Assembly (film)

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Assembly
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Directed by	Feng Xiaogang
Produced by	Wang Zhongjun Ren Zhonglun John Chong Wang Tongyuan
Written by	Liu Heng (Adaption of Guan Si)
Starring	Zhang Hanyu Deng Chao Yuan Wenkang Li Naiwen
Music by	Wang Liguang
Cinematography	Lü Yue
Editing by	Liu Miaomiao
Distributed by	Media Asia Distribution Ltd.
Release date(s)	December 20, 2007 January 3, 2008
Running time	124 min.
Country	China/ Hong Kong
Language	Mandarin
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Assembly (Chinese: 集结号; pinyin: Jí jié hào; literally "Assembly (bugle call)") is a 2007 Chinese war-drama film directed by Feng Xiaogang, and starring Zhang Hanyu. It was first released in December 2007 in Mainland China. The film is one of the first few movies produced in the mainland with a portrayal in the realist style of the Chinese Civil War. The movie is an adaption of the novel "Guan Si" which is based on a real account of a veteran army captain upholding his company honor.

Contents 1 Story 2 Quotes 3 Props and Historical Accuracy 4 References 5 External links

Story

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The story begins in 1948 somewhere in an unnamed city during the Huaihai Campaign, one of the bloodiest battles in the Chinese Civil War, with Gu Zidi, a captain of the Independent 2nd Division, 139th Regiment, 3rd Battalion, 9th Company Central Plains Field Army, giving the Kuomintang (KMT) army a chance to surrender. Gu sends a scouting party, and the party is ambushed by the KMT. The rest of the company arrives to reinforce it, and after fierce fighting, during which Gu's political officer is gruesomely blown apart at the torso by a shell, as a soldier called Jiang ran through the nationalist fire he threw a satchel charge at the nationalist cannon. After the charge destroyed the cannon, the few remaining KMT troops emerge with hands in the air. At the same moment, the political officer tells them to charge in his last words. Only 46 of the 116 men in Gu's company survived the ambush.

Enraged by the loss of his political officer just moments earlier, Gu refuses the KMT surrender, shoots one of the prisoners and orders his men to open fire. However, they refuse in accordance with Red Army regulations prohibiting the killing and mistreatment of POWs. Gu is disciplined and given three days imprisonment by his colonel, Colonel Liu (Hu Jun), during which Gu befriends the army teacher Wang Jincun, an intellectual and pacifist who was imprisoned for cowardice after urinating in his pants during an assault charge out of fear.

Gu Zidi and his 46 remaining men are sent to defend the mines on the south bank of the Wen River, a strategic position for overseeing the Nationalists. Gu receives permission to take Wang Jincun (who is condemned anyway) as his new political officer. Colonel Liu orders Gu Zidi to defend the flank, to the last man if necessary, and instructs him not to retreat until he hears the bugle call for assembly with the regiment. Gu is allotted six makeshift mortars and the 10-pounder cannon captured from the Nationalists (the one which killed the former political officer) as artillery.

Gu directs his men in fortifying the mine (after adding wang, making the company numbering 47 men), Guzidi then introduces wang to the whole company working in the trenches around the mine, but is interrupted by a sudden artillery bombardment, they gather inside the mine and one dies of shell-shock, after the bombardment has finished, they come out and saw a massive wave of Nationalist infantry. The company drives off the first wave, but takes 13 casualties (leaving only 34 able to fight). Between waves, Gu orders the dead and severely wounded to be carried into the mine and arranged neatly in the cave. Meanwhile, two soldiers, Jiang and a friend, climb out into the battlefield to get some ammunition from the dead KMT soldiers, as well as a watch for Gu Zidi. His friend recalls that when he was little, he used to serve a landlord and look after the landlord's horses. One day, one of the landlord's horses ran away, and he was beaten with a stick by the landlord and later, with a pole by his father (his family has to give back half the land they rented from the landlord after the incident). He vowed to become a rich hero before he returns home. Jiang's friend finds the KMT officer they saw earlier (they noticed the watch on the officer's wrist before they killed the officer), and tries to take his watch, but he goes up to his knees in excitement, and is felled by a KMT sniper. Jiang brings his friend back to the trenches, and is condemned by Guzidi for such a rash mission. Jiang then brings his friend into the mine, and sees his friend die slowly with sadness. He then finds a satchel charge and walks to the trenches as the Nationalists attack. The second wave of Nationalist forces includes three tanks, and despite the 9th Company's best efforts, one tank resists their Molotov cocktails and breaks into their position, and the KMT machine-gunners within, protected by armour, kill several of Gu's men before the tank is finally destroyed by Jiang blowing himself up in front of the tank just seconds before being rammed.

The company heroically fends off the second wave, but only nine of them, including Gu and Wang Jincun, are still able to fight. One mortally wounded soldier, Sgt. Jiao, tells his comrades that he heard the bugle call in the distance just as the Nationalists were retreating. The others begin to say that they heard the bugle as well, and allege that Gu Zidi, deafened by multiple explosions, was not able to hear the call. Only Gu and Wang Jincun did not hear the call. Angrily accusing his men of cowardice, Gu declares that those who heard the bugle may leave, while those who did not may stay behind. Moved by their captain's resolve, the rest of the 9th Company stays with Gu to fight to the death.

That night, as a third wave of Nationalists try to secure the mine, Gu's men detonate previously rigged explosives, killing several of the enemy, and put up a final resistance in a bayonet charge.

Gu Zidi is the only survivor of the battle, and is found unconscious by the Red Army. Because he was wearing a KMT uniform he had scavenged, he is mistaken for a POW and treated at a military hospital. Much to his despair he learns that no records of his 139th Regiment remain, so no one believes him when he claims to be a Red Army soldier.

Instead of leaving the army as a civilian, Gu Zidi went to fight in the Korean War in 1950, posing as an artillery expert. During that time he befriended a young officer named Zhao Erdou. Disguised in South Korean army uniforms, Zhao and Gu are on an artillery spotting mission when Zhao steps on a landmine. An American tank passes by to check for directions and Gu bluffs them with Korean-sounding gibberish. The tank convoy, whose leader climbed down, inquired them only to find a French anti-personnel mine under Zhao, they were left alone (the tank commander laughs and walks away after seeing what had happened "Wow, that sucks for you." the American tank commander said as he walks away.) as Gu Zidi slips his knife under Zhao's boot on the landmine to free him, and holds the remainder of the boot on the mine. Gu tells Zhao to go and perform his spotting mission, as Gu is not as important to the mission. The landmine finally explodes as Gu remembers his dead comerades, and he releases his grip hoping to meet them in death, Gu survives the blast, losing his right eye and getting shrapnel in his head which damages his remaining vision.

Forward to 1955, Gu Zidi learns that his company has been listed "missing in action" which entitles their families to only 200 pounds of rice as compensation (instead of the 700 for those killed in action). By chance he encounters Wang Jincun's widow asking about her husband, and tells her that he was Wang's commanding officer. He takes her to Zhao Erdou, and while she is treated for a fever, he convinces Zhao to marry her. He also returns back to South Bank, in search of the remains of his 47 men he buried in the mines and to bring honor to their families with status of Killed in action (officially named as a martyr) instead of the less honorable missing in action. With the help of Zhao Erdou who rose as a high ranked officer and Wang Jincun's widow. It turns out that the battlefield he fought 7 years ago turned into a coal mine (the helmets found at the battlefield were used as night pots) thus making his search difficult. Gu Zidi goes to the local cemetery for martyrs, but all the graves were labeled: unknown martyr. Undeterred, he camps out in a mining hut and starts to dig at the huge coal pile daily with a pick and shovel. Zhao persuades the mine manager to leave the old soldier alone, and the miners even send him food.

In 1956 Wang's widow brings Gu the good news - old records of the 139th Regiment, 2nd Division have been discovered. Gu Zidi encounters the regiment's bulger at Colonel Liu's Cemetery (the bugler now is the chief of the cemetery, and have lost his right arm), and learns that colonel Liu, who died from an long-term fatal gunshot wound at the abdomen in the Korean War, never ordered the bugler to sound assembly call. It turns out that Gu Zidi's company was holding up a large KMT force that had threatened to cut off the entire regiment's only line of retreat, and Liu was forced to sacrifice Gu's company to save the rest of the 139th Regiment. As it was over half the 139th was killed in the fighting retreat (one battalion, the bugler says, had only 30 survivors). Gu Zidi forgave Colonel Liu's betrayal at his grave for not sounding the assembly call after an emotional confrontation.

In 1958 the officials finally posthumously awarded Gu Zidi and his 47 comrades in his 9th company with Medal of Valor for heroism by the People's Liberation Army; a monument labeled as the grave of the ninth company was erected with a large red star on top, the general in command of Gu Zidi's Division, General Zhang honours them with a few officials, the former bodyguard and bugler for Colonel Liu finally sounded the bugle, which the 9th company has died waiting for, the 47 men can finally rest in peace.

A flashback finally reveals the last moments of the battle, as Gu regains the memory and realizes why he could not find his dead comrades by digging at the mine. Gu Zidi survived the night battle with the third wave of Nationalists, and took the last of his comrades' bodies, along with the wounded Wang Jincun, into the mine, and left Wang (who is immobilized by a leg injury) with orders to collapse the mine shaft entrance to seal the bodies inside upon the return of the Nationalists. Gu, alone, mans the 10-pounder cannon against a fourth wave of KMT tanks and infantry. He and the lead KMT tank fire shells simultaneously, the enemy shell strikes Gu's 10 pounder cannon and knocking Gu unconscious as Gu's shell scores a direct hit on the tank. Meanwhile, Wang ignites the fuse for the explosives which destroy the cave entrance.

Some years afterwards, text on the screen tells us that a collapsed mine shaft was excavated at Gu's mine. 47 bodies were found inside.

The movie ends with the text telling us that Gu Zidi passed away in 1987 in the Wen river honoured veterans hospital at the age of 71 years old. He was buried together with his 47 men and also adds how Gu Zidi got his name. It memorably recalls the moment when Gu Zidi and his men were crossing the bridge to the coal mine, Gu Zidi looked back at where he had come from (looking at the camera's direction) several times before sprinting towards his men.

Quotes

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• "Every sacrifice deserves to be immortalised" (Film Motto)
• "Brothers of the Chiang Army's 168 Division, greetings from the Captain of the Central Plain army's Independent 2nd division's 139th regiment's 3rd battalion for the whole 9th company, you have been surrounded, fighting on like this will do no good to either side, we have two treats for you. One is bullets, one is dumplings,we will keep them coming if want fo fight on, when you had enough, come and trade your rifles for a pair of chopsticks, the 9th company will sit down with the brothers, we can all eat dumplings." - Gu Zidi persuades the Nationalists to surrender at the beginning of the film.
• "If you didn't hear the bugle call, even if you are the last man left. You must keep fighting."- Colonel Liu gives the order to Gu Zidi.
• "If you are afraid, Shout!, it works and fights off the fear!" - Gu zidi telling his men in the final bayonet charge.
• "He stepped on a landmine-simida!"- Chinese phrase made to sound Korean used by Gu Zidi to trick the American tank crew.
• "Wow, that sucks for you." - the American tank commander walks away after seeing the mine
• "The Bugle call rings in my ears, it never stops playing. All my men heard it, but I didn't, I might as well be dead, so I can see my 47 brothers again."- Gu Zidi as he holds down zhao's boot on the landmine.
• "You were afraid of being bitten to death!? What about us!? our ninth Company!?"- Gu Zidi shouts to the bugler and bodyguard of Colonel Liu after being told the truth.

Props and Historical Accuracy

• The Chinese Red Army wore helmets that look similar to American M1 Helmet, which led to some dispute by critics who says their uniform looks like the professional American trained NRA instead of the militia peasant Army.^[1][2] In fact the dressing of the Communist soldiers are actually correct as they wore and used weapons they captured or received from former nationalists who switched to the Communist side in the late period of the Civil War.

• In both the Chinese Civil War and the Korean War, the majority of lower ranked privates in the army were illiterate peasants. However, army teachers (e.g. Wang JinChun) helped to educate them and thus only a few soldiers were still illiterate after both wars.

• In the Civil war Chiang Kai-Shek is referred to as "lao jiang" ("old Chiang") and the KMT army is referred to as the "Chiang army" as it is headed in a single leadership-type government in the war.

• Various small arms and machine guns that were used by both Communist and Nationalist in the movie can be seen from this list, those not on the list were improvised explosives and makeshift weapons. The tanks that was used by the Nationalists in the final battle and later in the Korean War appear to be Sherman tank and the M26 Pershing respectively.

• It was common in both wars for soldiers who willingly conduct a suicide attack with a bag of explosives.

• The makeshift mortars were made from oil drums mounted on supports. they were very effective in the anti-infantry role.

• Gu Zidi was an abandoned orphan whose parents died when he was three months old, he was found by a peasant near a millet field, thus he was named by his adopted father as "Gu Zidi" meaning "field of grains".

• In the promotional song and trailer scenes of the last bayonet charge battle is seen, however this is not present in the actual film, also the scene in the flashback where Gu Zidi picks up and drags back Jiang's corpse is recorded from a different angle in the actual film.

• there is some controversy disputed in the film, it is suspected of propaganda concernng the lines spoken by the various persons in the film, for example, when the 9th company hides incide the mine from the artillery attack, one soldier, after being told that he will never go to heaven because he killed too many people, blatantly replied :"Those I killed were counter-revolutionies." and later the when Jiang's friend recalls his memories, the context still suggests the anti-landlord propaganda which would last until the end of the Cultural Revolution.

References

External links

• Assembly at the Internet Movie Database
• Assembly at Allmovie
• Assembly at Rotten Tomatoes

v • d • e Films directed by Feng Xiaogang Lost My Love (1994) • Dream Factory (1997) • Be There or Be Square (1998) • Sorry Baby (1999) • A Sigh (2000) • Big Shot's Funeral (2001) • Cell Phone (2003) • A World Without Thieves (2004) • The Banquet (2006) • Assembly (2007)

v • d • e Cinema of China Films A-Z • Films by year • Chinese animation • Awards • Festivals • Studios • Production Companies Actors • Directors • Cinematographers • Producers • Screenwriters

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