Chang'an san wan li

Chang'an's glow once illuminated the Silk Road, its poetry crystallizing the Tang dynasty's golden age in every brushstroke. The moonlit verses of Li Bai still ripple in scholars' wine cups, while palace dances survive as ink traces on moth-eaten silk.

These echoes persist-not in the phoenix-painted lanterns nor jade hairpins' chime but in the human pulse beneath dynastic dust. Each generation rebuilds Chang'an: Song scholars layered it with philosophical chrysanthemums, and Ming architects crowned it with crimson gates, yet the original melody lingers like a half-remembered tune.

We who parse these fragments-are we restorers of glory, or mere scribes chronicling our displacement? Perhaps to comprehend this longing, one must taste plum wine where nightingales sing Tang quatrains or feel autumn wind slip through a ruined moon gate, carrying Du Fu's sigh across eight centuries.

This movie tells the story of Gao Shi's life.

One of my favorite part is when Gao Shi and Li Bai help Guo Zi Yi. While Gao Shi was sleeping in a small house. Li Bai suddenly get in. He said that he had found out that An Lu Shan is going to rebel. At this time a strong man come out of another room, he is Guo Zi Yi. Some bad men came to arrest Li Bai, they rushed in the room, but they are stopped by Guo Zi Yi, they failed and run away.

Guo Zi Yi said that some others will come here to arrest me. Li Bai disagreed. Just as Guo Zi Yi and Li Bai are arguing, Gao Shi said, "I had some business with Ge Shu Han before, I will go to ask him for help." In the end Li Bai and Guo She helped Guo Zi Yi.

This story tells a lot about Li Bai and Gao Shi. It also tells about some of the history and literature. I lost myself when watching this movie, and makes me feel excited!

Sofia, 9 years old, Jan. 23. 2024.

Chang'an is a Chinese animated film that gloriously celebrates the Tang Dynasty, the golden age of Chinese arts and culture, paying tribute to Tang Dynasty poetry.

The story chronicles the lifelong friendship between Li Bai, China's most famed poet, and Gao Shi, a general and politician, during the Tang Dynasty from its cultural peak until its eventual collapse from the An Lushan Rebellion.

With a wonderfully written script, Chang'an reaches its ambitions, viscerally showing daily life in the Tang dynasty, its flourishing culture, and communal appreciation for poetry-reciting up to 48 Tang poems throughout the film.

Poetry was an art form shared socially. On a night out drinking, poets would compose a poem on the spot to capture a moment of joy, similar to taking an Instagram selfie now, and the latest composition will be passed on verbally appreciatively from town to town in chin-stroking joy.

It was momentous when the film recited Li Bai's "Quiet Night Thought", the definitive poem that every Chinese person recites in school. It was wonderful learning the context behind how it was composed. Every Chinese teacher will be playing Chang'an clips for years to come.

The animation is used meticulously to recreate the capital city of Chang'an and allows an aesthetic freedom to switch between various tones and subgenres, easily switching from historical slice of life drama, wuxia, war film and into the imaginary.

At 169 minutes, Chang'an earns its long runtime with its rich story. I was transported back in time and seduced by the Tang way of life. Seeing a society so enveloped in art and expression was infectious and inspiring. The Li Bai and Gao Shi's friendship is also well developed and quite moving. Towards the end, when the Tang era was over, I felt a sorrow for a great time long gone.

Chang'an is one of the best films of 2023. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Though it is an animation, the technology is quite good, all the characters and background are created elaborately. Also, this animation is not like the animation made by Disney or DreamWorks, it has an unique Chinese feature.

This film is about the entire life of Libai, a famous poetry in China. However, the story is told by another poetry, Gaoshi, this makes the image of Libai more interesting.

After watching the film, I feel more admire to Libai. I've already known that he was a great poetry and know lots of things about him. However, it's a completely new experience to see the character alive on the screen, to see him living his life, writing his poems, making his friends. Of course, Libai is a legend, it is unbelievable for a person to experience loads of pain, failure, and even being discriminated by others and still lead a free and easy life.

There should definably be more historical movies like this where the overall culture and the mentality and the struggles of a people are portrayed without the gloom and gore where the plot gets lost in sometimes.

I honestly was mesmerized by how involving and meaningful and well rounded the story was. It introduced Chinese culture to me as it was never presented to me before, how poetry is well rooted in Chinese collective lives and the logic set people in that era put together to make decisions, and the hierarchy between the people.

Light chaser animation has been doing great work with keeping a balance between culture, story and character over the past few movies. I just hope they don't sabotage this reputation with adding nudity & adultery, ruining the great Chinese animation vibe they have built.