Underplayed Gems

The Grand Substitution (1965)

The Grand Substitution poster
Original title
萬古流芳
Directed by
Yan Jun
Genre
drama film
Country
People's Republic of China
Runtime
1h 56m
Rating
7.5 of 10 from 2 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

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How it feels

This is a 1965 Chinese film adaptation of a 13th century Yuan dynasty play. It tells a story set in ancient China about a family's massacre and a child who survives to seek retribution. The plot follows several characters who protect the orphan and help him reclaim his heritage.

historicaltheatricalmelodramaticslow-pacedemotionalclassicalrevenge-driven

What happens

The Orphan of Zhao is a Chinese play from the Yuan dynasty, attributed to the 13th-century dramatist Ji Junxiang (紀君祥). The play has as its full name The Great Revenge of the Orphan of Zhao. The play is classified in the zaju genre of dramas. It is divided in six parts, comprising five acts (折 zhe) and a wedge (楔子 xiezi), which may be an interlude or — as it is in this case — a prologue. It contains both dialogue and songs. The story of The Orphan of Zhao takes place during the Spring and Autumn period and revolves around the central theme of revenge. The protagonists are General Han Jue in the first act, the retired Minister Gongsun Chujiu (公孙杵臼) in the second and third act, and the Zhao orphan in the final two acts. The Orphan of Zhao was the first Chinese play to be known in Europe. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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