长安三万里
Chang'an
A lifelong friendship between two poets, from the splendour of the Tang to war
Synopsis
A few years after the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tibetan army invades the southwest of the Tang empire. Besieged in a fortress, General Gao Shi receives the eunuch Cheng, sent by the court to oversee the army.
In answer, Gao Shi tells the story of his life and his friendship with Li Bai, the greatest poet of his time. From their youthful meeting to the banquets of Chang'an, from journeys to disillusion, two destinies cross: the free poet who dreams of glory, and the stubborn soldier who ends up succeeding where the other fails.
Directed by Xie Junwei and Zou Jing for Light Chaser Animation, from a screenplay by Wang Wei, the film was released in China on 8 July 2023. It runs 168 minutes and features 48 poems from the Tang dynasty.
World
The film spans half a century of Tang history, from the height of the Kaiyuan era to the An Lushan Rebellion, which ravaged the empire from 755. We visit the capital Chang'an, Yangzhou, the mountains of Sichuan and the frontiers, and meet many poets and historical figures: Du Fu, Wang Wei, the calligrapher Zhang Xu, the musician Li Guinian, Princess Yuzhen and General Guo Ziyi.
Power system
No magic here: the characters' strength is poetry and arms. Gao Shi masters his family's spear, Li Bai the sword and above all verse. The poems, recited or sung, become true action scenes, like Li Bai's imaginary flight while reciting Qiang Jin Jiu.
Reception & popularity
With more than 1.6 billion yuan at the Chinese box office, Chang'an became Light Chaser Animation's biggest hit. Audiences, families especially, praised its beauty and the way it brings Tang poetry to life, though its length was criticised.
My take
Chang'an is an ambitious, beautiful epic that dares to talk about poetry for nearly three hours. The Qiang Jin Jiu scene, where Li Bai soars on a crane above the clouds, is one of the finest moments in recent Chinese animation.
The film is long, and you need some knowledge of Tang poetry to catch all its references. But the friendship between Gao Shi and Li Bai, made of admiration and rivalry, rings true.
Who is it for?Watch it if you like historical epics and poetry, or want to discover Tang-dynasty China.
Main characters
More character profiles are coming.
Trivia
- The title comes from a line by the Song poet Lu You: "Thirty thousand li of river flow east into the sea" (三万里河东入海).
- The screenwriter, Wang Wei, founder of Light Chaser, shares his pinyin name with the poet Wang Wei (王维), who appears in the film.
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