The Red Detachment of Women (1970 film)

The Red Detachment of Women (Chinese: 红色娘子军; pinyin: Hóngsè Niángzǐjūn) is a 1970 Chinese filmed performance of the Chinese ballet of the same name (originally produced in 1964) - which itself was a version of director Xie Jin's original 1961 film. The style is called 'yangbanxi' (revolutionary model dramas.) It is one of eight approved revolutionary model dramas made during the Cultural Revolution. A Beijing Opera version was filmed by the August First Film Studio in 1972.

In the 1930s, on Hainan Island, the heroine, Wu Qinghua, escapes from Nan Batian, an evil landlord, and becomes the leader of a women’s militia, under the guidance of Hong Changqing, a Communist Party secretary.

When Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, visited China in 1972, he was entertained with a stage production of Red Detachment of Women, and Xue Jinghua performed as Wu Qinghua in the ballet.

On 11 November 2012, in Washington, DC, a panel discussion with Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Dr,. Chi Wang, Dr. Carma Hinton, and Dr. Michael Chang discussed the effect of this film had on the Cultural Revolution and on Chinese film.

China Movie Material Institute, ed. (1981). 中国艺术影片编目 (1949-1979) [China Art Film Catalog (1949-1979)] (in Chinese). Beijing: Culture and Arts Press.