2020-2021学年度第2期总第801期
Historical human drama (P4)
华中师范大学第一附属中学 管璇

Have you seen any of these movies?

Lead-in
Learning goals:
1. What do you expect from an introduction of a film?
2. What vocabulary is used to talk about films?
3. How do you recommend your favorite film?

Before reading

• Director?
• Actors?
• Category?
• Plot?
• Techniques?
• Box office?
• Audience
• Response?

Reading and understanding

P1-2
   The Eight Hundred (《八佰》) has brought in over 700 million yuan at the box office within its first week in theaters.
   Directed by Guan Hu, this film is the first major Chinese film that has been released since the country’s theaters reopened over a month ago. The film is widely expected to boost the market after the COVID-19 outbreak, according to China Daily.

Main idea: Basic facts

P3
   The film honors the heroes who fought for the Chinese people during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). Set during the last stage of the Battle of Shanghai in 1937, the film tells the story of more than 400 Chinese soldiers defending the Sihang Warehouse (仓库). This battle boosted the morale (士气) of Chinese people after the retreat (撤退) of Kuomintang’s major forces.  

Main idea: Plot

P4-6
   Yet, the film does not focus only on the historical moments. It also shows the changes of characters – people from humble (卑微的) backgrounds can be the backbone of a nation in critical times.
   For example, the character of Yangguai, played by Wang Qianyuan, had been cold in his daily life, but during the battle he never hesitated to support his country.
  “You will see beyond cinema with the scenes about grassroots soldiers overcoming their fear of death, and how the glory of humanity (人性的光辉) comes from ordinary people in extreme situations,” Guan told China Daily.

Main idea: Characters

P7
   The characters’ development and theme of patriotism (爱国主义) are not the only things that make this film stand out. The production of the movie itself contributes to its attraction.

Main idea: Linking paragraph

P8-9
The Eight Hundred is the first film shot entirely with IMAX cameras in Asia. The crew worked tirelessly to create a realistic set in an area covering 130,000 square meters in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. Within 18 months, they built a model of the warehouse, over 60 buildings, and dug a trench (战壕) to introduce water from Yangcheng Lake nearby, turning it into a 200-meter-long “river”, which is shown in the movie as a part of the Suzhou River.
The impressive shots and stunning (令人震惊的) visual effects provide a striking backdrop (背景) to a story that shows the power of pride and patriotism during difficult times.   

Main idea: Production

Analyzing and exploring

Vocabulary

Vocabulary:
1. boost
2. defend
3. retreat
4. humble
5. backbone
6. critical
7. hesitate
8. grassroots
9. humanity
10. patriotism

Vocabulary:
1. direction
2. cinematography  电影制作艺术
3. script    剧本
4. editing   剪辑
5. costume design
6. set design
7. scores or soundtrack

How to compose a film review?
1. Create an original thesis based on your analysis.
-- a central idea
2. Follow your thesis paragraph with a short plot summary.
3. Move into your analysis of the movie.
4. Use plenty of examples to back up your points.
5. Wrap up your review with a conclusion.

Conclusion

“You will see beyond cinema with the scenes about grassroots soldiers overcoming their fear of death, and how the glory of humanity (人性的光辉) comes from ordinary people in extreme situations,” Guan told China Daily.