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Introduction:
Example of a "revolutionary model drama" from the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) period; this ballet was modeled after a 1950s film of the same title directed by Xie Jin.
Plot: Wu Qinghua is a slave girl working for the evil Nan Batian, a ?urubber plantation landlord on Hainan Island. She is brutalized by Nan Batian's henchmen, but manages to escape. Passed out and half dead, she is found by two communist soldiers and adopted in their "red detachment of women." Wu Qinghua goes through training in preparation for an assault on Nan Batian's compound. During the assault, Wu Qinghua is so filled with rage and desire for revenge that she does not follow orders to wait for her captain's signal, thus ruining the plan. The troops are forced to retreat. Wu Qinghua is disciplined for her transgression. Up to this point in the drama, Wu Qinghua had appeared with long hair and red clothes; now, her hair is cut short and she wears a blue army uniform. Hong Changqing, the male leader of the detachment, is captured during another battle and then executed by Nan Batian after he refuses to recant. He is burned at the trunk of a huge banyan tree. The detachment then attacks Nan Batian's compound with an all-out assault. Wu Qinghua kills Nan Batian, and his peasant slaves are freed from his dungeon. They all learn of Hong's sacrifice and bow their heads to the tree in religious solemnity. Qinghua is appointed party rep for the Red Detachment and given Hong's bag to carry on his duty.
Questions:
Is this pure propaganda?
What appeal might these dramas have had to a Chinese audience?
How do the dramas function as progaganda?
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