Warriors of Heaven and Earth
| Warriors of Heaven and Earth | |
|---|---|
 United States theatrical release poster | |
| 天地英雄 | |
| Directed by | He Ping |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Kong Jinlei |
| Music by | A. R. Rahman |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Huayi Brothers |
Release date |
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Running time | 114 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin |
Warriors of Heaven and Earth (天地英雄) is a 2003 Chinese action adventure film directed by He Ping. The film's notable cinematography captures a wide range of landscapes across Xinjiang. It was China's official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, though it did not get nominated.
Synopsis
The film is set in western China around 700 AD at the height of the Tang Empire when trade and cultural exchanges are taking place via the Silk Road between the Chinese and their counterparts in the west. Lieutenant Li, a former Tang army officer, has become a fugitive after defying orders to kill unarmed Göktürk prisoners-of-war, most of whom are the elderly, women and children. Years later, he joins a caravan carrying a Buddhist relic and protects them from raiders led by Master An, who has been hired by the Göktürk ruler to seize the relic.
Lai Xi, a Japanese emissary sent to the Tang Empire, has received a promise from the emperor to allow him to return to Japan if he helps to hunt down and kill the fugitive Li. Lai tracks down Li and, in a twist of fate, decides to help Li escort the caravan carrying the relic to the Tang capital, Chang'an. Both men agree to settle their differences in a duel in Chang'an once they have completed the mission.
Cast
- Jiang Wen as Lieutenant Li
- Kiichi Nakai as Emissary Lai Xi
- Zhao Wei as Wenzhu
- Wang Xueqi as Master An
- Hasi Bagen as Cao Jian
- He Tao as Ma Gun
- Lau Lei-nin as Wu Laoer
- Wang Deshun as Old Diehard
- Li Haibin as Zao Zimo
- Zhou Yun as Monk Juehui
- Lee Wai as Di Hu / Salamander
- Yang Haiquan as Baldy
- Wong Hiu as the Emperor
- Sang Baozhong as General Wen
Soundtrack
| Warriors of Heaven and Earth: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | October 3, 2003 (China) May 4, 2004 (India) | |||
| Recorded | Panchathan Record Inn Sahara Sound Ltd. Rudolfinumand Sono Studios | |||
| Genre | World Music | |||
| Length | 36:32 | |||
| Label | Sony Classical | |||
| Producer | A.R. Rahman | |||
| A. R. Rahman chronology | ||||
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The original score was composed by Indian composer A. R. Rahman. Warriors of Heaven and Earth: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on CD featuring 14 tracks, which include excerpts from the score and 1 theme song, "Warriors in Peace", sung by Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai.[1] Following the film's release, the score and soundtrack were released in one album separately, under the title Between Heaven and Earth. The album also include the theme song, "Warriors in Peace", in two languages, which are the Hindi version by Sadhana Sargam and English version by Sunitha Sarathy.[2]
While signing the project, Rahman was working with violinist Joshua Bell on compositions based on poems by the Persian poet Rumi. This project was later cancelled.[3][4] The score is completely acoustic with symphonic pieces and relatively little electronic sounds have been used.[3] Performers of the score include The Czech Film Orchestra and Chinese soloists in Hong Kong. Other instruments, including the erhu, flute, duduk, dizi, taiko drums are featured.[3][4]
- Track listing
| Song | Duration | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| "The Golden Era" | 3:56 | Instrumental |
| "Warriors in Peace (Chinese Version)" | 4:31 | Jolin Tsai |
| "Water" | 3:52 | Instrumental |
| "Horses" | 2:27 | Instrumental |
| "Mountains" | 1:49 | Instrumental |
| "Dacoit Duel" | 3:26 | Instrumental |
| "Lai Chi" | 1:31 | Instrumental |
| "Buddha's Remains" | 2:40 | Instrumental |
| "Blue Light" | 2:23 | Instrumental |
| "The Monk and The Miracle" | 4:05 | Instrumental |
| "Desert Storm" | 5:19 | Instrumental |
| "Warriors of Heaven and Earth (Instrumental)" | 4:27 | Instrumental |
Awards and nominations
11th Beijing Student Film Festival
- Nominated: Best Film
- Nominated: Best Actress (Zhao Wei)
- Nominated: Best Actor (Jiang Wen)
- Nominated: Best Actor (Wang Xueqi)
- Nominated: Best Supporting Actor (Wang Xueqi)
See also
References
- ^ Warriors Of Heaven And Earth CD Format, archived from the original on 2023-10-16, retrieved 2017-04-06
- ^ Between Heaven and Earth, Sony Classical, 2004-05-04, archived from the original on 2017-04-07, retrieved 2017-04-06
- ^ a b c Savita Gautham. "Chinese rhapsody". The Hindu. Archived from the original on February 25, 2004. Retrieved 2003-10-23.
- ^ a b Rangan, Baradwaj; Suhasini, Lalitha (14 June 2008). "A R Rahman – The Rolling Stone Interview". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 1 July 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
