The Xi'an Incident
Seen it?1981 | 170 min | Drama, History
Saturday Specialearly ratingWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It was critically acclaimed, despite a box office flop. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Best for history buffs and people who like stories about real, flawed people. Best on a quiet night when you're in the mood to feel something. Shelve it next to Suffragette.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- A big, patient story, at 2 hr 50 min.
- What might put you off
- It's long: 2 hr 50 min.
- It's in Chinese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Not the one if you want explosions or easy laughs.
Marshal Zhang Xueliang, Commander of the North Eastern Army, grows progressively disillusioned by Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek's policy to engage the Chinese Communist Party rather than fight the Japanese invaders which are occupying Manchuria. Despite numerous pleas, Chiang does not budge. After discussing with fellow general Yang Hucheng, the two take events into their own hands and place Chiang Kai-shek under arrest on December 12, 1936, forcing Chiang into a coalition with the CCP.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
Critically acclaimed
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsWeak
1 win and 0 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Reach & staying powerWeak
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 5K people sought it out in the past year
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Cast & crew
Directed by Cheng Yin
- Gu YueMao Zedong
- Guo WeilinZhao Di
- Ange JinZhang Xueliang
- Fu LuPeng Dehuai
- Sun FeihuJiang Jieshi
- Wang TiechengZhou Enlai
- Xiu Zongdi
- Zhang FeiLi Kenong
- Zhi YitongDu Zhongyuan
- Zhu Kexin宋美龄