"Guangxi Film Studio" "Screenplay:" "Gao Lili" "Direction:" "Chen Kaige" "Photogtaphy:" "Zhang Yimou" "Art Direction:" "He Qun" "Music:" "Qu Xiaosong" "Li Weicheng:" "Wang Xueqi Instructor Sun Fang:" "Sun Chun" "Jiang Junbiao:" "Lu Lei Lu Chun:" "Wu Roupu" "Liu Guoqiang:" "Guan Qiang Hao Xiaoyuan:" "Kang Hua" "The Shaanxi Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zhu Shaobo" "Production Manager:" "Chen Liguo" "THE BIG PARADE" "Fall in!" "Attention!" "Eyes right!" "Eyes front!" "Sir, airborne force for the 35th anniversary of the People's Republic parade ready for orders" "Stand at ease" "You know the significance of this event" "Anyone who is unprepared can ask to leave now" "No one?" "Have a smoke" "You want it left longer, too?" "Not so loud!" "Nothing doing, but you're not the only one" "Damn!" "Baldy!" "Quick, tidy up" "In the choir, singing merrily, without a care, you'll find me" "Beating the drum with fervor is old Li Weicheng, our leader" "And conducting all the fun is our Instructor Sun" "You call him just Li Weicheng?" "That's our squad leader's name" "Show more respect, rookie" "You flatter them, then make fun of them behind their backs" "The squad leader's easier-going than Instructor Sun" "You think you know everything" "You don't know anything yet" "I'm not as stupid as I look" "Liu Guoqiang, Hao Xiaoyuan wants you to go to the latrine" "Why?" "He forgot to take toiler paper" "Again!" "Don't laugh;" "I'm on an errand of mercy." "Hao Xiaoyuan, you're back?" "The squad leader was there and he let me have some paper" "Uniting with the masses, are you?" "You didn't bring a mattress." "Use mine" "Use mine" "Wood's what I'm used to." "I bathe with sawdust and sleep on boards" "Are you a rhino?" "The show's starting!" "What's this?" "Is it raining?" "Look at that" "Yours?" "Xiaoyuan's." "He's gone to fetch water" "Light's out!" "Inspection" "Take it back" "Back to the barracks" "At the double" "Empty your pockets before drill" "Is there a letter from military school for me?" "I'm Lu Chun" "No" "What are they playing at?" "I don't know how long I'll be here" "I don't like Instructor Sun." "He seems unable to smile" "Maybe that's being tough" "But he's right to impose discipline" "Why so long?" "If Instructor Sun told me to make up what I missed in my own time I'd have tried even harder" "300 or 400 times already -600." "I've been counting" "Squad Leader" "Try my sandalwood soap." "It's the best." "It will make your skin feel cool" "Let me try, too" "Who's that?" "Generous, aren't you?" "Try it, sir" "I'm not used to it." "Sorry" "Were you a student before you joined up?" "I'm not a patch on Lu, he's an intellectual" "If a high school graduate is an intellectual, then I am" "He'll go to military school and get his stripes" "Squad Leader, aren't you about twenty-five?" "You can tell?" "Yes, I've got sharp eyes" "I'm almost thirty-five" "Then you got your medal on the Vietnam front" "No, I've never been to war or won medals, but I've lots of grey hairs" "There's a shampoo for that" "Are you a southerner?" "A small place, Suzhou..." "Suzhou District" "The county town?" "Well, near to it" "Not washing?" "I forgot my towel" "Use my stuff" "What's the matter with your mouth?" "I stutter, but I eat all right" "Do you know why Jiang wears trousers even here?" "He's bow-legged" "Don't switch on the light; it's hot" "They say there's going to be a check" "They're going to weed out people?" "I'll do your back" "What's it like in Beijing?" "Even I didn't expect them to make a check so soon" "To guarantee quality, any man who doesn't rate a 3 will have to go" "Marks for the first group" "Shall we have Jiang Junbiao march alone?" "Jiang Junbiao, step forward" "Slope arms!" "Port arms!" "Parade march" "Marks" "Next" "What about Xiao Wang?" "His drill is good" "Silence!" "The marks were openly displayed." "The following men are eliminated" "We only took one man from some companies;" "let's not be too harsh" "We'd better think it over" "Those who failed will have to go." "I'll read the list" "Liu Jiansheng, Wang Huchen..." "They failed eleven men altogether" "Eleven in one squad" "There was going to be one more, but because Jiang and..." "Have a smoke" "Who's got matches?" "Give me a light" "What are you doing?" "Looking for your mirror" "What mirror?" "The one in your pocket" "Why does Instructor Sun stare at my face?" "Your left cheek is bigger than the right" "Chew on the right side from now on" "What are you doing?" "Don't panic, this is an instant cure" "Keep your head straight, or they'll prick you" "The pain will remind you" "Xiao Liu, come here" "What about my legs?" "Let me see" "Bind your legs together at night;" "in a few months they'll be straight" "How old are you?" "Twenty-eight." "Why?" "If this method worked, there wouldn't be any hunchbacks" "Their spines could be strapped to a pole" "Spoilsport" "It's no good, I can't sleep unless you snore" "Nine kilometers now" "Help Liu Guoqiang up" "Across the river" "Keep going" "Two minutes to get to the top" "Hurry!" "Almost there!" "One minute, forty seconds" "One minute, forty-five" "One minute, fifty" "One minute, fifty-six" "Why has Jiang Junbiao become so weak?" "I'm sure he can manage" "Instructor Sun's putting on an act" "Does he really believe in Jiang?" "If not, why did he give him a 3?" "Jiang, come on!" "Is there a letter from military school?" "No, or I'd send it to you" "Standing to attention test." "Three hours" "If you're unwell, say so now" "One hour, five minutes" "First rank, number fourteen:" "arms straight by your side" "One hour, thirty minutes" "Li Weicheng, are you all right?" "Hao Xiaoyuan, fall out" "Liu Gouqiang remember you're a soldier" "Two hours, fifteen minutes" "Liu Guoqiang arms straight, legs straight" "Did you hear me?" "Stand up straight" "Come on!" "Time's up!" "Dismiss!" "Water?" "Everyone relax." "The next item in twenty minutes" "Liu Guoqiang, where have you been?" "We've been looking for you" "Why don't you say something?" "Let's go back" "Let go" "Are you feverish?" "Why won't you speak?" "Must a recruit who makes a mistake be punished?" "Have you thought about it?" "Sixteen years old, feverish, standing in a temperature of forty degrees" "He didn't say a thing" "Isn't that the spirit you want?" "Lying in bed, I always ask myself:" "what are we doing?" "From morning to night running, marching, turning our heads" "Each pace 1.2 meters, 116 steps a minute" "Eyes up, eyes down, all together all the time" "So you think the training is wrong." "You shouldn't be participating" "I didn't want to come." "I want to go to military school" "I failed college entrance exams" "I didn't want to go to a trade school, so I joined the army" "My friends said that things have changed" "Nowadays administration is all the rage, or business" "I said I don't want to be like everyone else" "You can say I'm individualistic." "Anyway, I gave up the big city life and good food and drink" "I was doing building work last year" "I saw green uniforms all over the valley." "I felt quite upset" "Girls always go on about "real men", Where are they?" "They're all here" "If we had a day off and could do what we liked, what would we do?" "Play baseball?" "Help the cooks?" "If I had a day off..." "I'm tough on Lu Chun;" "that's because I like him" "But such an outspoken soldier can I trust him?" "I was once a trainee, too." "Why did I start being tough on them?" "Do I really understand my men?" "Jiang Junbiao argued with Lu Chun" "Like many of you, I disagree with Lu Chun ...but his frankness made me think" "Why didn't you say that you had a fever?" "I don't know, but I couldn't in front of everyone else" "I wasn't afraid of feeling ashamed, or of what people would say" "It was so quiet" "I could almost hear their heartbeats;" "they could probably hear mine" "We heard each other's heart beat" "I don't know" "I had a girl classmate. her father has made a fortune" "He wrote to me that when he sees a photograph of me marching he'll let me marry her" "Great." "Let me see her photograph, when it comes" "You're over thirty, but you drill with us." "Did the officers send you?" "Have a rest" "I think Liu Guoqiang knows what is on my mind" "But he won't ask if I'm twenty-five again, or if I've got a medal" "When the others came to visit him, he didn't feel at all ashamed" "It was as if the whole thing was normal" "I think that after that he's grown up" "What do you think?" "How do we tell him?" "I've sent for him" "When his mother was dying, they wanted to inform him" "His mother stopped them" "This is what we'll do" "Send him home for the funeral" "We'll rustle up some money for him" "We're under so much pressure" "He'll be away half a month;" "could he catch up?" "He's been probationer all along, he isn't good at the basics" "When he returns, we should send him back to his unit" "We must be careful about eliminating anyone" "I've said so before" "You want to see me, sir?" "What's wrong with your leg?" "Liu Guoqiang was sitting on my legs and feet." "One leg per cigarette" "I fell asleep" "Drink some water" "My leg hurt when I woke up." "You want to see me, sir?" "You squad leader has something to tell you" "Xiaoyuan..." "Home leave..." "I'm not entitled to it yet" "Go and pack" "Where's Lu Chun?" "Lu Chun, your letter from military school" "I'm sorry this letter was not sent earlier; no doubt you were anxious" "I regret to say that you have not won admittance to the school" "Fall in!" "Liu Guoqiang, you've been a soldier for a year now" "You should take something for your family and neighbors" "It's thirty kilometers to the station." "Hurry, before it starts to rain" "We'll be waiting for you" "They really won't admit you?" "They took only half those who were eligible" "One of my classmates went there last year." "He says he'll try to help me" "I've had this" "Port arms!" "Parade march to numbers!" "Feet straight!" "Jiang Junbiao!" "Jiang Junbiao, get up" "Halt!" "Get up" "Sir, it's my fault, I made him..." "Anyone who is unwell may fall out" "No, I can stick it out" "Port arms!" "Lu Chun, pay attention" "Lu Chun, fall out" "Pay attention" "Where are you going?" "Lu Chun, come back" "Lu Chun, return to the ranks" "What for?" "Parade steps?" "Nothing doing!" "People want their individuality today" "Look at those 400 soldiers, together all day, doing what?" "Marching like robots" "You yell at Jiang but you favored him in the exam" "You think we didn't notice?" "Liu's been kidding Jiang, saying he can cure his bow-legs" "Now he binds his legs every night, we can't stop him" "When he first got here, he used to snore." "Now he sits staring all night" "I feel sorry for him" "Do you know what people are thinking now, what they are doing?" "Do you think the parade will inspire?" "Do people know what we go through?" "Times have changed." "Why should I..." "Hao Xiaoyuan" "You're back?" "You forgot something?" "No." "I don't want to go back" "Mother wanted to see me on television." "If I'm not there, it will be unfilial." "How did you get back?" "I walked" "Where is your raincoat?" "Here" "Return to the ranks" "I'll go ahead" "Hao Xiaoyuan came back" "What he said moved me deeply, It expressed a kind of loyalty" "It wasn't just to impress people" "But I feel sorry for him" "We all have but one mother" "I've only understood that today" "You only believe yourself;" "I know you won't listen to me" "Don't think all fools are really stupid" "I want to tell you something;" "you can listen or not" "Did you know about Instructor Sun and Jiang Junbiao?" "Jiang pulled him out from a pile of corpses" "He bit Jiang's shoulder on the way;" "he didn't know that Jiang was wounded" "When he yells at Jiang and his bow-legs, what does he feel?" "Why aren't you washing?" "You think he doesn't know Jiang's suffering?" "He's trying to be cruel?" "Doesn't Jiang know that binding his legs hurts?" "Why do they do all that?" "They know they're being watched by those young men who laughed and chatted who shared a cigarette and a biscuit, and now are buried, gone forever" "Take your shoes and socks off" "Lu Chun's told me." "It won't do any good" "Can I take part in the parade?" "Why are there more than five in each list?" "They've drilled so long, how can we tell them?" "Can't we keep two extra in each squad?" "Not even one extra is permitted" "Can't we discuss it with the leaders?" "It's a strict order" "Five to each group." "I'll announce it the day after tomorrow" "I've told Zheng he's got to go." "Now he can go home and get married." "The problem is the other one" "Who?" "Hao Xiaoyuan?" "Liu?" "Who else is there?" "We can't let the markers go" "Unless someone volunteers" "Volunteers?" "I don't think anyone will" "Talk to the men." "Their legs are swollen after a day's drill" "They can't even squat to shit, they weep in their sleep" "Let's talk it over" "Don't beat about the bush, we both know who should go" "You mean Jiang" "If you can't tell him, I will" "No, I should do it" "Sir, what's wrong?" "Squad Leader, I've brought a doctor" "It's nothing." "It's hot in here" "Now you've seen it, I'll tell you" "Yes, I passed out." "It's not the first time, or the last" "What's wrong with me?" "Are you angry with me?" "No" "I'm not educated;" "I learned to read after I joined up" "I never went to war, or won a medal" "My company is an ordinary one;" "our only medal was won at tug-of-war" "I wanted to go to military school, but I'm too old" "I wanted to become an officer, but I wasn't qualified" "I've done all sorts of duties" "Since I was promoted I go home every year, or every two years" "It's been 15 or 16 years like that" "I've had this problem before." "I ignored it, I thought it was nothing" "But now I've passed out many times" "If I can pass out on the parade ground, I can pass out on Tiananmen Square" "I'm scared when I see people fail;" "it makes me wonder about myself" "This is my last chance for promotion" "I can't bring myself to tell Jiang." "What happened in the showers wiped out everything I've been trying to make myself believe" "If one of us has to go, it should be me now" "Lu Chun, your canteen's not straight" "Someone needed my advice" "Jiang" "If you've got anything against me, please tell me" "No, nothing" "If there's nothing else, I'll do some cleaning" "They say Jiang's leaving" "Why couldn't I tell Jiang myself?" "Instructor" "What is it?" "Instructor, why are you making Jiang go?" "Because of his drill." "Only good drill will bring us honor" "When did you realize he wouldn't do?" "From the start" "Then why eliminate him only now?" "I thought will-power would pull him through" "I think you repay comrades-in-arms by fulfilling their wishes" "I gave him a mark of 3, and now I'm eliminating him" "Everyone will praise me and say I did my best for everyone" "If Lu Chun hadn't asked me, I'd never have seen it as unnecessary" "I could have told him at the start to do something else" "You mean I'm two-faced?" "You meant well" "Why clean your gun now?" "Why not rest?" "It's a habit" "I don't smoke" "Jiang..." "Say no more" "After all this work, we know each other very well" "If you have something difficult to say tell me before I leave" "If you have some advice, tell me while the others aren't here" "I'll have one" "Have a pillow tonight" "I can't sleep on a pillow" "You want to say something?" "Yes" "It's about Instructor Sun" "We were comrades-in-arms on the battlefield" "He was young and ambitious then." "He fought bravely" "He won a Merit Citation Class II" "During an ambush, he felt tired and wanted a smoke" "As soon as he lit up, the enemy opened fire with machine-guns" "Many of our men died" "The squad leader cried Sun's name before he died" "Sun was wounded." "I carried him back" "He kept crying out for the squad leader" "His blood and tears flowed down my neck" "That's how we got to the rear" "When he came round, he just stared" "He didn't speak for several days" "I stayed with him." "In the night I heard him say:" ""The squad leader's calling me"" "When he was better, they asked if he wanted anything" "He didn't want medals, he wanted to be a drill instructor" "Don't be angry with Instructor Sun" "When he shouts, it's for our own good" "I hope you can understand him" "I'm leaving tomorrow." "Drill hard, don't see me off" "This medal was our squad leader's" "He was an orphan." "I kept it for him after he died" "He gave his life for it" "I pass it to Lu Chun" "Comrade Jiang, please review the troops" "Jiang's gone." "He shook my hand and smiled" "When I saw the truck go, I couldn't say a word" "We received the order to move" "The men jumped and laughed" "They're off to Beijing soon" "Instructor Sun asks you to report" "I'm coming" "Tell him I'd like to address the men, if there's time" "Comrades!" "At ease!" "We're going to Beijing" "I keep thinking of Jiang cleaning his gun before he left" "He was crying." "His tears fell on the gun" "Think how we've spent these months" "I'm sure you'll agree he had good reason to weep" "Once it was said that good men don't become soldiers" "That's no longer true." "Take us, for example" "What have we here?" "A mess hall, latrines and a training ground" "Hundreds of us have lived here for months" "We've each worn out four pairs of boots." "We've cried, we've bled" "Some didn't go home when parents died" "Some postponed their wedding, some broke off with their girlfriends" "How far have we walked?" "We've each walked 9,993 kilometers" "That's like marching across China, north to south, and back again" "We've used six tons of boot nails" "Well, wasn't this a Long March?" "Still we haven't finished" "But what is our march in the parade?" "96 steps, less than a minute" "9,993 kilometers for a minute." "Not just a matter of political principles" "How could we take this if we weren't good men?" "Good men do become soldiers." "Only good men are fit to become soldiers" "Some people say we're fools" "To them I say: get stuffed!" "Comrades, you will get a reward" "Where?" "In front of Tiananmen" "It may be hard for a man to weep, but I believe we shall all weep on that day" "It reminds me of the words in our National Anthem" ""Build a new Great Wall with our flesh and blood"" "That's all" "The men stared at me." "They were just as moved" "Had they known it was my farewell, they would have been even more moved" "But while I was speaking I thought about why I had decided on that day" "You may think Jiang's departure moved me and made me decide" "No, I've known about my illness for ages" "When I think about it, I feel ashamed" "You say I'm too hard on myself" "But only by facing up to it can I say I've taken part in all this" "I meant to keep it a secret" "If nothing went wrong, I would win glory" "After fifteen years without promotion that would be understandable" "I suggest Hao Xiaoyuan take my place" "I hope i can see him on television" "Li Weicheng" "I won't be long" "Before we sign our names, let's sign for the men who have left" "Li Weicheng" "Jiang Junbiao" "He Jun" "Li Guanghui" "Zhang Wei" "Wang Dingkang" "Xie Feng" "Wang Zheng" "Guo Gang" "Raise the flag!" "Salute!"