHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A communist soldier is sent to a remote region of China in order to collect folk songs. Staying with a peasant family (a widower with two small children), he discovers a community whose way of life is completely alien to him, but he gradually wins their trust.

“After tradition… comes revolution.”

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Cast

Xue Bai
Cuiqiao
Wang Xueqi
Gu Qing
Tuo Tan
The Father
Quiang Liu
Hanhan

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Chen Kaige
Writers: Ziliang Zhang, Chen Kaige
Languages: Mandarin
Countries: China

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

42 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Chen Kaige, shot by Zhang Yimou. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Zhao Jiping. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Pei Xiaonan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Xue Bai and Wang Xueqi and Tuo Tan carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "After tradition… comes revolution.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0087433 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Chen Kaige directs. Zhang Yimou behind the camera. Zhao Jiping scores. Pei Xiaonan cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in China. Dialogue in Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

142 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Chen Kaige, shot by Zhang Yimou. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Zhao Jiping. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Pei Xiaonan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Xue Bai and Wang Xueqi and Tuo Tan carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "After tradition… comes revolution.".
8IMDB entry: tt0087433 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 61 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 10 themes, including "tradition", "peasant", "arranged marriage", "folk music".