Li Shuangshuang (1962)
March 12, 1962Release Date
Plot.
Where to Watch.
Cast & Crew.
Ruifang Zhang
Shuangshuang Li
Xinghuo Zhong
Xiwang Sun
Zhang Wenrong
Guiying Sun
Zhao Shuyin
Feng Da
Fei Liu
Qiao Jin
Shiming Zhi
You Sun's grandma
Ma Ji
Fang Yan's wife
Cao Duo
Fang Yan
Media.
Details.
Release DateMarch 12, 1962
Original Name李双双
StatusReleased
Running Time1h 44m
Genres
Last updated:
Wiki.
Li Shuangshuang (李双双 Lǐ Shuāngshuang) is a 1962 Chinese comedy film written by Li Zhun and directed by Lu Ren. Filmed and set during The Great Leap Forward, it focuses on a peasant (Li Shuangshuang) who is married to a man (Sun Xiwang). Sun Xiwang is an old-fashioned man and he struggles to understand the changing social circumstances of the era. Unlike her husband, Li Shuangshuang is a model member of society who condemns the laziness and corruption of other members of the commune. Shuangshuang, sick of staying at home and working on domestic labor, leads the commune to take part in the progress of The Great Leap Forward
The story of Li Shuangshuang first appeared in The People's Literature in 1960. After becoming a huge success amongst China’s citizens it was made into a movie. The story was next adapted into a comic strip so it could be easily enjoyed by all. This form of replicating the same story into multiple mediums was common during the early Mao Period. Films like Li Shuangshuang were produced with the goal of “assist[ing] with current political, social, and economic campaigns. For education as much as entertainment, these films presented model characters in model situations”. Thus the film contributed to a series of shameless propaganda promoting an idealized version of what life could be like in a commune.
The film garnered huge success winning the second Hundred Flowers Award for best feature film in 1963 from a countrywide spectator vote. Lead Actress Zhang Ruifang was also awarded the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress for her performance.