This film was produced as part of the nationally orchestrated cultural and propaganda campaign that marked the first decade of the People's Republic of China. Set at the time of the War of Liberation (late 1940s), the plot of the film involves a woman who impersonates a male officer so that she can participate in the struggle. Jiang Qing attacked it for "propagating individual heroism and denigrating the image of military people."

 

Youth in the Flames of War

Directed by Wang Yan
Changchun Film Studio (1959)

Gao Shan: You don’t know it, but I’m really a woman.
Commander Lei: Don’t be ridiculous. If you really were a woman, I’d either slit my throat or hang myself.
Gao Shan: I only wish you’d never found out!
Commander Lei: How could you possibly be a woman? Why are you a woman?
Gao Shan: Why are you so surprised? One's sex doesn’t matter as long as we can all fight the enemy together. Don’t you agree, Commander?

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