Sacrifice (2010 film)
Sacrifice | ||
---|---|---|
Hanyu Pinyin | Zhào Shì Gū Ér | |
Directed by | Chen Kaige | |
Written by | Chen Kaige Zhao Ningyu | |
Produced by | Ren Zhonglun Long Qiuyun Qin Hong Chen Hong | |
Starring | Ge You Wang Xueqi Fan Bingbing Vincent Zhao Huang Xiaoming | |
Edited by | Derek Hui | |
Music by | Ma Shangyou | |
Production companies | ||
Distributed by | Stellar Megamedia | |
Release date |
| |
Running time | 124 minutes | |
Country | China | |
Language | Mandarin | |
Budget | US$10 million | |
Box office | US$29,093,560[1][2] |
Sacrifice is a 2010 Chinese historical drama film directed by Chen Kaige, starring Ge You, Wang Xueqi, Huang Xiaoming, Fan Bingbing and Vincent Zhao. It is based on the Yuan dynasty play The Orphan of Zhao by Ji Junxiang.[3] It was distributed in the United States by Samuel Goldwyn Films.[4]
Plot
The story is set in
Cheng Ying brings the baby Zhao Wu home, but his wife gives the child to the searching soldiers. Cheng Ying then asks Gongsun Chujiu to bring his wife and his real son (disguised as Zhao Wu) out of the city, while he stays behind to try and retrieve Zhao Wu from Tu'an Gu. Tu'an Gu finds Cheng Ying suspicious, but Cheng lies that the Zhao orphan has been taken out of the city by Gongsun Chujiu. Tu'an Gu then leads his soldiers to Gongsun Chujiu's house and finds Cheng Ying's wife and son. Mistaking Cheng Ying's son for the Zhao orphan, Tu'an Gu kills the infant, Gongsun Chujiu and Cheng's wife.
Cheng Ying is devastated by the loss of his family and he swears vengeance on Tu'an Gu. He pretends to pledge allegiance to Tu'an Gu and brings Zhao Wu along with him and raises the child in Tu'an's house. Tu'an Gu mistakenly believes that Zhao Wu is Cheng Ying's son and adopts Zhao Wu as his godson. Zhao Wu gradually grows up under Tu'an Gu's tutelage and develops a close bond with Tu'an. Cheng Ying also forges a close friendship with the disfigured Han Jue and they secretly plot to help Zhao Wu avenge his family.
One day, Cheng Ying breaks the truth to Zhao Wu, telling him that Tu'an Gu, who has been a fatherly figure to him for the past 15 years, is actually the murderer of his family. Zhao Wu is unable to accept the truth initially but his attitude changes as he hears from Han Jue about how Cheng Ying sacrificed his own son to save him. Zhao Wu and Cheng Ying finally confront Tu'an Gu, but Tu'an is aware of Zhao's true identity, because, over the years, he has noticed that the boy resembles Zhao Shuo. Zhao Wu engages Tu'an Gu in a sword fight but is no match for the latter. At the critical moment, Cheng Ying sacrifices himself to give Zhao Wu an opportunity to stab and kill Tu'an Gu. The film ends with a dying Cheng Ying having a vision of his reunion with his family.
Cast
- Ge You as Cheng Ying, a physician.
- Wang Xueqi as Tu'an Gu, a general.
- Zhang Fengyi as Gongsun Chujiu, an official and a friend of the Zhao family.
- Vincent Zhao as Zhao Shuo, a general and Zhao Dun's son.
- Fan Bingbing as Lady Zhuang, Zhao Shuo's wife and Duke Ling's elder sister.
- Huang Xiaoming as Han Jue, Tu'an Gu's subordinate.
- Bao Guo'an as Zhao Dun, the chancellor.
- Peng Bo as Duke Ling of Jin, the ruler of Jin.
- Li Dongxue as Timi Ming, Zhao Dun's bodyguard.
- Zhao Wenhao as Zhao Wu, the Zhao family orphan.
- Wang Han William as the younger Zhao Wu.
- Hai Qing as Cheng Ying's wife
See also
- List of Asian historical drama films
References
- ^ "Sacrifice (2012)". Box Office Mojo. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- ^ "Sacrifice (2010)". Boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- ^ Lee, Maggie (11 January 2011). "Sacrifice -- Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Fleming, Mike. "Goldwyn Acquires Chen Kaige's 'Sacrifice'". Deadline.com. Retrieved 29 July 2014.