A young man from a fallen family, Gao Shi dreams of restoring his name through arms. A general late in life, he is the one who tells the story, from a fortress besieged by the Tibetan army.
Personality
Hard-working, stubborn and reserved, Gao Shi is ill at ease in society and stutters in his youth. He admires Li Bai while refusing to live like him.
Powers & abilities
He masters his family's spear, a technique built for real combat. Later he also becomes a renowned poet, writing verse about life on the frontier.
History
After years of failure, he joins the army and rises through the ranks. During the An Lushan Rebellion he becomes one of the generals the empire relies on, while Li Bai strays into a rebel camp.
Relationships
Li Bai is his friend, his model and his opposite. Du Fu is a travelling companion. The eunuch Cheng is the court envoy to whom he tells his life.
Key moments
- His youthful meeting with Li Bai.
- Demonstrating the family spear before Princess Yuzhen.
- The siege of his fortress, which frames the whole film.
In the adaptations
A historical figure (c. 704-765), he is one of the great frontier poets of the Tang dynasty. The film makes him its narrator.
Did you know?
- He is one of the few Tang poets to have had a major military and political career.
- In 744 he travelled with Li Bai and Du Fu, a famous episode in Chinese literary history.
Our take
Gao Shi is a quiet, moving hero: the one who perseveres while his friend's genius scatters.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan