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Giant of the big screen
By Liu Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-20 07:39
Director Xie Jin, one of the most renowned Chinese filmmakers of the 20th century, passed away last Saturday at the age of 85 in Shangyu, Zhejiang province. A hotel staffer found Xie had stopped breathing in his room at around 7:40 am, according to a report by the city's government. Xie arrived in the city on Friday to attend the 100th anniversary of the founding of his alma mater - Chunhui Middle School. Xie's alumnus Tu Guanxiong told West China Metropolis Daily that he and some other alumni asked the staffer to open the door, because Xie did not respond when they knocked.
The cause of his death is not yet known, but Xie had been seriously depressed since his son died of cancer two months ago. Xie directed 36 works over 44 years and wrote three films. Some Japanese critics likened him to Akira Kurosawa - a leading Japanese director.
Xie's films are touching tales about ordinary people and their artistic connections to major historic events. His concern about the fate of the country and its people won over audiences and critics. In a survey conducted at the end of the 1990s, he ranked as the most beloved director, followed by Zhang Yimou. "His films are so earnest that they move the audience," says Xie's good friend, writer Zhang Xianliang. "His deep affection for people, for humanity, makes him a role model for other filmmakers." Tsinghua University Professor Yin Hong believes Xie's films continue to have meaning through changing times. "His films feature a strong sense of social responsibility and patriotism, and are told in an audience-friendly narrative style," he says. Many actors and filmmakers remember Xie for his passion and outspokenness. |
