Cinema
The Black Cannon Incident
黑炮事件
Huang Jianxin · 1985
Synopsis
Zhao Shuxin, an engineer at a mining company and a German interpreter, unmarried, plays Chinese chess alone. On returning from a trip, he realises he has lost a piece, the black cannon, and sends a telegram to the hotel where he stayed: “Black cannon lost. 301. Look for it. Zhao.” The authorities take the message for a code, open an investigation and remove him from his post. A tourism interpreter, who knows nothing of the technical field, replaces him alongside an expert who has come from Germany.
Context
The film adapts a short novel by Zhang Xianliang, from a screenplay by Li Wei, and was produced by Wu Tianming, who was then head of the studio. It is Huang Jianxin's first feature film; according to Sohu, it had to undergo many cuts to pass the censors. Time Out praises the inventiveness of its plot, its sets and its colours, and the boldness with which it mocks the ruling class. It was shown out of competition at Cannes in 1987.
Who it is for
A satirical comedy of about an hour and a half, in Mandarin, on Chinese bureaucracy; released in France on videocassette.
Prizes and reception
Liu Zifeng received the Golden Rooster for best actor in 1986 for this role, and Sohu cites a prize for best first film.