Scenes 1 to 10

In a short introduction the historical context of the film’s topic is illustrated by documentary-like images and by a voice from the off. Views from World War II are shown, including bombers, American troops landing in the Normandy, the Great Three (Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin) in Yalta and the capitulation of Nazi-Germany. The battles in Europe are already over, and the Pacific war is ended by the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Soviet Red Army forces penetrate into Northeast China as soon as the Japanese are forced to surrender unconditionally. Fascism has been finally beaten and the time for peace and democracy seems near. Yet, it is still not clear what China’s path in the future will be like, and the Chinese people crave for nothing more than for an answer to this question.

In the streets of Chongqing people are celebrating gaily the end of the war and of the Japanese occupation. Spontaneous folklore dances and outbursts of happiness create an atmosphere of pure joy. In that frolicsome setting Generalissimo Jiang Jieshi 蒋介石 (= Chiang Kai-shek) is waving to the celebrating masses, standing in a car that passes through the streets, though he does not look like being as relieved and relaxed as everybody else. In his rather reserved manner he seems to be aware of the huge task that still lies in front of him: uniting China and putting down the Communists based in Yan’an. Next to Jiang stands his adjutant Qian Dajun 钱大钧.

A shift of perspective from Chongqing to Yan’an is emphasized by the sun going down behind a pagoda in the vast and mountainous northern Chinese landscape, which suggests a somewhat romantic atmosphere and feeling. The people in the rural “Communist capital” are celebrating all the night as well, just as merrily as the people in Chongqing. [And yet, one notes the pointed contrast between the two scenes: in Yan’an, the political leaders are sharing their happiness with the masses, they dance and laugh with them and receive congratulations for the Chinese “victory”. Fires are blazing in the dark, underlining the passion and the warm-heartedness represented by the Communist Party.]

In this scene, the most important political leaders of the CCP (= Chinese Communist Party) are introduced who will also be dominating throughout the film:

• The chairman of the CCP, Mao Zedong 毛泽东
• The vice-chairman of the CCP, Zhou Enlai 周恩来
• The commander-in-chief of the Eight Route Army Zhu De 朱德 and his deputy commander Peng Dehuai 彭德怀
• Liu Shaoqi 刘少奇, who equals Zhou Enlai in his hierarchical position, i.e. he is vice-chairman, too
• The chairman of the government in the border regions, Lin Boqu 林伯渠
• The secretary general of the CCP, Ren Bishi 任弼时
• The political commissioner of the military district of Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Henan, Deng Xiaoping 邓小平
• The military commander of the military districts of these four provinces, Liu Bocheng 刘伯承

Jiang Jieshi’s most influential advisors and staff are introduced. [The scene is characterised by a sober, almost cold atmosphere due to Jiang’s claim to absolute obedience, military leadership and the exaltation of his personality].
His staff includes:

• Minister of military politics of the National Government, Chen Cheng 陈诚
• The commander of the national air force, Zhou Zhirou 周至柔
• The head of the Political Bureau of the GMD (= Guomindang), Zhang Zhizhong 张治中 (who is often called Mr. Wenbai 文白先生 in the film according to his courtesy name)

Mao Zedong and Zhu De are strolling through a park in Yan’an. [Again, the strong contrast to “GMD-style” government is marked: While Jiang Jieshi takes decisions all by himself and strongly downplays his advisors, Mao and Zhu De are maintaining a friendly relationship as old war comrades and brothers in arms since Jiangxi times. Gentle music also adds to the harmonious impression.]

Mao praises the audacity of Zhu to refuse to follow Jiang’s order. Zhu says that a simple telegram by Jiang could not stop him from receiving the capitulation of the Japanese. [Chuckling and laughing all through the scene, Mao and Zhu seem to govern with mutual aid and reason and not with power and obedience, as Jiang does.]

Jiang, still very angry with his generals, now turns somewhat sarcastic: facing the threat of the Communists they have underestimated for so long, according to him, he notes that in the past when the Communists had only 100.000 men under arms, the GMD even in ten years did not get rid of them. Now that they have 1.2 million men, he hopes that none of his generals would propose a “120 year plan”. Quoting a phrase from the Classic of Rites (礼记), he lectures his men that it would be necessary to find a balance between attacking and loosening grip on the Communists (一张一弛) in order to annihilate them finally. [Jiang is presented throughout the movie as a person steeped in classical education]. A dispute then emerges at the meeting about how to deal with the Chinese people on the one side, who are longing for peace and unity, and the Communists on the other side. Zhang Zhizhong argues that the people’s will is the root of victory and that one therefore should not use military force at this moment when everybody desires peace.
Chen Lifu 陈立夫 [the head of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics and a close confidant of Jiang] voices a different opinion: He emphasizes that the Communists, even if they would be willing to negotiate for peace, would not easily change their behaviour and give up the advantageous position they are in. Furthermore, it would not be wise to give Mao the honour of negotiating with the president at eye level. Others again do not think that the CCP will be unreasonable, and Zhang Zhizhong (who is much more conciliatory than the anti-communist Chen Lifu) stresses it would well be time for eye level talks. Chen Lifu, though, notes that the GMD can rely on the support from the United States. The party would regret it if they did not take the chance of annihilating the CCP now. Jiang, in a final statement, reminds the generals of the pledges he made in Yalta and Potsdam to cooperate in building up a post-war order, and since the whole world wants peace, he decides to declare his readiness for negotiations and for inviting Mao Zedong over to Chongqing.

Mao Zedong and the leadership of the CCP are sitting in a small room; Mao is the only one standing and walking around, smoking. He says that he and Zhou Enlai both favour negotiations with the GMD, though it is not clear how the GMD will behave. Mao decides for the guideline: “针锋相对 寸土必争“, i.e. both parties are definitely opposed to each other and each inch of land has to be fought for. But the GMD which has an advantage in terms of military power, must be stopped from whipping up a civil war.

Jiang Jieshi meets with the US ambassador to China, Patrick Hurley. Hurley – who represents the American point of view that a civil war in China has to be avoided – suggests that Jiang would do best if he invited Mao to Chongqing in order to take up negotiations. He argues that as soon as the CCP realises that they loose support from Russia, their leaders will be conciliatory and will behave more “tamely”. [Hurley is alluding to the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance, signed by Jiang on August 14, 1945, in which Stalin agrees not to support the Chinese Communists in a Chinese civil war]. If the GMD on her part shows some political compliance, it might be possible to “seduce Mao to hand over his army”. Jiang wants Hurley to tell President Truman about his peaceful intentions – and he asks him to personally go to Yan’an to accompany Mao. Hurley consents, noting he had already been to Yan’an the year before, bringing back with him a five-point plan which Jiang, though, had chosen to ignore. [This rather dry comment can be interpreted as a little slap in the face of Jiang]. Jiang only remarks that the times have simply changed ...

This scene again points out to the viewer that what he sees is not merely a film, but actually a retelling of a turning point in history. Again, just as in scene number one, one sees marching soldiers, this time about to board a ship, and a group of bombers gliding through a cloudy sky in military formation. The speaker from the off tells the viewer that while the whole world is celebrating the end of WW II, in China there is an atmosphere comparable to the calm before the storm. Who will lead China out of her troubles? [As there is not much real action throughout the film, this scene not only raises the tension, but it also underlines that China at the time of the Chongqing negotiations was facing a crossroads and much of its future would indeed be determined during the following weeks.]

Jiang Jieshi is leaning back in an armchair; just behind him stands a staff member, and next to him a secretary who is reading out a draft for an invitation telegram to Mao. Jiang is displeased with the content of the draft, because it states that the fate of the state (天下安危) would equally depend on Jiang and Mao, which would put Mao on the same level as Jiang. The Generalissimo wants that part of the paper erased. When the staff member wonders how the populace would interpret the invitation, Jiang bluntly states it is not important what the populace thinks! Instead, it is important that the invitation is written in such a way that Mao would refuse to accept it. [This unveils to the viewer that Jiang’s real intention and primary goal is not to secure a peaceful future (which the people favour), but just to win the “political contest” with the CCP by any means.]